What symptoms does a podiatrist treat?
Foot pain is very common among people of all age groups. Apart from foot injuries, the underlying cause of foot pain is often our affected blood circulation. There are multiple reasons for the affected blood flow to the lower extremities and a foot doctor or a podiatrist can identify and avoid worsening of the symptoms.
A podiatrist is a licensed doctor that specialises in pain, injury, or any kind of complexities related to the lower limb. The doctors study a brand of medicine called podiatry hence called podiatrists. Patients of all age groups go to a podiatrist. Diabetic foot care is a specialty of podiatrists. Just like we regularly visit a dentist, a scheduled consultation with a podiatrist is also helpful in managing the symptoms of diabetic feet.
When do you go to a podiatrist?
Problems related to our lower limbs are treated by a podiatrist. Be it an overuse injury, sports injury, issues related to diabetic foot or any other pain causing infections that affect your day-to-day life, an appointment with a podiatrist is helpful.
Patients who most often visit a podiatrist’s clinic include children dealing with growing pains, athletes sustaining a sports injury, busy individuals who experience immobility due to lower limb pains, and diabetics. A podiatrist uses the latest technology for diagnosis to address issues arising at your knees, ankles, heels, foot joints and toenails. If you experience any kind of discomfort in this region, you may be taken for an x-ray, ultrasound imaging, and biomechanical assessment to address the pain causing issues.
Symptoms treated by a podiatrist
A podiatrist can perform an in-depth examination of your foot anatomy. For optimum health of your lower limbs, it is important to regularly visit a podiatrist. However, most of us have a tendency to avoid doctor’s appointments until things get out of control. Rather than taking over the counter medications, it is ideal to visit a foot doctor for the following conditions.
- Foot pain
Under the umbrella term of foot pain come a large variety of problems. For instance, a torn or damaged Achilles tendon. It is the longest tendon that can affect the functioning of the feet. It usually causes problems in athletes and requires weeks and months of rest and proper treatment. Other probable causes of pain in the feet include plantar fasciitis, which is an overuse injury, and Morton’s neuroma which causes pain and deformities in the toes, foot fungus and ingrown toenails. Apart from these, foot pain also affects growing children and aged individuals who are diagnosed with diabetes. Foot pain can be described as a dull aching sensation or a sharp throbbing pain. It can affect the ball of your foot, the toes, the ankles or heels. Rest, ice packs and over the counter medicines can offer temporary relief. In some cases, home remedies don’t even work. Therefore, it’s ideal to see a foot doctor to get a timely consultation.
- Swollen feet
Have you experienced a strain and noticed swelling around the ankle? It can occur either by a fall, injury or with a minor twisting motion. When the ligaments are torn or stretched, the ankle stabilises and results in swollen feet. A large number of nerves and arteries are covered by our ligaments, therefore ice compression is usually not the most effective way to get rid of the swelling. Doctors do recommend rest, relaxation and icing for instant relief. However, an in-depth examination is required to understand the underlying cause of the swelling. In most cases, physical therapy and orthotics are required to help ease the discomfort. Rather than buying over the counter medicines for pain or inflammation, you should see a foot doctor to get a precise diagnosis and the safest treatment for your condition.
- Affected circulation
Swollen feet is a common condition for diabetics. People who have uncontrolled blood glucose levels are often seen struggling with foot related ailments. The condition is known as diabetic neuropathy. Blocked blood flow and nerve damage can create life-threatening conditions for diabetics. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy involve numbness in feet, tingling sensations, sensitivity to touch, muscle weakness and pain. Regular consultation with a podiatrist is helpful in managing these symptoms. Moreover, timely guidance for proper foot care helps diabetics to slow the progression of neuropathy. To avoid any lasting damage, it is highly recommended for diabetics to regularly consult with a podiatrist. They have a high-end setup equipped with advanced technology to monitor the blood circulation and nerve supply levels. In normal conditions, neurological assessment is required once every 12 months: for drastically uncontrolled levels of blood sugar, assessments are more frequent. Timely assessment and consultation are helpful in avoiding serious complications that lead to amputation. Apart from blood flow assessment, a podiatrist can do a touch test and overall assessment of the skin colour and toenails. Foot doctors offer general foot care treatment, physical therapy, self-care education and footwear advice to manage the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
Conclusion
Wearing ill-fitted shoes can cause foot problems, falls or accidents can affect your foot mobility, uncontrolled blood glucose levels make diabetic foot treatment a necessity, toenail infection can affect the quality of life, and even a growing child has to deal with problems related to toes, heels, and overall gait. To conclude, our feet handle a lot and therefore, pain, swelling, inflammation and infection are very common. Taking good care of our feet is essential, not just for a diabetic but for everyone regardless of their age. For general foot care, footwear advice or consultation regarding surgical interventions related to your foot ailments, visit the link given below.