Podiatry Arena - Foot Diagnosis
The study, diagnosis and treatment of the feet, ankles, and lower leg is known as Podiatry.
This name originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat problems affecting the feet. There are specialist branches of podiatry such as surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, sports medicine etc. In English speaking countries podiatry is known as chiropody and is practiced by chiropodists but the jobs are very similar with minor differences. Plantar fascia is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that originates in the heel bone and goes along the sole of the foot towards the toes and the painful condition that occurs in this tissue is known as plantar fascists. This condition is said to affect almost two million Americans and is often caused by long hours of standing related to their work. It can also be caused by too much weight constantly bearing down on the feet. The condition which starts with a pain in the heel is usually more intense when taking the first steps in the morning. Another symptom of the condition is that the patient has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent up towards the shin thus restricting ankle movement. This condition can cause knee pain which applies mainly, though not solely to runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal term for shin splints which is a painful condition in the shins.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. One reason for the problem is the overuse of one muscle which is often suffered by athletes repeating a particular activity regularly thus putting too much stress on the shins. It is important to treat this condition as soon as possible. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Cold compresses, rest, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be recommended by the podiatrist to relieve such pain. Barefoot running is not the norm in modern times though famous athletes such as Zola Budd were well known for it. The advances made in shoe design have tended to indicate that running with shoes is a better alternative to running without. When running barefoot, the emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. It has been repetitively proved that wearing shoes is very important for the heel.
Barefoot running tends to spread the weight on the foot more equally. Sports authorities tend to favor running shoes but there is no hard evidence to suggest which is really better.
This name originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat problems affecting the feet. There are specialist branches of podiatry such as surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, sports medicine etc. In English speaking countries podiatry is known as chiropody and is practiced by chiropodists but the jobs are very similar with minor differences. Plantar fascia is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that originates in the heel bone and goes along the sole of the foot towards the toes and the painful condition that occurs in this tissue is known as plantar fascists. This condition is said to affect almost two million Americans and is often caused by long hours of standing related to their work. It can also be caused by too much weight constantly bearing down on the feet. The condition which starts with a pain in the heel is usually more intense when taking the first steps in the morning. Another symptom of the condition is that the patient has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent up towards the shin thus restricting ankle movement. This condition can cause knee pain which applies mainly, though not solely to runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal term for shin splints which is a painful condition in the shins.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. One reason for the problem is the overuse of one muscle which is often suffered by athletes repeating a particular activity regularly thus putting too much stress on the shins. It is important to treat this condition as soon as possible. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Cold compresses, rest, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be recommended by the podiatrist to relieve such pain. Barefoot running is not the norm in modern times though famous athletes such as Zola Budd were well known for it. The advances made in shoe design have tended to indicate that running with shoes is a better alternative to running without. When running barefoot, the emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. It has been repetitively proved that wearing shoes is very important for the heel.
Barefoot running tends to spread the weight on the foot more equally. Sports authorities tend to favor running shoes but there is no hard evidence to suggest which is really better.
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