Foot pain is considered absolutely normal by most people and most people attribute it to walking around too much and putting extra strain on their feet. What we fail to realize is that feet are more vulnerable to injuries than any other part of our body. It is important to seek medical attention to obtain pain relief for feet or even when you observe some discomfort. Simple factors like an ill fitting shoe may be the root cause of feet pain. You should not ignore foot pain, sore feet etc and consulting a podiatrist at the right time, will prevent the pain and discomfort from worsening.
Podiatrists are health care professionals who are specialized in treating problems of the foot, muscles, ankles and tendons which are responsible for the smooth functioning of the foot. There are various areas of podiatric specialty care. It includes podiatric primary care, podiatric orthopedics or biomechanics, podiatric sports medicine, podiatric surgery, podiogeriatrics, podiopediatrics and so on. Let us see each one in more detail. Under podiatric primary care, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures for podiatric problems are taken care of. Under podiatric orthopedics or biomechanics, various factors like conservation of non-surgical treatment methods for imperfection in the structure of leg and feet by using specialty footwear, prosthetic devices, orthotics and physical therapy are considered. Orthotic devices are devices which help in support the foot properly by realigning it and promoting correct body weight distribution on the feet. Podiatric sports medicine includes the diagnosis, treatment measures and preventive activities that deal with disorders with the lower extremities in case of athletes. Podiatric surgery includes the use of latest and advanced operating procedures which help to reduce or alleviate the problems related to foot and ankle of a patient. Podiogeriatrics includes the treatment of elderly people for their lower extremity disorders. Podiopediatrics is a branch which includes the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of foot and leg problems that affect children.
In order to find a good podiatrist, ask your general practitioner for references. Or search online, for example in you are looking for a good podiatrist in Scottsdale area, you may search online using the following phase – “Podiatrist Scottsdale AZ”. Seek second opinions from other physicians of good repute and who you can trust. Get references from your friends, family and acquaintances as it becomes easy to spot the right doctor for you. Referrals are mostly based on confidence and trust of people. However, it is best to make a final decision only after visiting the doctor once and seeing if the doctor in question is suitable for your personal preferences and criteria’s. Hospitals of good reputation, also offer the service of referrals by suggesting names of their staff doctors who meet your requirements.
Ask precise questions regarding your condition, on consulting the podiatrist, and make sure to reveal details of your medical condition to the doctor. It is also important to take along reports of related diagnostic tests, blood works, medications and details about your health history. Common problems that are treated by podiatrists include blisters, athlete’s foot, bunions, foot odor, hammer toes, corns and calluses, heel pain, warts, ingrown nails and so on.