What exactly does a Podiatrist do?
A podiatrist is a health care professional who deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment as well as rehabilitation of health-related and surgical conditions of the feet and lower limbs.
The conditions podiatrists address include those brought on by bone and joint disorders for example arthritis and soft-tissue and muscular pathologies as well as neurological and circulatory conditions. Podiatrists are also able to diagnose and treat virtually any difficulties of the above which impact the lower limb, for example skin and nail disorders, corns, calluses and ingrown toenails. Foot injuries and infections gained through sport or other activities are also identified and handled by podiatrists.
To be a podiatrist, a practitioner must complete a Bachelor’s Degree and become registered with state podiatry registration boards.
You could be interested to know that right up until 1977, Australian podiatrists were regarded as chiropodists. The official name switch to podiatry demonstrated the updating of education levels plus an expansion in the scope of practice by the profession.
Some areas in which podiatrists might acquire a special interest include:
* Sports medicine
* Biomechanics
* Paediatrics
* Surgery
* Diabetes
* Arthritis
* Gerontology
The skills of a podiatrist
Podiatrists diagnose and treat both commonplace and more rare skin and nail pathologies of the feet. Podiatrists play a key role in maintaining the capability to move of many aged and disabled people, and others. This is accomplished with the continuous checking of foot health, specifically of those with circulation issues and diabetes.
Podiatrists are identified as essential members of the health care team in preventing and dealing with lower limb complications for the people living with diabetes.
A fundamental area of foot care undertaken by podiatrists is the management of various acute and chronic nail conditions, the treatment of which is dependent upon the pathology.
Podiatrists have specific instrumentation for pain-free and efficient management of these conditions. For example the surgical correction of chronically ingrown toe nails under local anaesthesia is a common podiatric treatment.
The treatment and prevention of corns, calluses and also warts are also common podiatric treatments.
Children’s feet
The child’s foot is not simply a small-scale model of an adult foot. It’s shape is not conclusively established until growth stops after the second decade of life. Podiatrists identify and treat children’s foot problems by careful examination of the foot, and lower limb, where needed.
Help and advice for the prevention or reduction of foot deformity which often forms later in adult life may include the provision of proper information on footwear, treatment by splinting, recommendations on exercises and/or orthotic control of the feet. Podiatrists additionally treat common, chronic and acute problems of children’s feet for instance osteochondroses, fasciitis and pes planus.
Orthoses – Orthotics
Orthoses are custom-made shoe inserts produced exclusively to help reduce a foot pathology. The prescription and manufacturing of orthoses is a vital part of podiatric practice. Podiatrists are competent in the production approaches for a selection of shoe inserts. The majority of inserts fit into two principal categories – functional orthoses or palliative orthoses.
Functional orthoses are proposed after the biomechanical assessment and casting of the feet. They are manufactured by various techniques to correct the structure of the foot in its most functionally effective position. The orthotic, moulded from the cast, is built to stabilize the foot and also to prevent it from moving into an out of balance position while walking or running.
These inserts include many steps in both the diagnostic and manufacturing stages, and are typically made of a thermoplastic.
Palliative orthoses are designed especially to eliminate pressure from painful or ulcerated areas of the foot. These are often softer and much less complicated devices made from foam or rubbers. Palliative orthoses in many cases are used in the treatment of seriously disfigured feet with a limited range of motion and mobility. They are often an appropriate option for elderly people with significant soft-tissue atrophy and/or circulatory disease.
Surgery
Podiatrists are trained to perform both nail and cutaneous surgical treatment, however some have undertaken additional education to undertake additional foot surgery.
Do I require a medical referral to visit a Podiatrist?
It is usually not essential to get a referral to visit a podiatrist. However, for patients to have podiatry treatment within different programs such as those run by Veterans Affairs, Workers Compensation, or the Program for Aids for Disabled People (PADP), a medical recommendation is needed.
Private health insurance funds include podiatry services under their ancillary tables.
Government-funded services can be found in some public hospitals, community health centres along with other publicly funded utilities.
Call our Bentleigh East Podiatry clinic to arrange for a comprehensive Podiatrist assessment and treatment of your condition…we’ll have you back to brand new in no time!