Month: July 2023

When it comes to foot and ankle health, the old adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” really holds true. The best way to avoid future problems is to visit a podiatrist for regular checkups and care. A podiatrist (pronounced droo-at-rist) is a doctor who has gone through years of medical schooling and hospital-based residency training to become specially trained in the feet and ankles.

The podiatric medical field covers a wide range of conditions that affect the foot, ankle and related structures of the lower leg, including the knees, hips and back. Podiatrists diagnose and treat conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, corns and calluses, athlete’s foot, heel pain, foot and ankle injuries, plantar warts and diabetic foot care.

Podiatrist Baulkham Hills can also help prevent and treat injuries, such as sprains and fractures of the foot and ankle. A podiatric physician can recommend a treatment plan that may include orthotics, medications, surgery and physical therapy to relieve pain.

Children’s Foot Health

When a child is first learning to walk, it is common for them to walk on their toes. As they grow, their arches should develop and stabilise. If their toe walking persists past the age of 2 or they complain about foot pain, this is a red flag and they should be seen by a podiatrist for an assessment.

Heel Pain

Heel pain can occur in people of all ages and is caused by repetitive activities such as running, poor footwear or being overweight. A podiatrist Bella Vista can often provide relief through orthotic devices, medications and steroid injections.

Arthritis

The feet have 33 different joints making them susceptible to arthritis. When the wear and tear from repetitive activities becomes too much, it causes inflammation of the joints. In the most severe cases, the bones of the foot can rub against each other and form bony spurs. A podiatrist can prescribe special orthopedic shoes, medication and other treatments to ease the pain of arthritis in the foot.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails are a common problem among adolescents that can lead to infection if not treated properly. A podiatrist can trim and shape the toenails, remove hard skin build-ups and offer advice on footwear selection.

Diabetes

A podiatrist is the only doctor who can perform foot and ankle surgery on a patient with diabetes, because they have gone through extra medical schooling and a hospital residency in order to specialise in diabetic wound care. More than 65,000 people a year need to have their feet amputated due to diabetes and a podiatrist can help prevent this by educating patients on foot care, proper shoe selection and preventing complications like sores and ulcers.

If you are experiencing persistent foot and ankle pain, you should see a podiatrist for an evaluation. A podiatrist in Foot and Leg Pain Dural will be able to prescribe a treatment plan that will help relieve your pain and get you back on your feet.

ACL (KROO-sheet) tears are common sports injuries. They happen when you’re playing sports that involve quick turns, stops and changes in direction. They often happen during football, basketball and soccer, though they can also occur in other sports that put a lot of pressure on your knees, like skiing and tennis. It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of an ACL injury, so you can get it checked out right away.

A torn ACL can make it hard or impossible to walk, jog or play sports in your usual way. You may feel pain in your knee or hear a “pop” or “snap” when the injury happens. Sometimes the ligament heals itself without surgery. You can choose to have surgery or not, depending on your activity level and lifestyle.

Do I Think I Torn My ACL?

Symptoms of an ACL tear include pain, swelling and trouble moving your knee. If you have a complete ACL tear, you won’t be able to bend or rotate your knee normally. It’s very likely you will have trouble walking up or down stairs and you’ll probably be unable to jump, play sports or do anything that requires you to put a lot of pressure on your knee.

The first thing you should do if you think you tore your ACL is stop playing the sport that caused it. This will help reduce the swelling and pressure on your knee. Then you should rest your knee with ice on it and elevate it by putting it up on a pillow or chair. Take a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to control the pain and swelling.

If your doctor suspects you have a torn ACL, they’ll ask about your symptoms and when the injury happened. They’ll also do a physical exam and use tests, such as the Lachman test or anterior drawer test, to see how your knee moves and if there is any instability.

Haberfield physio will usually recommend surgery to fix a torn ACL. This surgery will replace your injured ligament with tissue that helps a new ligament grow in its place. The surgeon can use a tendon from your hamstring or a minor knee tendon, or they can get a graft from a cadaver (a dead person).

After surgery, you’ll need to do a lot of physical therapy to build up strength in your leg and knee. Most people who have surgery and follow their doctors’ instructions can return to their regular activities within 12 months.