Regularly See An Austin Foot Doctor For Healthy Feet

By Annabelle Holman


There are 26 bones, multiple muscles, tendons, and many ligaments inside a human foot. The complexity of your feet should lead you to visit an Austin foot doctor, also known as podiatrists, in order to keep them as well maintained as you can. Since your feet support all your weight, weakened bones or muscles in them can lead to certain disorders or injuries.

Podiatrists can help with a number of different types of problems. Elderly people, pregnant women, and athletes are susceptible to feet injuries due to weaker bones and more pressure on them. People who wear shoes all day may get infected feet from the skin being in a dark and moist environment for so long. Also, people with congenital defects related to the feet, such as clubfeet, may require a podiatrist's help.

Feet are susceptible to fungal infections if they are in shoes for a long time or are not cleaned very well. Podiatrists are very familiar with treating these common problems. A variety of problems are also treated by the doctors such as foot-related diseases, disorders, and defects.

A general practitioner will most likely refer you to a podiatrist for all foot-related problems. The podiatrist will listen to your problem in depth before giving you a detailed diagnosis and treatment options. If needed, the doctor will also do a biomechanical test to further help the diagnosis. This will assess any gait you may have and other foot problems.

Gait analysis is the examination of your walking posture, and is very important in addressing foot injuries. Wearing the wrong shoes can commonly cause gait in your feet. This can leave you susceptible to feet injuries and disorders.

After the diagnosis, the podiatrist will recommend treatment options. Your options may include wearing orthotics like insoles, or in some cases even physiotherapy exercise. If you have abnormally high arches or flat feet, orthotics will help you a great deal. Podiatrists will often custom make your orthotics to give you the pair that fits your feet best.

Problems from congenital defects won't be solved by orthotics. Only surgery can help in these cases. As for infections, the right medication and cleaning will heal the problem over time. People with diabetes mellitus may also benefit from podiatrists. These people lose sensation in their feet and aren't even able to feel certain injuries in them. Additionally, podiatrists help problems like bunions, warts, calluses, corns, blisters, heel spurs; as well as issues that arise from a foot disorder affecting your thighs, back, and hips.

Basically, podiatrists are foot doctors. They go through four years of a study in medicine, two to three years in postgraduate studies in podiatry, and often an extensive residence program. However, different educational requirements and job profiles vary in each country.

Countries that allow people to become podiatrists after a four year undergraduate degree only allow these doctors to perform certain procedures. In the U. S. However, podiatrists can address any number of foot-related problems due to the extensive educational requirements they need to match. Though podiatrists in the U. S. Generally make good livings, salaries vary between work environments and states.




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