This article contains a list of foot-related issues that may warrant a visit to a podiatrist. In many cases, there are home remedies you could attempt yourself before visiting a professional, but if your home remedies are not successful then it’s important to get these issues seen by a podiatrist to minimize the pain you experience and the risk of further damage.
Heel Pain
If you experience heel pain a podiatrist can help you locate the cause of the issue and also prescribe a course of treatment. The heel pain could be caused by many different things, and it might be hard to figure it out yourself.
Visiting a podiatrist will allow them to take a good look at your feet, your shoes, and how you walk to help you find out where the pain is coming from.
When they look at your shoes they’ll be examining the quality, the design, and the level of support that the shoe provides. It could be that by replacing the shoes you can resolve your pain and they can provide recommendations as to a pair of shoes that could be more suitable for you.
It could also be that your shoes have nothing to do with your heel pain and it’s caused by the way you walk or other structural issues in your legs. If that’s the case they will be able to provide advice about rectifying that to reduce the amount of heel pain you experience.
Blistering
Frequent blistering can be a serious inconvenience and put you at risk of infection. The blistering could be caused by the shoes you wear and them rubbing against a part of your foot regularly. But the blistering may also be caused by inner pronation where your feet naturally roll in.
Regardless of the cause of the blistering, a podiatrist will be able to not only treat the blisters you have and ensure they are healing and reduce the risk of infection but provide advice and treatment about how to prevent the blistering from occurring again.
Shoe Selection Advice
Given a podiatrist is an expert in all things feet related they can also provide expert advice on the best type of shoes for you. If you have significant feet issues and have not been able to find a pair of shoes that eliminate the pain that would be able to provide an assessment on the nature of your feet and what sort of shoes your feet need, to be well supported and decrease the pain you experience.
In many cases, they will direct you to a standard shoe retailer but they may also need to direct you to a specialist shoemaker if you need custom shoes with very specific individual support.
Orthotics
Orthotics are specialist shoe accessories created by a podiatrist, designed to support your feet. After an initial consultation, a podiatrist will determine the nature of the orthotics you need, and will then take a plaster cast of your foot to ensure that the orthotics they create a perfectly optimized for your foot shape.
From these casts, they will then create the orthotic base, usually out of plastic, and then cover it in a soft material to increase comfort.
These orthotics can then be inserted into any pair of shoes you wear to give you the sport you need no matter what shoes you have on.
Some pairs of shoes may not have the required space in the shoot interior, so you may need to remove the existing innersole to create more space.
CE Foot and Ankle are experts in orthotic manufacture and fitting.
Inner Sole
If your feet require extra support and cushioning in your shoes, but you don’t need orthotics, podiatrists will often stock a range of specialized shoe insoles designed to provide extra comfort and support.
That is typically made of high-quality rubber which is much more gentle on your feet and provides more cushioning in your day-to-day walking and can provide significant relief from foot pain.
Athletes Foot
Athletes foot is a fungal infection that starts on the skin of your foot, in between the toes, and can spread up your foot from there. It can appear on one or both feet and is known for its itchiness and rash with peeling skin.
There is a range of homegrown remedies you can try to eliminate athlete’s foot before you visit a podiatrist, but if you have no luck eliminating your athlete’s foot with your home treatments then you may need to consult a podiatrist for expert advice and treatment.
Ingrown Toenail
An ingrown toenail is another foot-related issue that you may be able to treat yourself. There are many treatment protocols that you can try at home, but if you are not able to eliminate it, yourself, it is very important you get this looked at by a doctor or podiatrist because the infection can spread very quickly, causing not only significant pain but a significant risk to the rest of your foot.
Final Thoughts
Your feet play an integral role in your ability to go about your life, and work, play, and socialize. If you experience complications regarding the health of your feet, by all means, attempt to remedy the issue yourself. But if unsuccessful make sure you promptly visit a qualified podiatrist for an expert consultation.