Podiatry deals with a special medicine which is related to the foot, ankle and lower leg injury. Doctors who are specialized in this field are called as podiatrists. They deal with several diseases such as heel pain, foot injury, ankle pain and injury, planter, fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, flat foot, diabetic foot and Morton’s neuronal.
However, if you suffer from arthritis or diabetes then you might feel some unusual pain in your lower legs. In such cases, you can contact with a podiatrist.A Podiatrist needs to complete a premedical training which is conducted by reputed medical schools. After completing the training, the podiatrist will get a certificate on podiatric medicine.
In some cities, you can find chiropodists rather than podiatrists to help you with your foot issues. They also deal with your issues with the help of the podiatry medicines. But chiropodists cannot prescribe you with any strong medicines and they are not allowed to perform any surgery which can be done by a professional podiatrist.
How would you find the best podiatrists?
In the case of foot pain and injury, you can contact a podiatry clinic. First, you should consult your physician and he will recommend you a podiatrist.
However, you can also search the podiatrists online and choose the best one after checking their online reviews. You can also simply scroll through the online directories or yellow pages to find out the best podiatrists. There are plenty of websites that you can search online in Australia and find some the best podiatrists on their website. Lastly, you need to check their experience level, patient’s reviews, license, qualification and certifications before consulting.
- After finding out the best podiatrists, you must discuss your problems with them. Never be afraid of asking them anything because they are doctors and they need to explain everything as per your needs. They would explain the diagnosis, medication and treat you with respect.
- Sometimes orthopaedic specialists refer podiatrists because they are the primary caregivers for your foot problems. Podiatrists will evaluate your problems and identify the exact problems. Then they will prescribe you some medicines, or they can also show you some normal exercise to avoid the chorionic foot pain.
- Apart from that, podiatrists can also refer some foot orthotics for further treatment. These orthotic treatments are much more expensive than the podiatry treatments. So, if you need custom treatment for your foot problems then you must consult with the podiatrists only.
Myths associated with the podiatrists
People think that podiatrists are not a doctor and they just need to complete a degree on podiatry medicine which is two years duration only. But in reality, podiatrists need to complete a four-year degree on podiatry medicines and they are the doctor of osteopathy. At the end of the course, every medical student needs to choose a specialization and podiatry is a branch of medicine which can be taken as a specialization.
Also, many people think that podiatrists are treating nail problems and they can solve the nails, calluses and simple foot pain only. But in reality, they are handling some critical problems such as ankle or foot injury, bunions and hammertoes. Above all, they can also prescribe some medicines for foot infections, fractures and severe birth deformities. Even podiatrists can perform some surgery with general anaesthesia and they have vast knowledge about orthopaedic and ankle surgery.
The podiatrists can also treat your sports injury and they can help you to reduce the foot or ankle pain. So, if you suffer from any disorder in your lower portions or foot problems then you must consult with a podiatrist.
