Podiatry

The medical specialty of podiatry is devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of foot disorders.

Perhaps because feet are usually covered and kept out of sight, people typically do not pay as much attention to them as is recommended. Feet are fundamental for our overall wellbeing as they support our weight and provide for our mobility.

The average person takes thousands of steps a day, and foot disorders will often have knock-on effects that produce issues elsewhere in the body. For this reason, it is important to see a podiatrist at the earliest sign of pain or discomfort in order to prevent the problem from getting worse.

Some common medical issues and treatments involving the feet are:

  • Plantar warts.
  • Gait analysis.
  • Custom-made insoles.
  • Fungal nail infections.
  • Ingrown toenails.
  • Aesthetic nail reconstruction.
  • Sports injuries.

Symptoms

Below are some symptoms that indicate the need to see a podiatrist:

  • Bad odor, sweaty or itchy feet.
  • Ingrown toenails.
  • A prickling sensation in the sole when walking, which may be due to the appearance of a callus or plantar wart.
  • Pain in the sole of the foot when taking the first steps of the day, due to plantar fasciitis.
  • Children with heel pain (Sever’s disease), or knee pain (Osgood-Schlatter disease).
  • Detached or unsightly nails due to trauma or fungal infection.
  • Foot deformities, flat feet or painful high arches.
  • Pain in the ankles, knees, waist or back.
  • Physical malformations such as hammer-toe, Morton’s neuroma, or sinus tarsi syndrome.

Diagnostic tests

In addition to their expert knowledge, podiatrists possess an array of tests to aid their diagnoses, such as:

  • X-ray.
  • Ultrasound
  • CT scan.
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Fungal nail test.

Surgery

Most podiatric treatments are non-surgical, however some foot disorders that may require surgical treatment include: claw and hammer-toes, bunions, plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

Hospital Ochoa’s Podiatry Department provides a wide-range of treatments to address different foot pathologies, including:

  • Chiropody – nail cutting, filing, and the removal of calluses.
  • Ingrown toenails.
  • Fungal toenail infection.
  • Fungal infections on the skin.

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