Can a Podiatrist Remove Dead Skin?

Dead skin at the bottom of the foot is something you might not want to think about, but letting it build-up over the years can lead to a situation that only professional medical assistance can deal with. So when you need to have dead skin on your heels dealt with, where should you go to have it treated?

Can a podiatry clinic remove dry skin on the foot? Thankfully, dead skin is a common issue that podiatrists deal with. No matter how bad your issue might be, podiatrists can remove the dry skin with specialized tools and treat you with the necessary lotions and advice to allow your feet to heal back to normal.

What Causes Dead Skin on the Foot?

Dead skin on the bottom of the foot is a problem that many adults face, with over 20% of Americans experiencing specifically cracked heels. This unsightly and uncomfortable condition can be difficult to deal with, which leads to many patients asking about what caused it in the first place.

Here are some of the most common causes of dry, peeling feet:

• Athlete’s Foot: This is a fungal infection that is primarily experienced by athletes or those exposed to the common environments of athletes, such as gyms and common shower areas. This condition leads to a burning, peeling, and stinging sensation on the bottom of the foot, and is caused by the fungus that you might pick up while walking barefoot in shower areas and gyms. It may also develop when your feet become sweaty or warm and you fail to wear good socks.
• Dry Skin: While dry skin is caused by certain medical conditions in some people, others are just naturally predisposed to having hard skin. This condition can be worsened by smoking, stress, excessive exposure to the sun, dehydration, hot baths and showers, and low humidity.
• Eczema: A type of skin condition that can be found anywhere on the body, eczema on the feet is a common cause of thick skin on the bottom of the feet. This leads to cracked, peeling, and itchy skin, and occurs in flare-ups.
• Psoriasis: Another chronic disease that can affect any part of the body but is known to commonly appear on the soles of the feet. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition which leads to an overgrowth of skin cells, leading to thick skin on the bottom of the foot.

Perhaps the most common reason why people see podiatrists about thick skin is due to cracked heels. Cracked heels are the dry cracked skin on the bottom of the heel, leading to reduced sensation and a thickening of the foot.

So what causes cracked heels? Generally, cracked heels are caused by the combination of pressure and dryness around the heels – the skin literally splits apart because it isn’t moist enough to stay intact under the pressure. There is a range of potential causes for this condition, such as:

• Lack of moisture: Perhaps the most common cracked heel cause is the simple lack of moisture. The bottom of the foot is often very chapped and rough, no matter how sweaty you might get. This is because there are very few sweat glands around the heels and there is little fat around the bottom of the foot, which helps in keeping skin moisturized
• Vitamin deficiencies: Not having proper diet and nutrition reduces the overall health of your heels
• Excessive pressure: People who stand or walk too much and rest their weight on their heels can expect to experience cracked heels
• Age: The skin naturally loses elasticity as you get older, meaning dry parts of the body (such as the heels) have a higher chance to crack
• Obesity: As too much pressure can lead to cracked heels, increasing the weight of that pressure contributes as well. Obesity increases pressure on the heel, forcing it to expand sideways and crack
• Exposed footwear: It’s important to wear shoes that fit properly, or else the fat beneath the heel will expand sideways and crack. Exposed footwear doesn’t properly hold the foot, leading to this sideways crack

How Do Podiatrists Remove Dry Skin?

Cracked heels and dry feet skin aren’t the only examples of thick skin on the foot. There are also corns and calluses which can lead to thickened skin which needs to be removed, as these can lead to reduced sensation and can be very uncomfortable once they build-up over time.

So how do you get this removed? Thankfully, podiatrists are trained and equipped with the skills and tools to cut off even the thickest skin on your foot.

To do this, the podiatrist begins with an assessment to understand exactly what is causing your dry feet to become “dead”; this allows them to recommend topical medication or treatment after the removal of the skin. Certain types of cream may help best for certain skin types, so it’s important to follow your podiatrist’s recommendations.

Afterwards, the podiatrist removes the skin by using special podiatrist tools; these typically include a scalpel and an electric file. Patients may worry that this procedure will hurt, but there is typically little pain as the dry cracked skin doesn’t have much or any sensation. At most, patients will experience a discomfort during the procedure, while the podiatrist uses the tools to excise the skin.

