The foot alone has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 ligaments, muscles and tendons. With all of this, so much is bound to go wrong with this part of the body. In fact, it is said that there are more than 300 possible ailments of the foot. With this knowledge, you should give your feet much attention if you want to ensure a lifetime of mobility. There are many ways of caring for the feet and it is all embraced in podiatry. Although the practice emerged in the early 20the century, many people in Marrickville, as with other parts of Australia, are still not aware of it. However, many podiatry Marrickville practitioners are trying to bring the practice in the limelight through public education.
In line with that, this article will try to give you some of the basic information about podiatry that you need to know.
What is podiatry?
Podiatry is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, surgical and medical treatment of ailments of the feet, ankle and lower leg. On top of treatment, podiatry involves the general care of the lower limb. The Australian Podiatry Council defines podiatry as the branch of medicine that deals with diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of conditions of the foot and the lower limb. A specialist of podiatry Marrickville or your suburb has can significantly improve the quality of your life by maintaining and improving mobility.
The medical practitioners who practice podiatry are known as podiatrists. With the great number of foot ailments, a podiatrist’s caseload is broad. The conditions that a podiatrist treats are those related to the circulatory and neurological systems, muscular and soft tissue pathologies as well as disorders of the joints and bones. Here is a list of some of the common conditions treated by experts of podiatry Marrickville has today:
- Sports injuries
- Ingrown toenails
- Fungal toenails
- Corns and hard skin
- Toe joint pain
Marrickville podiatry experts specialize in different areas including:
- Podiatry Primary Care: Focus on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of podiatric conditions.
- Podiatric orthopedics: Specialize in conservative non-surgical treatment of imperfect leg and foot function and structure through physical therapy and use of orthotics and special footwear.
- Podiatric sports medicine: Treatment and management of lower leg disorders in athletes.
- Podiatric surgery: Use of modern surgical procedures to treat various ankle and foot problems.
- Podopediatrics: Treatment and management of foot disorders in children.
- Podogeriatrics: Treatment of lower leg disorders in the elderly.
It is best to be treated by a podiatrist who specializes in your condition for better care.
With a great number of medical practitioners specializing in podiatry in Marrickville today, choosing the right one can be quite challenging. The following guideline will help you find the very best podiatry Marrickville has to offer:
- Professional credentials: Make sure that your podiatrist has graduated from an accredited podiatric college.
- Professional affiliations: The podiatrist should be either affiliated to a hospital or teaching in a medical school.
- Location and practice arrangements: Make sure that the location and office hours are convenient for you.