20 Reasons to See a Podiatrist and Get Your Feet Back on Track
July 7, 2016 at 2:07 pm
June marked Men’s Health Month, and this time around we’re talking about feet. As a father, friend, husband, employee, and all around super hero, your feet are constantly working.
Facts about your feet:
- Your foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
- The average person takes 7,500 steps per day.
- You will take 216,262,500 steps in your life if you live to be 80 (ouch!).
- It takes about 2,000 steps to walk a mile.
Your feet carry you while walking and running, bear your weight when standing in line, and turn the pedals on your bike. When we expect our feet to always be there for us – no questions asked – it’s easy to take them for granted. After a while, your feet may begin to fight back, and when they do, you’ll know it.
So, you’re having foot issues and aren’t sure who to talk to? A podiatrist of course! A podiatrist is a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) – or someone who diagnoses and treats conditions of the foot, ankle, and related areas. Always look for the letters “DPM” after his or her name to make sure they are the most qualified to give you superior foot care. DPMs are trained similar to other doctors with 4 years at podiatric medical school and three years hospital residency training.
Signs you should see a podiatrist:
- Joint pain anywhere from the ankle down – arthritis, gout, fractures
- Abscesses on toes or feet – Abscess in feet
- Removal of foreign bodies and laceration repairs – foreign body injuries
- Red, scaling, itchy skin – eczema dermatitis
- Hard, dry, flaky, cracked heels – heel fissures
- Fluid filled cyst – ganglion
- Abnormal growth of fatty tissue – lipoma
- Painful leg cramps – muscle cramps
- Pain in the heels/arches – plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, achilles tendonitis
- A painful bony growth on the back of the heel – Haglund’s Deformity
- A sore on the foot that won’t heal – diabetic foot ulcer, peripheral vascular disease
- Infected or discolored toenails/skin – toenail fungus, skin fungal infection
- Pain and inflammation of the achilles tendon – achilles tendonitis, ruptured tendon
- Warts on the bottom of the feet – plantar warts (contagious)
- Dry, scaly skin, accompanied by blisters in between toes – athlete’s foot
- Toe or toes permanently bent at the first joint – hammertoes
- Pain in the ball of the foot – metatarsalgia
- Pain on the ball of the foot, between the third and fourth toe – Morton’s Neuroma
- Achy arch and heel area coupled with lower back pain – fallen arches/flat feet
- Painful swelling at the joint of the big toe – bunion, gout
If your peds are in pain, call True Health today at (407)322-8645 and get the treatment you need to get back on your feet! Make an appointment to see a True Health podiatrist at our Sanford and Hoffner locations.
