Podiatry Care: Keeping Your Feet Happy

A podiatrist specializes in the health of the feet and ankles. When you have issues in this area of the body, you should seek help from a podiatrist, not any other type of physician. The reason is a podiatrist knows every bone and ligament in this area, whereas your physician may only know about the major components and may not be able to properly diagnose or treat a problem in this area. This is why specialists are so important. If you aren't sure if you should seek help from a podiatrist, read on to learn when you should.

1. When You Have Issues With Walking  

If you are experiencing problems with walking or doing daily activities that were easy for you before, you may want to consider seeing a podiatrist. This difficulty may be caused by a number of things including a previous injury, the result of wearing poor shoes, and even being overweight. If you are having a difficult time with walking, you should seek help and get the treatment you need to prevent the pain you may feel when attempting to do daily activities, such as walking.

2. When You Notice A Change In Gait

If you have a change in your gait, it may be because your feet have shifted outward, or you may be rolling on your feet inward. You may also have a change in gait because of the pain associated with your heels or with a bunion. If you have a change in your gait, it can eventually cause pain in your lower back and hips as well. A change in gait needs to be treated and addressed properly to prevent any further issues.

3. When You Have Swelling

If you have swelling or tenderness in your feet or ankles, this needs to be addressed by a professional podiatrist. The swelling may be caused by wearing the wrong type of footwear, or it could be swelling due to a different issue with your feet, such as gout or some other type of medical condition. This should be treated to prevent a worsening condition or concerns with an inability to walk at all.

If you have any of these issues with your feet, you need to seek treatment and use a podiatrist for help. A podiatrist has the know-how to be able to properly diagnose and treat your particular condition so you can get the relief you need.