Here’s how the top podiatric team at Balance Foot and Ankle Wellness Center can keep you in step
By Patricia Nugent
Over the spans of the average 4,000 steps you take each day, your feet are dealt an impact of one-and-a-half times your body weight. For runners, the number jumps to three times their body weight.
When the slightest thing goes wrong with your feet, it can have a domino effect on other joints, muscles, tendons and nerves up the legs and even the back and neck.
Opening this month in Concord Township, Balance Foot and Ankle Wellness Center offers patient-centered care and a full spectrum of diagnostics, treatments and advanced surgical techniques. Headed up by Drs. Carissa and Jonathan Sharpe, the independent, locally owned practice allows them the latitude to spend time with their patients, getting to know them and educating them about the importance of footcare.
“We work well together as a team, with the capability to treat anything below the knee, from flat-foot reconstruction to hammertoes, heel pain and tendonitis; all types of trauma, including broken ankles, stress fractures and Achilles tendon tears; skin and nail conditions such as toenail fungus, ingrown toenails, corns and calluses; to putting a preventive care plan together for diabetics; and prescribing custom orthotics,” says Dr. Jonathan. “To get the clearest picture of each patient’s feet, we often begin by scanning with digital X-rays.”
About the Doctors
The doctors earned their medical degrees at the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.
Dr. Jonathan did his comprehensive surgical residency with Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Kaiser Permanente and stays involved with training other doctors and lecturing internationally.
“Fostering podiatric education in foot and ankle surgery is important to me,” he says. “Our practice model includes a fellow doctor on staff for a one-year period. They are fully credentialed doctors who see patients independently.”
Specialties for Dr. Jonathan Sharpe include ankle joint replacement and repairing sports injuries, foot and ankle deformities and arthritis.
One of the newer breakthrough procedures he performs is minimally invasive surgery to correct bunions, achieved through three tiny incisions and very little downtime, what used to take large incisions followed by weeks of rehab through traditional surgery.
Another minimally invasive surgery he performs is Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy to treat plantar fasciitis. This common and painful ailment is caused by an inflamed plantar fascia, which is a fibrous band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot.
During the surgery, he inserts a special scope and camera through two tiny incisions. This helps him pinpoint where to incise the fascia.
Following med school, Dr. Carissa Sharpe served as chief resident with University Hospitals and has advanced training in wound care. She specializes in salvaging limbs through high-tech treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy and skin substitute grafting.
Her niches of care also include diabetic footcare, pediatric pathology, sports medicine, foot pain and trauma, and nail and skin conditions.
Both doctors are board certified and value continued education annually.
Joining Drs. Sharpe is a friendly and compassionate staff, including radiology technologists Andrea Luoma and Sean Fox, medical assistant Amy Wulfort, and running the front desk are the cheerful team of Kim Mansky and Marki Meadows.
“Our staff is very important to us and without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide the care our patients need,” says Dr. Carissa. “We truly appreciate them.”
Reimagining a Doctor’s Visit
Founded by CEO Dr. Jennifer Prezioso, who is also a podiatrist, the practice has locations in Lakewood, Avon, Lorain and Medina. Her vision is to “reimagine what it means to go to a doctor’s office by taking guests’ complete well-being into consideration.” The practice’s mission is to “blend hospitality and compassion with medicine and surgery” building long lasting relationships with patients and the community.
In a way, since Dr. Prezioso’s husband, Dr. Mark Hardy, works in the Lakewood office, helped train Dr. Jonathan 17 years ago, the Sharpes say joining the practice feels like they have come full circle.
“Since we live here in Lake County with our three children, and are involved in school and sports, we take pride in treating those in the community, our neighbors,” says Dr. Carissa.
Balance Foot and Ankle Wellness Center is located within the TriPoint Medical Center Physician Pavilion adjacent to the University Hospitals Concord Health Center, at 7580 Auburn Road, Suite #102, in Concord Township. Visit BalanceCLE.com or call 216-658-0111 for more information.