Treatments After Dead Skin Removal

After the dead skin has been removed, the feet must be treated properly to allow them to heal and prevent reoccurrence. Podiatrists will typically recommend special socks, heel cups, and even fit orthotics that are specifically made to alleviate the discomfort of cracked heels.

In the most severe cases, some podiatrists may recommend using medical tissue glue, designed to boost the healing process for cracked heels. The skin must be given the time and assistance to regrow and build new tissue, and this new tissue must be kept moisturized and protected so that it doesn’t crack again.

Some podiatry clinics offer other treatments for cracked heels and dry feet after the initial build-up of skin has been removed. One type of treatment is known as a warm wax treatment, which uses the application of warm wax on the cracked dry heels to increase blood flow and hydration to the heel while relaxing the muscles and the joints. This provides both healing and therapeutic effects to the affected area.

Home Treatments for Dead Skin

Prevention is always better than the cure, which is why you should start taking care of your feet today if you want to avoid the need for professional podiatrist dry skin removal. Here are some things which may help to protect your feet:

1. Always stay hydrated; letting your dry cracked feet skin suffer from dehydration is the best way to developing cracked heels and heel fissures.
2. Use a topical oil or cream to moisturize your feet once or twice a day, in the morning and the evening. You may also have your feet regularly massaged for best care.
3. Wear closed shoes that offer proper support around your feet. Open-toed shoes allow your feet to dip sideways, leading to extra pressure on your heels.
4. For extra support, you may also strap a sports tape around your heel to allow proper recovery after a removal procedure.
5. A pumice stone or foot file may be used to gently scrape skin off your foot at home; but if the condition is serious, be sure to leave the treatment up to the professionals.

For best help with your dry cracked skin and heel fissures, a pumice stone won’t be enough, and it’s highly recommended to see a podiatrist.

Learn more: What’s the Difference Between a Podiatrist and a Chiropodist?

The post Can a Podiatrist Remove Dead Skin? appeared first on Essex Union Podiatry.

source https://www.essexunionpodiatry.com/podiatrist-removes-dead-skin/

Do Podiatrists Cut Toenails?

Podiatrists are the specialist doctors to see for patients who require specialized diagnosis and treatment for pains and conditions related to the lower legs and foot. This includes diabetic issues, bunions, Achilles tendonitis, heel spur, arthritis of the foot, and many other ankle and foot conditions. But one question we often get is whether podiatrists also help patients cut their toenails.

So can a podiatrist also help patients with their toenails? In most cases, yes; they regularly assist patients with toenail care. While cutting toenails may seem like a simple matter of grooming, there are actually many patients who have problems with their toenails or feet that prevent them from cutting them without professional help.

Issues such as thickened nails, fungal nails, and ingrown nails can be treated by a podiatrist with proper routine nail care assistance.

When Do Podiatrists Help with Toenails?

So when might it be a time to get professional podiatry help for your toenails? If your toenails are healthy and in good condition but you don’t like cutting them on your own, then you might be better off asking a friend or relative for help, or visiting a pedicurist.

However, if you have any condition making it difficult to deal with your nails, then a visit to your nearest podiatry clinic is definitely recommended. Here are some common nail conditions that require podiatry care:

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown nails occur when the skin gets in the way of the toenail, usually because it was badly cut or pushed slightly to the side. This leads to pressure against the skin, and as they grow the skin can become punctured, leading to mild to intense pain on the toe as well as infection.

Most people who experience ingrown toenails experience it more than once due to certain habits or behaviors causing the toenails to become ingrown. Common causes include shoes that are too loose or too tight, repetitive activity of the foot with bad form (such as sports), or damage caused by injury. Some people also simply have toenails that are naturally more curved or involuted, leading to a likelier chance of becoming ingrown.

Podiatry should be able to assist patients experiencing ingrown toenails with the proper filing, shaping, and cutting to remove the nail and prevent its ingrown regrowth. It’s important to have an ingrown nail dealt with as soon as possible, to avoid the possibility of experiencing long-term pain and serious infection.

