A podiatrist is a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM). He/she is also known as a podiatric physician or a foot doctor. Podiatrists evaluate, diagnose, and treat common conditions and injuries of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. Patient pain diagnosis may be the result of such things as arthritis, blisters, bunions, broken bones, heel spurs, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, swelling, or sores that will not heal.
Anyone who notices redness, swelling, increased warmth, or a change in the shape or appearance of the feet, skin, or toenails should make a podiatrist appointment right away.
Podiatrists specialize in a wide variety of fields such as sports medicine, pediatrics, wound care, and diabetic care. Some podiatrists also perform foot and ankle surgery depending on their training, certifications, and hospital credentials. No matter what a podiatrist specializes in. Here are five things they never want anyone to do:
1.
Go barefoot in
these two places Walking barefoot in a public locker
room is an excellent way to pick up athlete’s
foot and warts. Athlete’s foot is a fungus that grows on your skin,
particularly in between your toes, and it can spread to your toenails as well.
Warts can be quite stubborn and tough to get rid of so try to avoid getting
them by wearing shower shoes in the locker room.
Bare feet that
trod around on really hard surfaces also can suffer from deterioration of
protective padding. If you have hardwood flooring or ceramic tile in your home,
wear a supportive shoe or slipper instead of no shoes at all.
2.
Ignore pain It indicates something is wrong.
Podiatrists can determine if the problem is due to injury, anatomy,
biomechanics, overuse, or disease. A vast array of treatments can help
alleviate pain.
3.
Keep the same
shoe size your whole adult life It
may surprise you to know that your foot size can change. With age our feet can
grow wider or longer; our arches can drop and we may experience other
structural changes. So have your foot professionally measured occasionally to make
sure your shoe size still matches your feet.
4.
Perform home
surgery It’s tempting to try to dig out an ingrown
toenail by yourself. But think about it.
Are you using sterile instruments and proper technique? Do you know the best
way to go about it, or are you just improvising and risking more damage?
Don’t even take
a chance. It’s best to call a qualified podiatrist. Use best practices to
repair an ingrown toenail. The same goes for removing annoying corns or calluses from your foot. Let the experts handle them.
5.
Wear the same
shoes every day Your feet benefit when you change up
your shoes. You don’t want your foot to be constantly molded into one shape,
which can happen when you slide it into the same shoe every day. Mix up flats
with heels, athletic shoes with supportive boots, and minimize your time in
unsupportive flip-flops and really high heels.
“Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are
not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to
steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to
save.” (Thomas Monson) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Things Your Podiatrist Doesn’t Want You to Do” by Foot
and Ankle Associates of Cleveland
·
“Top 5 Things to
Know About Podiatrists” by Jordan Stewart
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