Who are podiatrists?
Podiatrists are qualified, medically and surgically trained professionals who treat issues relating to the foot and ankle. From sports injuries and diabetes complications to pediatric deformities and heel pain, podiatrists can provide a wide range of foot care needs.
What type of medical education do podiatrists receive?
After completing the four-year curriculum required by podiatric medical schools, an aspiring podiatric physician has to pursue a residency, which provides an interdisciplinary experience in anesthesiology, internal medicine, infectious disease, surgery, ER, and pediatrics. Residency training offers a combination of medical and surgical experiences. After residency, podiatric medical graduates can pursue Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR), including rear foot and ankle surgery training.
To obtain full licensure in Maryland, podiatrists should complete at least one year of postgraduate clinical training or have five years of experience in podiatric practice. To become board-certified, they must receive advanced training and clinical experience and pass the exam by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine.
Why should you see a podiatrist?
Leading a quality life is a priority for all, and maintaining good health is vital. The human foot comprises 26 bones, 33 joints, and hundreds of muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and its function is as complex as its anatomy. Feet work as all-in-one stabilizers and shock absorbers. They are instrumental to overall health and well-being and require expert and regular care. Podiatrists offer complete care for your foot and ankle needs to help maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
Accordingly, you can visit a podiatrist near you if you experience the following:
- Scaling or peeling on your soles
- Growth-like warts
- Cracks or cuts in the foot or ankle
- Thick or discolored toenails
- Foot pain persisting for more than a few days
- Swelling, redness, discoloration, or infections
- Numbness or tingling in your feet
- Growth or bumps on or under the skin
- Ingrown toenails
- Painful heaviness, tiredness, or prickling if you have diabetes
- Hammertoes (when the middle joint of the toe gets stuck in one position)
- Bunions (bulges or bumps on the big toe joint)
- Sprains or fractures
Generally, most foot and ankle conditions are non-life-threatening. However, you must still consider consulting your primary care doctor or a podiatrist before proceeding with self-care. Using over-the-counter medications and self-diagnosis without consultations can turn a minor issue into a severe problem. Moreover, underlying conditions like diabetes and vascular disease can affect your feet. Podiatrists can accurately diagnose your issue before prescribing the appropriate treatment.
You must also consult podiatrists if you suddenly indulge in or increase your physical activities. They can assess your current condition and determine whether your legs and feet can handle the extra stress.
Depending on your diagnosis, they may provide various treatments, including surgery, steroid injections, and cryotherapy. They can also offer advice on physical therapy and rehabilitation techniques to alleviate your symptoms. Other treatment options include foot care advice, specific exercises, custom-made orthotics and balms, skin creams, or medications.
What are the conditions podiatrists treat?
Podiatrists see people of all ages for many foot-related conditions. A few common issues and disorders that a foot and ankle doctor can assist with may include:
- Ankle sprain and instability
- Arthritic foot and ankle issues
- Athletes foot
- Foot ulcer and diabetic foot complications
- Corns, warts, and calluses
- Bunions
- Athletes foot
- Achilles tendon
- Fungal infections of toenails
- Orthotics
- Sports-related injuries
- Neuromas
- Heel spurs and pain
- Pediatric foot concerns
- Hammertoes
- Geriatric foot problems and disorders
Pediatric podiatry: children and sports
Pediatric podiatrists possess specialized training in addressing foot and ankle issues in children. Their expertise lies in tending to the evolving feet of youngsters. These specialists identify and manage conditions associated with typical and atypical growth of the feet and ankles in children.
Engaging in sports programs enhances children's cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, coordination, and mental well-being. Involvement in sports fosters self-discipline, teamwork, and an appreciation for maintaining a healthy body, cultivating enduring positive behaviors. Prioritizing correct technique and fundamental movement abilities is crucial during early training across various sports, particularly for children under 10. According to podiatrists specializing in addressing lower extremity concerns, young athletes who focus exclusively on a single sport are at an increased risk of developing foot and ankle injuries.
Podiatrists caution that repeated overuse can trigger inflammation in the growth plates of children as the bones and ligaments are still growing. They recommend that parents encourage their children to do various physical activities instead of focusing solely on one sport. This counsel is vital for sports like running, gymnastics, and tennis, which demand extensive practice hours. Parents should avoid pushing children too hard to become exceptional athletes, as this can cause physical and emotional harm. What matters most is that a child finds joy in playing a sport.
When purchasing shoes for children, it is essential to ensure a gap of at least one finger's width from the tip of the longest toe due to the ongoing growth of children's feet. Ensuring the correct fit is of utmost significance.
Common foot injuries observed in highly active children include ankle sprains, fractures, sever's disease (inflammation of the growth plates), shin splints (inflammation of the anterior leg muscles), and stress fractures.
A sports medicine podiatry specialist can comprehensively assess the entire lower extremity, detecting issues such as leg length disparities, weaknesses, or biomechanical imbalances that should be paid special attention to avert injuries during athletic activities.
How do podiatrists examine feet?
During your podiatrist visit, your doctor will first ask you about your symptoms as well as your family and medical history. They may also want to know about previous injuries and surgeries related to your foot. They may want to know if you participate in sports activities or hobbies and if you do physical work for a living. A podiatrist foot examination may entail the following:
- Your podiatrist will examine your feet, toes, and legs for tenderness, numbness, and signs of infection, such as discoloration, redness, swelling, warmth, or discharge.
- Your doctor will also conduct a gait assessment, meaning they will examine the way you stand or walk. During their examination, your podiatrist will check for conditions like flat feet, fractures, ingrown toenails, and joint issues.