Fungal Nails

While ingrown toenails lead to the possibility of the punctured skin on the toe becoming infected, the toenails themselves can become infected, most commonly as a result of fungus. This results in what is known as a fungal nail; make sure you know which one your infection may be.

Fungal nails typically have a discolored appearance, looking slightly brown or yellow, and the nail will lose its natural texture and become powdery and even brittle. In some cases, the nail can become thicker than normal (although a thickened nail is not always a sign of a fungal infection; thickened nails can also be a result of injury or trauma, like sports injuries).

Podiatry expertise can diagnose and treat fungal infections of toenails. The easiest way to treat fungal nails is with anti-fungal medication as well as manually removing the fungus from the nail. It is crucial that you see a podiatry clinic rather than a normal spa or salon for fungal infections, as doctors thoroughly sterilize all their tools, while spas and salons might not.

Most podiatry clinics use only single-use disposable instruments to maximize patient safety needs, meaning tools that can only be used one time for one usage, cutting the possibility of infection from cross-contamination.

Diabetes

Diabetes affects the entire body, and there are many unexpected ways doctors help diabetic patients. Since diabetes leads to nerve damage throughout the body, this can lead to a significant reduction of sensation in a person’s toes and feet.

This means patients might have ingrown toenails or other problems with their toenails that they can’t feel until it becomes a major medical problem, and they might also have difficulty trimming the nails themselves.

Whether it’s for one nail or all of them, nail trim and cut routines for diabetics needs to be done with extreme caution, because the poor circulation experienced by diabetics significantly limits their ability to heal from even the smallest wounds. These small cuts caused by bad trim or cut jobs may lead to infections which could evolve into major diabetic ulcers.

This is why diabetics are typically advised to have routine nail care performed by a podiatry clinic every few weeks or months. Without routine nail care, diabetic patients may possibly develop life-threatening diabetic wounds and chronic infections.

Other Conditions

There are many other conditions that could make it difficult for patients to trim and cut their nails on their own. Health issues such as arthritis, reduced vision, and other conditions that limit mobility can make personal nail care difficult if not impossible.

Older patients with limited independence and impaired mobility should definitely get podiatric help. In these cases, routine professional nail trim care is a sure must.

Can I Have My Toenails Cut by a Pedicurist Instead?

If you are looking to save on your bill or just avoid going to a clinic, you might consider seeing a pedicurist for your toenail care. While this is a sure option for some, it’s not advisable for people who might have serious health conditions and medical needs such as those listed above or even older individuals.

This is because you can’t know that a pedicurist will follow the proper sanitization practices and caution that doctors are trained to follow. There is no guarantee that your toenail issues will be properly treated by a pedicurist, leading to small issues becoming major because they weren’t diagnosed and treated in ways only a medical health professional could know. Just one bad visit can get you stuck with long-term nail issues.

Learn more: Can a Podiatrist Remove Dead Skin?

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source https://www.essexunionpodiatry.com/podiatrists-cut-toenails/

How Do Podiatrists Remove Cracked Heels?

There are plenty of articles describing home remedies that anyone can try out for their cracked feet – pumice stone treatment, lotions, and soaking them in water every morning and night. And while these home remedies might work great for mild conditions of cracked heels, or cracked heels that are just beginning to develop, they do nothing for cracked heels that have settled in for years.

In cases like these, you need to ditch the home pumice stone and call in the professional hands of a podiatrist to remove the cracks on your heels.

So how exactly do podiatrists go about removing cracked heels? The podiatry experience begins with an assessment; the podiatrist discusses the cracked heel issue with the patient, getting a clear idea of what might be causing the development of cracked heels. This helps them recommend the best aftercare and advice after the treatment to keep the feet healthy and allow for optimal recovery.

The treatment process itself lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the severity of the cracked heels. It involves the use of a metal scalpel to pick away the hard skin, followed by a sander to scrape away the rest.

Removing Cracked Heels with a Podiatrist: The Process

The patient experience of removing cracked heels with a podiatrist begins with an initial assessment. The podiatrist will seek to understand exactly what conditions in your lifestyle contribute most to the development of cracked heels. This will help them give you the best aftercare treatment and advice beyond the cracked heel removal, preventing the reoccurring development of cracks on your heels.

