Podiatry is a field of medicine that deals with problems of the foot and lower extremities.
Podiatry may sound unfamiliar to most people, but it’s quite a valuable field of medicine that can help improve your overall health. A podiatrist is a medical professional who specialises in foot care, and it’s often confused with chiropodists. Still, they are two entirely different professions where podiatry deals only with the treatment of feet. Therefore, podiatrists are also known as foot doctors or chiropodists.
Research has shown that most people live in a state of poor foot health and don’t even realise it. It’s not only about the foot pain, but podiatrists can help treat other types of ailments such as heel spurs, bunions, corns and calluses, ingrown toenails and more. You need to know that podiatrists are considered primary care providers of the feet, acting on diagnoses and treatment plans.
If you think that a podiatrist Adelaide can only address the symptoms and not treat the root cause, you’re mistaken because that’s what exactly they do when they assess your foot health, which typically starts from the heel and moves up to your toes. They also check your muscle strength and range of motion and analyse any deformities with your foot, including flat feet or high arches that can cause pain in other body parts such as the legs, lower back, and neck.
The podiatrists work closely with orthopaedists if surgery is needed to address a bone or joint-related problem. In addition, they also work hand in hand with orthotics that manufacture specific equipment that patients may need, such as shoe inserts for people who have fallen arches, ankle braces and more.
In many cases, if you suffer from an injury, especially the one to your foot, then it’s essential to see a podiatrist before the injury is given time to heal. This way, you can prevent infections and avoid permanent damage.
Furthermore, when you visit a podiatrist in podiatrist Adelaide , it usually means that your primary care physician is not available, which is why they need to address your injury and prescribe medication instead.
So please don’t wait until you have patients in pain because most of them waste time seeing their family doctor first, who will only refer them over to a podiatrist. This way, you can save time and avoid unnecessary medications, which are always possible side effects.
Now that you know what podiatrists are responsible for, then it’s essential to include foot exercises in your daily routine to maintain the good foot health by strengthening muscles and improving balance at the same time. It may seem challenging to do these things first, but it should be easy once you get used to the process.
In addition, poor foot health can lead to other problems such as weight gain, so you need always to try your best to maintain good foot care. This way, you can avoid developing other conditions that will negatively affect your quality of life.
