Understanding Foot Care and Foot Pain
by Ida Carroll
Your feet are an important part of your body. They make it possible to walk, stand or sit, which are activities needed in your daily life.
Foot pain comes as a result of an injury to your foot from sports or accidents, underlying health conditions that cause reduced blood flow to your foot, poor foot hygiene that leads to sores, blisters and ingrown toenails, etc. Here's what you need to know about foot care and foot pain.
What Is Foot Care?
Foot care involves activities that promote good foot health. They may include cleaning your feet regularly and drying them well before wearing socks and shoes, cutting your nails short, wearing the right shoes, avoiding walking barefoot on rough or injurious surfaces, doing the right foot exercises and visiting a podiatrist for advice or when you have a foot problem.
Who Is a Podiatrist?
Podiatrists are doctors who specialise in foot and foot-related conditions. Your foot is the section of your leg that starts from the ankle downwards. This means that if you have a leg problem, especially broken bones in your knee, thigh, hip, hip joint, etc., you should visit an orthopaedic surgeon.
Sometimes, a podiatrist may be in a position to diagnose your leg problem to identify whether it is in your foot, knee, thigh or hip. If it is a minor problem, he or she may be qualified to treat it. However, if it is a major problem that is not in your foot, you are referred to an orthopaedic surgeon.
You should also know that there is a condition known as referred pain (pain that is felt at a different location than where it is originating from). This means that you might be feeling pain in your foot, but your problem may be in your hip or knee.
Who Is an Orthopaedic Surgeon?
This is a specialist who is qualified to treat your musculoskeletal system, which consists of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
What Can You Expect From a Podiatrist Clinic?
Your podiatrist asks you to explain to him or her what happened to your foot. This is where you state what action or activity caused the pain in your foot and when it happened.
The podiatrist then physically examines your foot and depending on what he or she finds ask for an ultrasound or X-ray. Sores, blisters and ingrown toenails might not require ultrasounds or X-rays. The podiatrist will try to find out why the sore or blister occurred and offer you treatment and foot care advice to ensure they don't reoccur.
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About Me
If you are like me, you have probably been in embarrassed in the past about having thick, yellow or otherwise unsightly toenails. You may have even suffered pain from your toenails. Those statements used to describe me, but with the help of my family and podiatrist, my toenails have returned to a strong, clear and beautiful state. The journey wasn't always easy, and it forced me to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research. As a result, I learned everything you can find in these blog posts. I see other people with painful looking toenails on the street, and I want to help them with some pointers, but walking up to strangers – however well intentioned – is a bit beyond my comfort levels so I decided to create this blog. I hope it helps and entertains you!