Most people have come across the term podiatry. However, they do not quite comprehend the concept. As such, they end up missing out on the health benefits of this intervention. So, what is podiatry? Below are some FAQs to help you understand podiatry.
What Is Podiatry?
Podiatry is a medical practice specialising in conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs. Podiatrists specialise in various fields, including orthotics, diabetes care, neurologic and circulatory foot conditions, dermatology and geriatric care.…
Sprains are a common injury for athletes and people who play sports. They happen when a ligament is stretched beyond its normal range of motion, and it causes pain, swelling, and stiffness.
The most common sprains occur in the ankle or foot and can be caused by twisting your foot or ankle too far in any direction. If you have a sprain, it’s important to seek treatment from your podiatrist as soon as possible.…
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that helps to relieve pain and inflammation. It’s an alternative to surgery, which can be very effective in the right hands.
If your heel pain has been going on for a while, or if it’s making it difficult to get around, shockwave therapy may be able to help. Shockwave treatment is a noninvasive procedure that uses sound waves to stimulate healing in soft tissue injuries—and it can also be used to treat heel pain.…
When it comes to prescribing foot orthotics, a one-size-fits-all approach does more harm than good. Notably, patients have unique characteristics and needs that can only be addressed effectively with custom orthotics. Thus, podiatrists must consider each patient’s particular dysfunction to achieve a satisfactory treatment outcome. For instance, prescribing orthotics designed for posterior tibial dysfunction to a plantar fasciitis patient yields undesirable outcomes. That said, constructing custom foot orthotics requires a systematic approach to ensure the devices achieve the objective.…
Sports podiatry is the area of medicine that helps people to recover from sports-related injuries affecting the feet and ankles. If you suffer from any of the following injuries, seeing a sports podiatrist could help you to get back on your feet and back to training as quickly and safely as possible.
1. Achilles Tendon Injuries
Common among runners, injuries to the Achilles tendon can be difficult to treat. The natural instinct of many people is to stretch the Achilles tendon when it hurts, but you need to be very careful not to do further damage by applying force to a tendon that is already damaged.…
Training to become an amateur weightlifter is a great goal to have if working on your body composition is something that you really want to do. However as any sports podiatrist will attest to, when lifting heavy weights, having a stable base will improve your posture and minimise the risk of injuries, not just to the feet but the knees and back as well. Whilst there are many pieces of equipment that can help with weightlifting, none are more important than good-quality training shoes.…
Many people who suffer from arthritis find it helpful to receive treatment from a podiatrist. If you have this condition, here are two ways in which this type of professional may be able to help you.
1. They can perform the foot care treatments that you are unable to carry out
Many of the most common forms of arthritis are progressive. This means that, as time passes, the joints in various parts of your body, including your hands, are likely to deteriorate and become increasingly painful, stiff and difficult to move.…
Your podiatrist is the person you go to if you have any problems with your feet, but they don’t normally form part of your routine healthcare. Unlike dentists and optometrists, most people only go to a podiatrist when there’s a reason.
That’s not usually a problem for the majority of people, but for diabetics, regular appointments with a podiatrist are essential. It’s part of diabetic healthcare that’s not always taken as seriously as others, but if you miss it out, you could develop serious problems.…
Runners typically spend plenty of time selecting their shoes, and usually plenty of money buying them. After all, picking up a pair of the right running shoes for your feet is vital if you expect to stay injury-free. However, most runners don’t give much thought to the socks that they will wear under those shoes. That’s a real problem; going with an old-fashioned pair of cotton socks instead of specialty synthetic running socks can put your feet at risk of several conditions, no matter how expensive your shoes.…
As an inflammatory autoimmune condition, rheumatoid arthritis can damage your feet by eroding the joints. Over time, this erosion can leave your feet swollen, cause pain when walking, weaken the surrounding ligaments and change the alignment of your feet. Those with rheumatoid arthritis are susceptible to the following three conditions as a result of joint and ligament damage:
Achilles Tendinopathy
Inflammation can cause scar tissue to form around the tendon that links your heel to your calf muscles.…
