What Does a Podiatrist Do?
A podiatrist, DPM, or doctor of podiatric medicine, is the only healthcare professional whose total training focuses on the foot, ankle and lower extremities below the knee. They are able to perform surgery on all of the above and have a special understanding and knowledge of the biomechanics of the foot, proper molding of orthotics and diabetic foot care. They are trained in all surgical procedures for correcting deformities of the foot.
Podiatrists care for people of all ages, treating any foot problem. The most common disorders include:
Corns — Corns on the toes probably cause more foot pain and misery than any other single problem. Crooked toes that won’t lie flat cause most corns. The constant rubbing against the shoe leads to a cone-shaped thickening of the skin, similar to a callus. In mild cases, the corn may be padded to protect the sensitive tissue. When the pain persists, surgery is used to straighten the toe from its contracted position.
Calluses — A callus is a thickened area of skin. It usually results from recurring pressure and friction. When one foot bears too much weight and pressure, a callus quickly develops beneath it. A special support can be made to improve the weight distribution across the bottom of the foot, or surgery may be performed to place the bones in a more ideal position.
Bunions — There are many causes for bunions, including injury, arthritis, poor posture and heredity. A bunion is the progressive movement of the big toe toward the second toe, causing a “bump” of bone to form on the side and top of the big toe joint. There are many ways to treat bunions, but surgical treatment is the only way to remove the bunion and restore the big toe to its proper position.
Diabetic foot problems — It is estimated that 15 percent of all diabetics will develop a serious foot condition at some time in their lives. Common problems include infection, ulceration neuropathy, Charcot foot or gangrene that in severe cases may lead to amputation of a toe, foot or leg. Foot problems in diabetics are usually the result of three primary factors: neuropathy, poor circulation and decreased resistance to infection.
Nail problems — An ingrown nail occurs when a toenail edge imbeds itself into the surrounding skin. It can cause pain, swelling, redness and often becomes infected. Foot and ankle specialists handle ingrown toenails on a daily basis using the most advanced treatment techniques to minimize discomfort and provide rapid healing.
Flat feet — The main cause of a flat foot (or low arch) is an abnormal bone structure. The “flat foot” causes muscles, tendons and ligaments to work harder, resulting in pain, cramps and increased fatigue of the foot and leg. Without treatment, the symptoms can increase. Treatments range from special supports to surgical reconstruction of the foot.
Arch pain — The arch is a bridge between the front and back part of the foot. It bears a lot of weight and is subject to a lot of stress. When you feel pain in the arch, it can mean the bones, ligaments and muscles are overworked and tired. Overworking the arch also can cause leg cramps and even lower back pain.
Heel pain — There are many causes of heel pain. Padding the shoe with soft foam rubber may occasionally relieve pain. If that remedy fails, other treatments will be tried.
Sprains and fractures — Sprains and fractures of the feet and ankles are common and can result in long-term disability if not properly treated. A sprain is a tear in the ligament that takes place when the ligament is stretched too far. A fracture is a bone break that can happen in several ways. The most common break results when a ligament rips away a piece of the bone to which it was attached. Pain and swelling accompany sprains and fractures, followed by discoloration due to injury to the small blood vessels around the injury.
Sports injuries — Among the most common sport injuries are shin splints, stress fractures, ankle sprains, Achilles tendonitis and pains in the arch and ball of the foot. Several of the problems develop over a period of time, resulting from repeated high-stress activity.
Skin problems — Our skin is the most accessible part of the body and often provides visible evidence of what is wrong inside. The most common skin problems seen by a podiatrist include contact dermititis, warts and fungus. Contact dermititis is an irritating skin rash caused by a chemical coming into contact with the skin. The chemicals may be materials in shoes or socks. Removing the material from contact with the skin removes the problem. Warts often are mistaken for corns or calluses, but they are growths caused by a virus that enters the skin through a break.