As we now head into the summer months we unveil our feet from our winter shoes and boots and look for our sandals. Some people head to the nearest chemist to splash out on lotions and potions to make them more presentable while others carry on with a pain or niggle they have always had.
Kate, our Podiatrist explains what her job is and why you may just want to see her to get your feet summer ready!
“Our day to day life takes a toll on our feet. We are not only walking upright, we are running, dancing, jumping and trying to get through the day until we will fall over at the end of the day on the sofa in front of the TV …. and then we start feeling them …. our feet.
They are aching, burning, twitching, and going numb. You probably think that they are just tired. I will agree with you on that one. Nice warm bath and a massage will make them feel much better. But what is that doesn’t happen and the pains are still there?
There are few reasons why you can feel all those symptoms:
Overworking your feet structures (muscles, tendons and bones)
Not wearing correct shoes or trainers
Uneven redistribution of the body weight on your feet
Arthritis
Diabetes
Infection
Neuroma
Trauma, sometime even fracture
Neuropathy
Arterial deficiency
Most people carry on but these conditions can be treated and monitored by a Podiatrist. A Podiatrist is a practitioner specialising in treatment and care of the lower limb related problems such as:
Heel pain
Burning pains on the ball of your foot
Shin pain
Lumps and bumps
Thick toe nails
In growing toe nails
Verrucae
Corns and callus
Diabetes related foot problems
Foot deformities
Unfortunately in some cases all those conditions can’t be treated in one appointment. It might be a long journey for the patient and the specialist but it is always good to get expert advice and not leave the problem or suffer alone. In some cases changes in your feet might indicate other problems in your body (diabetes, systemic diseases, psoriasis, heart conditions, cellulitis, bone infection and even cancer) and a Podiatrist might be the one who will suspect those changes and will alert you to see your GP”.
For more information about general foot health and care, please click here.
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