Who is a podiatrist?
A podiatrist is an expert who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the lower extremity, which includes the feet, ankles, and other related leg structures, including the nails. They are also trained in surgical procedures such as resetting broken bones and can even design corrective plaster casts, orthotics, and strappings to treat deformities.
Additionally, podiatrists manage post-injury recovery by providing rehabilitation and balance strategies, exercise advice, and correct walking habits to promote overall health and the ability to function efficiently.
What kind of education and training do podiatrists receive?
A podiatrist is not a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.); however, the federal government considers them physicians. To become a DPM or Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, one must complete four years of medical school training. This is followed by two years of residency training involving clinical rotations so doctors can gain knowledge in anesthesiology, E.R., pediatrics, and internal medicine.
Many doctors, after residency, study further to focus on a subspecialty, for example, to practice as foot surgeons; some doctors may specialize in foot and ankle surgeries. Other subspecialties include sports medicine, radiology, geriatrics, dermatology, and diabetic care. All podiatrists are certified by the American Podiatric Medical Association.
Common conditions treated by podiatrists
Podiatrists treat foot conditions in patients of all ages. They provide treatment for acute foot injuries such as sprains and fractures and offer long-term care for chronic conditions. Through a comprehensive foot exam, these foot doctors can also diagnose other diseases in the body, such as kidney, heart, or circulatory issues that may initially manifest in the foot. Here are some common disorders managed by podiatrists near you:
- Arthritis : This is a group of conditions characterized by inflammation, swelling, tenderness, or limitation in the motion of one or more joints. It has multiple causes, including genetic or hereditary factors, injuries, bacterial and viral infections in the joints, and autoimmune diseases. The feet are most susceptible to arthritic pain since they contain 33 joints that bear the whole body's weight. Podiatrists typically help to manage symptoms associated with arthritis, including stiffness, excessive warmth, and even bunions. They may also recommend shoe inserts called orthotics or braces to aid walking.
- Diabetes : This occurs when the body cannot produce or utilize insulin to consume sugar. High blood sugar levels could damage the nerves in the feet and lead to diabetic neuropathy, which causes numbness, tingling, and loss of sensation in the feet. Further, even a tiny cut or laceration in the feet can cause an infection and become gangrene, which may require amputation. Podiatrists help manage and prevent such foot complications through routine screenings. They may also recommend specific diabetic footwear to protect the feet from cuts, burns, infections, and calluses.
- Neuromas : They are nerve tumors typically found between the third and fourth toes. They are painful conditions that involve burning, tingling, and numbness. Morton's neuroma is a common neuroma found in the feet, wherein a nerve in the foot may thicken due to compression and irritation. Some symptoms include pain in the ball of the foot or swelling between the toes. Podiatrists can treat neuromas with medications, padding, taping, orthotics, and surgery. However, untreated or undiagnosed neuromas tend to get worse.
Questions you should ask on your first visit
Before scheduling an appointment with an ankle and foot doctor near you, consider these additional details and questions:
- Can new patients be seen at this clinic? Some long-standing medical facilities occasionally may not accept new patients. If the podiatrist's schedule is full, you can seek a recommendation from a colleague.
- Where exactly is the office situated? People want to have their doctors and hospitals close to where they live, go to school, work, etc.
- Does the workplace have facilities for people with disabilities?
- When can you visit their office? It would be best if you ensured their hours were convenient for you. Several medical facilities are open on Saturdays, Sundays, and other non-traditional hours to serve their patients better.
- How long does it typically take to schedule a visit with the podiatrist? Is there a plan for last-minute appointments? You might be better off looking elsewhere if your problem is urgent.
- Is there a lab and X-ray machine in the building? It could be inconvenient to seek out these services elsewhere. Consider looking for an office that provides such services on-site.
- In what medical facilities does the practice have affiliations? Would you go to those facilities if you required medical attention or surgery?
- When the podiatrist is absent, who fills in for them?
- Which governing bodies license podiatrists? This becomes even more significant if you're dealing with a podiatric surgeon. If you're having surgery, inquire how frequently and how often the surgeon has performed the procedure.
Furthermore, consider these questions after your first trip: Did the doctor or nurse respect me and listen to my concerns? Did the medical professional spend time explaining my diagnosis and responding to my queries? You shouldn't feel obligated to stick with the podiatrist just because you've had one appointment. You and all of your healthcare providers, not just your podiatrist, must have mutual trust and regard for one another.
Common procedures performed by podiatrists
Before scheduling an appointment with a podiatrist, it's essential to grasp their range of treatments. Familiarizing oneself with these options can alleviate pre-appointment anxiety and aid in selecting a podiatrist near you with the appropriate skill set. Podiatrists possess expertise in conducting surgeries and other interventions to address prevalent foot problems such as ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, foot ulcers, corns, calluses, and related conditions. They administer various procedures to alleviate these issues, including -
- Traumatic surgeries: While not all podiatrists undertake surgical interventions, some concentrate on intricate procedures to address foot injuries and dysfunctions. These procedures encompass the management of foot, ankle, and toe fractures via traumatic surgeries.
- Ankle surgery: Podiatrists are adept at performing ankle surgeries for many conditions. For instance, they might propose lateral ankle ligament repair or reconstruction to tackle chronic ankle instability. In cases of abrupt and intense pain, swelling, or bruising in the ankle, a podiatrist may conduct an X-ray for precise diagnosis and suggest suitable interventions, such as ankle surgery or applying an ankle brace for fractures.
