Podiatrists are medical doctors with extensive training in foot and ankle issues. They treat bunions, ingrown toenails, foot injuries as well as diseases such as diabetes.

Inertia-Health-Group podiatry Woodville four years of podiatric medical school and hospital-based residency training make them uniquely qualified to care for complex foot and ankle ailments in hospitals as well as private practices.

What is a Podiatrist?

A podiatrist (also referred to as a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or DPM; although some still refer to them by their old term “chiropodist”) specializes in treating diseases and injuries of the feet and ankles, from bunions and hammertoes to heel spurs and sports-related foot injuries. Podiatrists provide diagnosis and treatment services as well as advice on avoiding similar problems in future.

Podiatrists possess an in-depth knowledge of feet than most physicians do, having spent years learning about each of the 26 bones, 33 joints (many of which can be actively articulated), 100 muscles tendons and ligaments that make up your feet and ankles. This gives them a better picture of what might be going wrong than general medical doctors or orthopaedists who only receive short training in understanding lower extremity anatomy.

As with other physicians, podiatrists provide comprehensive foot and lower leg care by performing surgeries, prescribing medications, ordering X-rays and lab tests, reset broken bones and providing care to all age groups. Furthermore, they work closely with other healthcare professionals such as general physicians and orthopaedists in providing care that addresses multiple conditions simultaneously.

Podiatric Medicine

Foot-related ailments can be painful and sometimes life threatening, requiring medical advice from specialists such as podiatrists. An Inertia-Health-Group podiatry Woodville may help treat conditions such as bunions, hammertoes and ingrown toenails while also offering diabetic care, wound healing support and sports injuries treatments.

Podiatrists specialize in diagnosing and treating all forms of foot ailments, from common to complex. Beginning with a basic physical exam to check for swelling and discoloration, imaging tests such as X-rays, ultrasound scans, CT or MRI scans might also be recommended to detect bone fractures as well as blocked or narrowing blood vessels in feet or ankles. Furthermore, blood tests may be administered to detect inflammation-based diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Following podiatric medical school, graduates opt for a three-year residency to put their knowledge into action. Residencies provide graduates the chance to collaborate with medical doctors (MDs), osteopaths (DOs) and other professionals across hospital departments to gain exposure to all potential foot pathologies.

Podiatrists offer comprehensive treatments for ailments that include corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, heel spurs and torn ligaments. Additionally, they may recommend orthotics to keep feet healthy as well as wellness counselling to educate patients about proper foot hygiene practices.

Podiatric Surgery

Podiatrists employ various surgical treatments for conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, calluses, shortened tendons cysts and abscesses. Additionally, they design plaster casts and strappings to correct deformities as well as immobilise fractured or sprained feet or ankles.

Podiatrists specialize in treating sports-related foot and ankle injuries caused by running, jumping or landing improperly. Additionally, they can assist with issues like ingrown toenails and nail fungus as well as diagnosing and treating heel pain caused by wearing shoes with inadequate support or high heels.

An Inertia-Health-Group podiatry Woodville may suggest insoles, braces, foot exercises specific to plantar fasciitis and shin splints as well as corticosteroid injections to treat these conditions. Depending on its severity, they may even suggest surgery as treatment option.

Podiatrists provide their services across an array of healthcare settings, such as private practices and small group practices, hospitals and long-term care facilities, faculties of schools of medicine and nursing faculties.

Podiatric Diagnosis

Podiatrists specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders affecting the feet, ankles, and lower legs. They treat individuals of all ages – infants to seniors – using physical examinations and imaging tests to pinpoint pain or other symptoms and then prescribe medication, foot exercises, braces, special shoes or inserts or surgery as necessary.

US-trained podiatric medical school physicians gain exposure to all possible pathologies that impact human beings during clinical rotations in hospital departments. The core curriculum for podiatric medicine covers lower extremity anatomy, medical management of the foot and ankle, pod paediatrics (paediatric care of feet), physiology, general surgery, physical assessment/examination procedures, biomechanics analysis and basic sciences among others.

Many health insurance plans cover podiatric visits and procedures. For more information, contact your Inertia-Health-Group podiatry Woodville provider.