Once assessment is done, you will be asked to sit or lie down in the treatment room. Depending on the clinic, the patient may also be asked to wear a cotton face mouth mask as well as covering over their clothes. Shoes and socks should be removed, and the podiatrist will use a metal scalpel to begin removing the initial layers of hard or dead skin from the bottom of the feet.

This is known as debridement, or the cutting away of thick and hard skin from the feet. It is crucial that you do not attempt any kind of debridement at home with home tools like blades or scissors, as you risk removing healthy skin, which may lead to major pain and infection.

The debridement process may take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how severe the condition of hard skin may be on your feet. After this is done, the podiatrist may also proceed to use a sander for your dry cracks. The sander is gently applied against the dry skin, scraping away at the dry cracks and turning it into dust (which is why patients are recommended to wear mouth masks).

After an hour or an hour and a half into the treatment, patients may start to feel sensation again in their feet. No pain should be felt during the initial debridement and scraping of dry skin because the dry skin doesn’t have any nerves or pain receptors; it is literally dead skin.

For some podiatry clinics, the heel fissures removal process will end here, ending with a discussion on daily aftercare tips and recommendations on types of lotions the patient should apply. However, certain podiatrists may offer additional services after the removal treatment to best care for the dry skin condition.

Patients may be treated to an additional massage and exfoliating scrub, followed by a hot wax treatment that stimulates healing and blood flow to the feet. This treatment involves wrapping the cracks in special warm wax that maximizes the daily healing process of the skin.

If the patient’s skin cracks are also discovered to be infected after the debridement and scraping, the podiatrist will be required to dress the wound to begin the healing process of the infection. For additional dry cracked healing support, strapping and padding or the application of skin adhesive will be done to the feet to maximize healing. A final assessment will also be done on the patient’s footwear and whether or not they require orthotics.

Different Topical Treatments for Prevention and Management of Cracked Heels

When choosing the type of topical treatment for your prevention or aftercare management of cracked heels, it’s important you understand the different types of products and what podiatrists would typically recommend.

The daily application of topical treatments is known as emollient therapy, and there are different formulations available (with some products mixing these formulations) for different conditions. These may include:

• Urea-based: Most lotions and products on the market are made up of 10% urea cream. They are available for general sale in brands like Aquacare and Nutraplus; another good option is Calmurid, which is 10% urea cream and 5% lactic acid. Generally, the more severe your cracked heels / heel fissures, the more urea content you want for your topical treatment. Neat Feet Heel Balm contains 26% urea cream; Elactol contains 25% urea cream. Products made up of 25% urea cream or greater are reported to significantly help dryness, pain, and overall foot appearance.
• Alpha-hydroxy acids: These acids are typically found in natural products like sugar cane, fruit, and milk, and they are made up of lactic, citric, and glycolic acids. General sale products such as QV Feet Heel Balm contain alpha-hydroxy acids, and they specialize in reducing keratinization (the hardening of the foot skin) and skin exfoliation.
• Salicylic acid-based: These products are best used for skin exfoliation, as they reduce pain, fissures, and hyperkeratosis (skin hardening). Most cracked heel products contain salicylic acid mixed with urea cream, and salicylic should be used for thick, dry cracked skin. If the skin is broken, salicylic products may cause a painful stinging sensation when applied.
• Saccharide isomerate: Another term for pentavitin, saccharide isomerate is an important ingredient in certain topical products such as Ellgy Heel Balm. Simply put, pentavitin acts as a moisturizing agent as it can be difficult to wash off, leading to effective moisturization.

Remove Your Cracked Heels and More with Essex Union Podiatry

Essex Union Podiatry has treated countless patients suffering mild to severe cracked heels, as well as a range of other foot and ankle conditions. Most issues of the foot can be handled with a simple procedure with a trained and trusted podiatrist, so why not get your cracked dry feet back to their best condition with a simple appointment?

Call Essex Union Podiatry at 973-376-8210 today, or schedule an appointment through our website.

Learn more: Do Podiatrists Cut Toenails?

The post How Do Podiatrists Remove Cracked Heels? appeared first on Essex Union Podiatry.

source https://www.essexunionpodiatry.com/podiatrists-remove-cracked-heels/

What Does a Podiatrist Do?

