Who is a podiatrist?
A podiatrist is a healthcare expert who specializes in diagnosing and treating issues and conditions affecting the feet, ankles, and lower extremities. Also known as foot doctors, they play an essential role in promoting their patients' overall health and well-being by addressing issues that can cause discomfort, pain, and difficulty with mobility.
Podiatrists assess and manage various foot/ankle issues, including bunions, heel pain, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis. They use various diagnostic tools, such as X-rays, ultrasound, and other imaging technologies, to accurately identify the underlying cause of a patient's symptoms.
Once diagnosed, podiatrists can develop a customized treatment plan for their patients, including prescribing medication, fitting orthotics or braces, performing surgery, or providing physical therapy. They also educate their patients on proper foot care techniques, including hygiene, footwear selection, and exercise, to prevent issues in the future and promote long-term health.
Podiatrists also work with other healthcare providers. They can collaborate with primary care physicians and physical therapists to provide holistic care for patients with complex medical conditions. They may also collaborate with shoe designers and manufacturers to develop comfortable and supportive footwear for people with foot and ankle problems.
What does a podiatrist do?
Medically, podiatrists are "medicine specialists" who help with consultation/diagnosis of one's problem that affects the feet or lower legs, specifically. These medical care providers help treat pain, health issues, and complications arising from ongoing or co-morbid problems such as diabetes. From an etymology perspective, these providers are called podiatric physicians or doctors of podiatric medicine.
Podiatrists are well-equipped to perform surgery, reset broken bones, prescribe drugs, and assess fractures and other bone issues.Â
Education and training of a podiatrist
Podiatrists have a degree in Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), which is added after their names instead of "MD" (medical doctor).
To become a podiatrist, one must complete a rigorous educational and training program. Typically, a podiatrist will have a Bachelor's degree in a science-related field before enrolling in a podiatry program. The podiatry program usually lasts for four years and is a combination of classroom and clinical training. Students study anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, biomechanics, and pathology during this time. During these four years, these students learn how nerves, muscles, and bones work together to help us move.Â
After completing the podiatry program, aspiring podiatrists must undergo a residency program that lasts up to three years. During this time, they receive hands-on training in a clinical setting and gain experience in treating various foot and ankle conditions. This study involves an in-depth course into the holistic health of one's feet and how to maintain optimum health and provide surgery if required.
Within the United States, podiatrists are licensed and regulated by state governments. To practice as a podiatrist, one must obtain a license from the state they intend to practice in. The licensing process typically involves passing a national exam and meeting other state-specific requirements.
In addition to the initial education and training, podiatrists must participate in ongoing continuing education to stay current with the latest field advances. It ensures that they provide the best possible care to their patients and maintain their professional competency.
Six conditions you can visit a foot doctor near you for
Foot problems can impact your daily life. Discover six common conditions that warrant a visit to a podiatrist near you. From heel pain to ingrown toenails, addressing these issues in time can make a significant difference in your overall well-being.
- Diabetes: Diabetes usually occurs when our body stops producing a hormone known as insulin or doesn't use it for its usual functions. One of the side effects of diabetes is the damage it can cause to the nerves within one's feet or legs, which can disrupt the blood flow within one's body. A timely visit to the podiatrist clinic can help manage the impact of diabetes.
- Arthritis: Our joints undergo a lot of wear & tear, swelling, and inflammation daily. Podiatrists can help better manage the wear & tear impact and reduce the damage. Each of one's feet has 33 joints. Podiatrists can recommend medications and physical therapy to help manage arthritis. Additionally, they can also prescribe special shoes to help with day-to-day use.
- Nail disorders: Infections within the nail can significantly cause discomfort for many people. Podiatrists help clean, heal, and manage wounds that could occur due to nail disorders/conditions and help with future prevention.
- Sprains and Fractures: Common foot injuries affecting the feet, ankle, or knees are regular procedures a podiatrist treats. Moreover, podiatrists also work in sports medicine, treating athletes with injuries and recommending ways to avoid long-term foot injuries.
- Pain in the Heel: Ill-fitting shoes, regular walking/running, or being overweight are common reasons that cause discomforting pain in one's heel. These habits can lead to a complex issue causing severe pain in the back of the heel called Achilles tendinitis. Podiatrists provide a treatment that often starts with pain medications and prescribes special shoes called "Orthotics," which help with long-term treatment.
- Inward or Flat Feet: If you notice your child's feet pointing inwards or their toes are flat or don't align correctly, visit a podiatrist soon. A podiatrist can recommend medication, exercise, or braces to manage this. They could also perform surgery to provide a long-term solution or align the toe with the other feet.