- Ingrown toenail removal: Podiatrists treat ingrown toenails (when toenail grows into the surrounding skin). Causes can include tight footwear, toenail injuries, or the natural curvature of the toenail. If the ingrown nail persists, a patient may seek help from a podiatrist for a straightforward surgical intervention. This procedure, conducted under local anesthesia, entails numbing the area and excising the affected portion of the nail.
- Metatarsal foot surgery: At times, surgical interventions on the metatarsal bone behind each toe, particularly at the joint connecting the big toe and the first toe, become necessary to manage conditions such as foot arthritis or bunions. This surgery aims to alleviate discomfort for individuals experiencing swelling and pain due to arthritis in the metatarsal-phalangeal joints. The procedure entails excising the joint heads to diminish arthritic pain.
What to expect during your first podiatrist appointment?
You don't need any special preparation before visiting a podiatrist. Upon arrival, they will ask patients to complete a medical history form. This form includes details about any existing foot issues, past medical conditions, current medications, previous surgeries, lifestyle habits that may affect foot health, and a section on family medical history.
During the consultation, the podiatrist will discuss any concerns, asking about symptoms, duration, and potential contributing factors. This conversation allows the doctor to understand the condition better and fosters an open, comfortable discussion about foot health.
A physical examination will follow, where the podiatrist will assess the feet for visible concerns such as fungal infections, corns, warts, bunions, or other abnormalities. The podiatrist will examine the toenails for brittleness or discoloration and check the lower legs for signs of poor circulation that could lead to foot complications. Additionally, the podiatrist may ask the patient to walk a few steps to evaluate any gait abnormalities or biomechanical issues.
If further evaluation is necessary, the podiatrist may recommend imaging tests such as ultrasound, bone scans, or MRI to detect structural problems, injuries, or blood vessel conditions. They may order blood tests to identify underlying conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes affecting foot health. If an infection is suspected, they will send a sample to a laboratory for testing.
Treatment will depend on the diagnosis. If excess weight contributes to foot pain, the doctor may advise dietary changes and increased physical activity to relieve pressure on the feet. The podiatrist may prescribe topical or oral antifungal treatments for infections and suggest neuropathy treatments for nerve-related pain. For additional support, the podiatrist may advise using orthotics or prescribe a medical boot for conditions like supination or pronation, which affect weight distribution while standing or walking. They will provide a personalized treatment plan to improve foot health and comfort.
Find the best podiatrist near you in Englewood, New Jersey
The feet are the foundation of one's entire body. Healthy feet help with balance and posture and allow freedom to move, work, and play. Maintaining foot health and preventing infections and injuries are vital to overall health. Implementing foot hygiene practices such as wearing the correct footwear and getting routine screenings at a podiatrist can prevent long-term mobility issues and help in the early detection of diseases such as diabetes or arthritis.
If you want to get your feet examined by an expert, you can do so by booking an appointment with a top-rated podiatrist on Zocdoc. You can book an online consultation or in-person appointment right from the comfort of your home and speak to a doctor in your area or neighborhood within 24 hours. Zocdoc lets you schedule an appointment in advance, on the same day, after 5 p.m., before 10 a.m., and even on the weekends, depending on your chosen provider's availability.
Here's how to book your appointment: Visit the Zocdoc website and enter your symptoms or condition, location, insurance carrier, and plan. Then, browse a list of the best ankle and foot doctors near you and choose one based on their profile. Each provider's profile mentions their wait time, office location, distance, hospital affiliations, spoken languages, and whether they accept new patients and offer pediatric care.
Our online patient support center assists in locating podiatrists who accept your insurance. You can easily add medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account. However, remember that you can only search for and book appointments using one insurance plan at a time. If you have multiple insurance plans, you can mention your secondary carrier and plan in the notes section for the provider during the final step of booking. Additionally, if your provider uses Zocdoc’s Intake forms, you can include your secondary insurance information when completing the forms online.
To help you make a better decision, Zocdoc also displays each doctor's educational background (under "view profile & reviews"), including their clinical experience, medical specialties, certifications, licensures, awards, and accreditations. You can also read honest and verified patient reviews and FAQs to see why patients visit that provider.
Statistics for podiatrists and foot-related conditions in New Jersey
New Jersey employs over 370 podiatrists, as reported in May 2021 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This number is relatively low compared to states such as New York, Florida, and California, which have the most significant number of podiatrists. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, a NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area, has one of the country's highest employment levels (1,180) of podiatrists.
Data collated by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2020 shows that about 18.3% of all adults aged 18 and above residing in New Jersey have arthritis. The reported cases were higher in females (20.7%) than in males (15.5%). The data also revealed that a large number of arthritis cases consisted of heart disease patients (29.9%), obese individuals (24.2%), and diabetic patients (27.5%). Nearly 46.8% of adults with arthritis have activity limitations, and 22.3% are physically inactive.
An American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) report stated that diabetes is one of the top ten leading causes of death in New Jersey. In 2010, surgeons performed roughly 73,000 lower limb amputations in the U.S. due to diabetes. As per the American Diabetes Association (ADA), an estimated 645,000, or 9.2% of adults in New Jersey, have been diagnosed with diabetes. Moreover, annually, approximately 53,000 individuals in New Jersey are diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly 207,000 people don't know that they have diabetes.
A New Jersey Department of Health report states that in 2015, nearly 69.2% of the New Jersey diabetic population had a foot assessment in the previous year. This was comparable to the national estimate of 71.9%. Almost 60.5% of New Jersey adults with diabetes performed daily foot exams themselves.
Sources
WebMD
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Diabetes Association
New Jersey Department of Health
Verywell Health
MVS Podiatry Associates
The Podiatry Group of South Texas
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