- Your podiatrist will also check the circulation in your feet and determine if you have diabetes or vascular disease. To check blood flow to your feet, your podiatrist may perform an ankle-brachial index test. This test compares the blood pressure in your ankles and arms. If the BP in your ankles is lower compared to your arms, you may have reduced blood flow to your foot.
- If you are a diabetic patient, your podiatrist will want to test the nerves in your feet and check for feeling. They may use tests like the monofilament test, pinprick test, ankle reflex tests, and tuning fork and vibration perception threshold tests (or VPT).
- If you have diabetes, your podiatrist may ask how you manage your blood sugar at home and monitor your progress through routine tests.
- The skin of your feet will be examined for dryness, cracking, blisters, and other abnormal areas. Your toenails will also be examined for cracks and fungal infections.
- They may also recommend X-rays and other imaging tests for further diagnostic evaluation.
- Your podiatrist may also check if you have properly fitting shoes and ask questions about your other footwear. Shoes that don't fit well often lead to blisters, calluses, or ulcers.
How to prepare for a podiatrist appointment?
Preparing for your initial podiatrist appointment in advance can help you get the most out of your consultation. The following tips may help you prepare for your upcoming podiatry appointment:
- Do not forget to carry a record of your personal and family medical history, allergies, medications you have been taking (over-the-counter included), and recent tests (X-rays, MRI scans, and lab reports) or surgeries done in the past. Keeping your provider informed of these things will help them make an accurate diagnosis and provide the proper treatment.
- Inform your podiatrist about any other health problems you are having and if you are seeing other medical specialists for them.
- Bring a list of all your symptoms and any recent changes that you have observed. Inform your podiatrist about their frequency, intensity, and duration.
- If you have a virtual consultation with your podiatrist, ensure there is a camera and adequate lighting. In case your podiatrist wants to conduct a gait assessment, prop your camera up in a walkable space like your hallway so your podiatrist can examine how you walk.
- You may also send your podiatrist pictures or videos of your issue ahead of time so that they can review them before your appointment.
- You should also tell your podiatrist about any previous foot and ankle injuries or surgeries.
- If you are facing issues walking or running, carry your walking or exercising shoes to your podiatrist. Your doctor can also review previously prescribed inserts or orthotics if you have any.
How to follow a healthy foot care routine?
A healthcare routine for your feet can be instrumental in preventing many prominent foot conditions. Some steps to take good care of your feet are:
- Wash your feet every day with warm water and soap
- Keep your feet dry, especially the area between the toes
- Use lotion to moisturize feet, keeping skin soft and nourished - ensure not to put any lotion between your toes
- Check your feet daily for sores, redness, cuts, blisters, or swelling
- Wear shoes that fit well and avoid rubbing your toes or heels
- Examine your shoes daily for cracks, pebbles, nails, or anything that could hurt your feet.
How do you find the top podiatrists near you in Silver Spring, MD?
If you experience persistent foot pain, observe growth like warts, or have cracks or cuts in your skin, it will be beneficial to consult a podiatrist. Zocdoc can help you find the best foot and ankle doctor in Silver Spring, Maryland, within minutes. Zocdoc is a free and secure online platform that helps patients find the best healthcare providers in their locality and book appointments online instantly!
You can create a free account on Zocdoc and begin your search by entering your condition, specialty, location, date, or insurance plan. A comprehensive list of specialists based on your search criteria will appear. You can filter the results by their gender, hospital affiliations, languages they speak, and whether they treat children. Each listed provider has a detailed profile with a brief introduction, education and professional qualifications, practice location, visit reasons, and, most importantly, patient reviews and ratings. These patient reviews can help you identify the best podiatrists in your area in Silver Spring.
Furthermore, you can filter the search results to display providers within your insurance network. You can do it by choosing your plan from the filter in the search bar or updating your insurance information on your Zocdoc account. Alternatively, you may upload a picture of your insurance card to get refined results if you search from your smartphone or tablet. Check out Zocdoc's patient help center to learn about more insurance FAQs.
Once you have selected a podiatrist near you, Zocdoc will help you seamlessly schedule an in-person or virtual visit based on their availability. All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and free.
Maryland's statistics on foot health and trends in podiatry
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association research survey conducted in 2014, foot care continued to fall behind heart, eye, teeth, skincare, and nutrition. About 19% of the U.S. population has an average of 1.4-foot problems yearly.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention states that 89.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older diagnosed with diabetes were also considered overweight or obese during 2015–2018. In addition, 34.3% were physically inactive, doing less than 10 minutes of moderate or vigorous weekly activity. In Maryland, 10.8% of adults aged 18 and older were diagnosed with diabetes. The incidence rate of newly diagnosed diabetes in adults between 18-79 years was 8.9%
Approximately 60% of foot and ankle injuries reported by the U.S. population older than 17 were sprains and strains of the ankle. Studies have shown that foot complications, such as ulcers and amputations, are a leading reason for hospitalization in patients with diabetes. Early recognition and proper management of foot and ankle conditions could help patients detect any possible risk.
The U.S. population is aging, and an associated increase in rates of age-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, is expected. The 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there are about 11,000 podiatrists employed in the U.S., of which Maryland has about 270. Maryland is one of the states in the U.S. that has the highest concentration of jobs for podiatrists. A 2% increase in the employment of podiatrists is projected from 2021 to 2031, comparatively slower than the average of other occupations. About 300 openings for podiatrists have been projected annually for over a decade. These openings are expected to result from workers who transfer to different occupations or are due to retire.
Sources
American Podiatric Medical Association[1]
American Podiatric Medical Association[2]
American Podiatric Medical Association[3]
Family Foot & Ankle Associates of Maryland
Maryland Department of Health
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
UVA Health
American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
Healthline
American Podiatric Medical Association[4]
American Podiatric Medical Association[5]
Cleveland Clinic
MedlinePlus
Verywell Health