What is gout? What are its symptoms and treatment?
Gout is a broad term encompassing various conditions that commonly affect the feet. An accumulation of uric acid triggers them. Individuals with gout typically experience swelling and pain in the joints of the foot. It can happen particularly in the big toe, giving rise to sudden and intense pain known as gout attacks, which feel like the foot is on fire.
Symptoms of gout may manifest differently; some individuals with elevated uric acid levels may exhibit no symptoms, a condition known as asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Acute gout presents with rapid onset symptoms resulting from uric acid crystal buildup in the joints, lasting 3 to 10 days. During gout attacks, the affected joint has intense pain, swelling, and warmth, with symptom-free periods between attacks.
If left untreated, gout can progress to a chronic stage, potentially leading to gouty arthritis, a more severe form of permanent joint damage and swelling. Tophi, hard lumps, may develop in joints and surrounding skin and soft tissue, causing lasting joint damage.
Timely treatment is important to prevent the progression of gout to chronic stages. The treatment plan varies based on the stage and severity of the condition. Medications play a key role, either alleviating pain and inflammation or preventing future gout attacks by reducing uric acid levels.
While surgery is generally not the primary approach for treating gout, long-term damage may necessitate surgical intervention. Tophi removal, joint replacement, and joint fusion surgery are surgical procedures addressing tophi, the hard deposits that can develop on joints and in various locations. The kind of surgery depends on factors such as the extent of damage, tophi location, and individual preferences.
What should you expect during the first visit to a podiatrist?
Anticipate a standard medical appointment during your initial visit to a foot doctor near you. The podiatrist will inquire about your medical history, medications, and surgeries. They will evaluate your gait, posture, joint flexibility, and footwear. This first appointment typically addresses concerns such as heel and lower back pain, diabetic foot circulation, bunions, ingrown toenails, and foot deformities.
Based on their evaluation, the podiatrist may recommend solutions like orthotics, padding, or physical therapy to address your issues. They can manage some conditions in the office, and they may use tools like syringes for pain medication administration, nail splitters or nail anvils for removing ingrown toenails, scalpels for skin incisions around toenails, or the application of liquid nitrogen through cryotherapy equipment to freeze off plantar warts.
Find podiatrists in Philadelphia
Finding the right foot doctor near you can be quite a challenging task. However, platforms like Zocdoc provide a straightforward and secure way for users to book an online or in-person consultation with a healthcare provider. If you reside in Philadelphia, visit the Zocdoc website and enter your condition, location, insurance carrier, and plan. Your search results should display a list of top-rated podiatrists near you.Â
Zocdoc allows users to make an informed choice by choosing their providers based on their medical education, training, and certifications. Not only that, but users can also read verified reviews by past patients and view each specialist's ratings. You can also check whether your chosen podiatrist accepts your insurance plan by entering your insurance carrier from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Zocdoc also lets users schedule appointments on the same day, 24 hours in advance, on weekends, or after 5 pm, depending on their doctor's availability.Â
Booking appointments with foot doctors near you on Zocdoc is fast, free, and secure!Â
Foot issues and ailments in Philadelphia
Across the US, more than 65,000 people must have a foot amputated yearly due to medical reasons, most often due to diabetes. Amputations of the feet are one of the most visible symptoms of this often invisible yet deadly disease. Demographically, African-American men in Philadelphia are four times more likely to have foot amputations than white males.Â
Reassuringly, the amputation rate for African-American women in Philadelphia has been decreasing; however, the rate for men has been increasing. According to experts, 252 men in Philadelphia had amputations in 2015, up from the previous year. Comparably, 131 women underwent the procedure, which was significantly down from the same year. An increase in amputations, especially among men, is not good news for holistic diabetic care in Philadelphia's black communities.
Foot problems and injuries are more common among people living in the poverty-stricken areas of Philadelphia. A study conducted in 2016 found that up to two-thirds of the homeless population suffer from podiatric pain, frostbite, limited mobility, gangrene, and trench foot, which occurs when one's feet are wet for long periods. Moreover, complex diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can alleviate the impact of these issues.
Podiatrists nationwide have seen an increase in foot trauma and foot ailment visits, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no specific trend or factual data to clarify this, but experts are confident there is a clear correlation between the increase in foot problems and the pandemic.
Experts feel this is due to people spending more time indoors without using shoes or footwear. It has led to an increase in injuries caused by being "barefoot" and a steep rise in fractures from stubbed toes or other "freak" accidents at home.
Sources
WebMD
Becker's Hospital Review
Catholic Philly
The Philadelphia Sunday SUN
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric MedicineÂ
Healthline