We see doctors all our lives, so we’re generally pretty familiar with the role of general doctors and when and why it is necessary to see them. But for most people, doctors that specialize in certain areas aren’t as commonly visited. One medical specialty that many people aren’t familiar with is podiatry.

So what is a podiatrist and what do they do? Podiatry is a medical specialization that focuses on the lower legs and the feet. Podiatrists treat foot pain and foot problems, and they undergo focused education and training to provide the best care for complications and injuries related to the lower legs and feet, including general conditions that affect those areas, such as diabetes.

Is a Podiatrist a Real Doctor?

Yes, a podiatrist is a real doctor who is educated and trained to treat patients who have injuries and problems related to their feet and legs. While a podiatrist wouldn’t typically be found in the same type of medical school as a general doctor, they do have their own professional medical associations and medical schools.

Unlike a doctor who would have the title of “MD” (which stands for medical doctor), podiatrists carry the title of “DPM” (which stands for doctor of podiatric medicine).

So what is a podiatrist qualified to do and what is the purpose of podiatric medical care? Like general health care, podiatric medicine is for the purpose of diagnosing and treating patients who have health problems related to their lower legs or feet. They can engage in surgery, prescribe drugs, order X-rays and lab tests, reset broken bones, and more.

What Education and Training do Podiatrists Undergo?

Like other types of doctors, podiatrists are required to begin with a pre-med undergraduate degree. These include science degrees in physics, chemistry, biology, and more. It is most common for a podiatrist to begin with an undergrad in biology.

After undergrad, students then head off to four years of podiatry school. There are nine schools in the US that are officially accredited and recognized by the AMPA, or the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Here, students learn how the muscles, nerves, ligaments, and bones of the lower legs and feet work together to allow movement and proper health. They also learn about injuries and illnesses that affect these areas, and how to best diagnose and treat these foot health conditions.

After graduating from podiatry school, a would-be podiatrist is then required to take up a 3-year residency at a hospital. Working in a hospital setting before working in a focused podiatry clinic allows students to get a better understanding of how to work with other types of doctors, including anesthesiologists, surgeons, pediatricians, and other specialists.

If desired, a final advanced certification in foot and ankle surgery can be earned after their residency.

What Conditions Can a Podiatrist Treat?

If you feel any kind of foot pain or discomfort related to your lower legs or feet, then you can most likely be diagnosed and treated by podiatric medicine. Here are some of the most common reasons why you may visit a podiatrist:

• Hammertoes and bunions: Hammertoes and bunions are issues with your feet bones; a hammertoe is a toe that doesn’t bend properly while a bunion occurs when the joint of the big toe becomes pushed out of place.
• Arthritis: The foot has 33 different joints, meaning it is a prime candidate for arthritis, which may generally be caused by normal wear and tear and inflammation on the joints. Podiatrists may treat arthritis of the foot with orthopedic shoes, drugs, and physical therapy. In the worst cases, this can be treated with surgery. This is also commonly related with sports medicine.
• Heel pain: Heel pain is a common issue that most people may have to deal with at some point, with the most common cause of heel pain being heel spurs (calcium buildup at the bottom of the bone, which is caused by being overweight, badly-fitting shoes, or excessive running). Other causes of heel pain include plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis.
• Sprains and fractures: Sprains and fractures are common around the feet and ankles, particularly when it comes to sports. Podiatrists often work with sports medicine as athletes commonly need specialized care for their foot and ankle problems.
• Nail disorders: Infections are common in the toenails, caused by ingrown toenails or fungus. Nails may need to be properly trimmed or removed when this occurs, which is best done by a podiatrist.
• Growing pains: Children may sometimes experience growing pains in their feet during periods of growth, and require the help of a podiatrist to adjust properly. When a child has flat feet, toes that fail to line up properly, or inward-pointing feet, then a podiatry might recommend braces, insoles, special foot ankle exercises, or surgery.

Why Should I See a Podiatrist Instead of a Regular Doctor?

