Podiatrists, who hold titles such as Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or DPM, specialise in treating disorders of the foot, ankle and associated structures of the leg.
Explore opportunities at your school to work or volunteer in medical settings and shadow a physician regularly.
Foot and Ankle Injuries
The feet and ankles are intricate structures. Each foot contains 26 bones, over 30 joints, and over 100 muscles – injuries to these structures can be excruciatingly painful and significantly limit mobility.
The-SA-Podiatry-Clinic podiatrist Adelaide specialises in diagnosing and treating foot, ankle and surrounding tissue injuries. Additionally, they can assist you in avoiding injuries by encouraging proper training techniques, wearing well-fitting shoes and warming up before exercising.
Injuries affecting the feet and ankles range from minor sprains and strains to dislocated bones that require immediate medical attention and skilled post-injury treatment. A podiatrist can assist you in recovering faster while preventing minor injuries from becoming severe so that you can return to regular activities sooner. Non-sport-related conditions a podiatrist treats include bunions, calluses, corns, flat feet, heel pain, athlete’s foot, ingrown toenails, and warts.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a debilitating condition that affects joints throughout the body. Most often caused by either degenerative wear-and-tear osteoarthritis or an inflammatory form known as rheumatoid arthritis, both types can lead to pain, swelling and stiffness in feet and ankles.
The-SA-Podiatry-Clinic podiatrist Adelaide can assist patients suffering from arthritis by prescribing specific footwear, offering exercises, providing pain management advice and referring them for surgery when necessary. Orthoses – special shoe inserts designed to redistribute pressure evenly across the foot without impacting affected joints – may also help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation and prevent further joint damage. At the same time, physical therapy may also help relieve this discomfort and increase flexibility.
Bunions
A bunion is a bony bump at the base of your big toe, often found in women. This condition causes your big toe to push against other smaller toes and force its joint outward, often forcing it against other toes and creating pressure in its joint. Bunion symptoms tend to occur more in those with flat feet or who wear tight, high-heeled shoes that fit tightly or wear them too frequently.
An early visit to your podiatrist may help relieve a bunion, such as using soft shoes with padded inserts, ice packs, exercise and weight loss as possible treatment options. Surgery may also be considered; however, it should not be performed on children as their bones may still be developing, potentially compromising growth plates as well as not proving completely successful in fixing your bunion.
Hammertoes
Treatment options depend on the severity and other factors of deformities. Mild cases may benefit from stretching exercises and instructions to use splints or tape to keep their toes straight; for more serious cases, a podiatrist may prescribe custom shoe inserts or orthotics to stop the progression of hammertoe deformity.
Patients suffering from severe hammertoes that cause pain or inhibit daily activities might require surgery to correct their toe joint alignment and realign the bony prominence. A surgeon might also suggest arthrodesis – in which both joints are fused using an external wire or pin – which would permanently fuse both toe joints.
Diabetes
Diabetes can lead to serious foot complications, including loss of sensation and poor blood flow. The-SA-Podiatry-Clinic podiatrist Adelaide is specifically trained to identify any sores, cuts or swelling on your feet and treat infections or any conditions affecting them – including neuromas (a buildup of thickened nerve tissue that causes pain in toes and causes discomfort and tingling sensation).
Diabetes often leads to neuropathy, arthropathy, and vasculopathy (damaged blood vessels). Encourage your diabetic patients to request basic foot checks and annual comprehensive foot exams at every healthcare visit. Furthermore, they should wash their feet daily, inspect for changes, trim their nails straight rather than too short, wear shoes that fit well while promoting blood flow, and wear comfortable footwear that promotes circulation. So, if you have aches and pains in your foot, don’t hesitate to visit a reputable podiatrist.