Five Types of Foot Abnormalities That Can Be Treated by A Podiatrist

A podiatrist is a professional who is learned in the treatment of your foot or in simple words he or she is a foot doctor. There are various podiatric issues starting from the ankle and also in lower extremity, all these ailments can be diagnosed and cured on visiting a podiatric physician or a surgeon. It is a branch of medicinal science and all podiatric physicians are doctors. The term ‘podiatry’ originated initially in North America but is now accepted by all English-speaking people.

Podiatric Physician

Qualification of Podiatric Specialist:

All Doctor of Podiatry has to undertake an undergraduate course of minimum four years from any medical college and then can specialize in podiatry from a podiatric medical school or any institution accredited to the same. This is followed by a three to four years of surgical residency based in any hospital.  In places, other than America, it is considered that any physician of the lower extremity, especially the foot is a podiatrist. However, amongst these people only few are surgeons and others can only treat patients via foot pathology.  But at times these physicians continue further studies and after getting a first-hand experience of surgery at times performs foot and ankle surgeries. A comprehensive board qualification as well as certification is provided to the practitioners by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM).

Treatments That A Podiatric Surgeon Performs:

Podiatrist generally treats a wide range of problems related to ankle and feet either through surgical or through non-surgical procedure. Podiatric concerns are generally treated along with orthopedic aid. Thus a podiatric physician also specializes in the following courses:

• Surgery for reconstructing foot and ankle
• General physician of podiatry
• Podiatric medical physician
• Podiatric orthopedic (an orthopedic who treats only the problems of foot and ankle)
• Podiatric rheumatology
• Neuro podiatry
• Dermatological podiatry
• Gerontological podiatry

There are numerous other branches that one can pursue. There are other technicians related to podiatry, but they are not podiatrists as such:

• Podiatric nurse
• Foot care
• Podiatry support water
• Podiatry technician
• Podiatric hygienist
• Foot heath practitioner
• Podiatric surgical nurse

Podiatrist

Types of Abnormalities Dealt by A Podiatrist:

1. Foot or ankle fracture: A muscle sprain or a fracture is the most common kind of problem that is treated by a podiatric physicist. These kinds of injuries can take place normally and also while playing these physicians offer proper treatment either through physiotherapy and orthopedic treatment or some neurological treatment or by bed rest. The physicians suggest proper recommendation so that these do not occur again.
2. Hammertoes: Some people face problems with the bones in the feet. Two conditions can take place in this regard. A bunion occurs when the joint near the big toe gets larger or displaced. This causes he toe to bend towards the other toes. A hammertoe occurs when the toes don’t bend in the right way.
3. Disorder in nail: This problem might occur due to an infection in the toe or due to an ingrown nail that happens when the corner of the nail grows inside the nail bed rather than growing out normally.
4. Pain in the heel: This is another most common podiatric problem. This may happen due to spur or the accumulation of calcium at the bottom of the feet. One can feel this while running or wearing ill fitted shoe or even due to overweight.
5. Morton’s neuroma: This is a type of neurological problem that takes place between the bones of the third and the fourth toe.

All these issues can be solved by a podiatrist by some neurological or orthopedic treatment. In case you are facing any kind of podiatric problem then visit a podiatric physician at the earliest and get cured of any lower extremity issue.