Importance of Seeing a Podiatrist

For people who train, exercise or play regularly, there’s no 100-percent way to prevent injuries. And however hard you might try to protect your lower limbs, it’ll come a day when you’ll get an injury or two. Learn to listen to your feet to determine if they’re injured or not. While first aid and home remedies can help alleviate the pain and symptoms that come with foot diseases, seeking podiatric care is a much better option.

Who Is a Podiatrist?

A podiatrist is a doctor with a specialty in diagnosing and treating conditions of the foot, ankle and other leg structures. Podiatrists can specialise in certain fields such as wound care, sports medicine, diabetic care, and pediatrics.

When Should You Visit a Podiatrist?

If you’re dealing with pain or an injury in your lower limb, you may want to seek help from a podiatrist to figure what the issue might be. Certain pain may go away with simple home remedies, but you need diagnosis and treatment is the pain becomes obvious. Ignoring such pain and related injuries may worsen the situation. Also, be sure to seek podiatric help if you plan on going on a long walk or multi-day hike, or if you exercise often and are not sure about the correct shoes to wear.

Which Ailments Do Podiatrists Treat?

Podiatrists treat different conditions of the feet, including:

• Corns
• Calluses
• Foot ulcers
• Tumors
• Fractures

Additionally, podiatrists may help correct walking balance and patterns. They can also use orthotics, strappings and casts to correct deformities.

Although podiatrists focus on diagnosing and treating ailments of the foot, they won’t mind advising you on matters about feet and other leg structures. With that in mind, you may approach these doctors of podiatric medicine to consult about pain and injuries occurring in your feet. They may also be the best advisers on footwear, especially if you have diabetes or any other lifestyle condition that affects nerves.