Many people may find themselves unwilling to see specialty doctors like podiatrists when they can visit their general practitioner instead. The benefit of seeing a podiatrist when you have a clear foot pain or condition related to your lower legs and feet is that you are guaranteed to receive the proper diagnosis and treatment. You also save yourself time, as a general practitioner will most likely refer you to see a podiatrist once they hear about your foot problems.

Simply put, you should search for “a podiatry near me” when you are experiencing the following foot conditions:

1. Foot or ankle pain
2. Peeling or scaling of the bottom of the foot
3. Growths like pimples or warts on the foot
4. Cuts or cracks on the foot that won’t heal
5. Infected or thick toenail foot problems

How are Podiatrists Different from Orthopedists?

Orthopedists are another kind of doctor that specialize in foot problems, however, unlike podiatrists, orthopedists have the training and authority to treat the rest of the body on top of the foot as opposed to typical podiatric medical health care.

This gives them a more general understanding of musculoskeletal pains and conditions, while podiatric medicine focuses more on foot health conditions like calluses, heel spurs, toenail disorders, and other foot-centric issues.

You should see a podiatrist over an orthopedist when you are still unsure of the exact cause of your foot pain.

Read more: How Do Podiatrists Remove Cracked Heels?

The post What Does a Podiatrist Do? appeared first on Essex Union Podiatry.

source https://www.essexunionpodiatry.com/what-does-podiatrist-do/

What’s the Difference Between a Podiatrist and a Chiropodist?

When patients need specialized foot and ankle care, doctors generally recommend that they see a podiatrist. Podiatry is the focused branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of foot problems and conditions related to the lower legs.

Podiatrists treat everything from bunions to infected toenails, and patients are guaranteed to receive the best answer for their foot problems from a podiatrist. But there is another term that many people – particularly older patients – still use for foot doctors: chiropodist.

So what exactly is a chiropodist and what’s the difference between podiatrist and chiropodist work? Simply put, there is actually no technical difference between a chiropodist and a podiatrist in how they work; “chiropodist” and “chiropody” are the outdated terms for doctors that specialize in foot problems. The terms were respectively replaced by “podiatrist” and “podiatry” around the second half of the 20^th century.

Podiatry and Chiropody: A History

Medical healthcare based on science is predominantly a modern phenomenon, and specialty healthcare with doctors that study and care on certain parts of the body is even more so.

The first licensed physicians who specialized in the study and care of the lower legs and feet came about in the 19^th century, with the first officially recognized medical organization for feet doctors established in 1895 in New York, and this was known as the first society of chiropodists (this organization is still running today, although it is now known as the NYSPMA, or the New York State Podiatric Medical Association).

The first official school for chiropody was opened in 1911, and in the UK chiropody became widely recognized when the London Foot Hospital was established in 1912, with a chiropody school opened later in 1919.

In Australia, professional chiropody organizations started appearing from the 1920s onwards. Doctors who specialized in foot pain were still known as chiropodists by World War II, with the US degree for foot doctors known as a Doctor of Surgical Chiropody.

The Change From “Chiropody” to “Podiatry”

So why was there a sudden change from “chiropody” to “podiatry”? While both terms mean the same thing – and some countries (such as Canada) still officially use the term chiropody to describe foot and ankle medical care – countries like the US and the UK led the way in the 1960s to the transition to “podiatry” and “podiatrists” for two reasons:

1. Confusion with Chiropractors: Around the 1950s and 1960s, chiropractic medicine was growing in popularity, and chiropodists were being confused with chiropractors. To avoid continued confusion with chiropractors, it was decided that they would adopt the term “podiatry” for podiatrists.
2. Clearer Root: As a term, “podiatry” more accurately describes foot and ankle care than “chiropody”. “Chiropody” is made up of two roots – “chiro” which means hands, and “pod” which means foot in Greek. The roots of “podiatry” come from “pod” and “iatros”, which means “physician” in Greek. Changing the word from “chiropody” allowed them to better embrace the modern reality of the podiatric profession, when it had become a recognized branch of modern medical care rather than an unofficial specialization performed by certain physicians.

Can You Get Proper Foot Care from a Chiropodist?

While the US, the UK, and most other countries around the world have totally stopped using the term “chiropodist” some countries such as Canada and also smaller organizations still use chiropody. So can you also expect the same level of foot healthcare from chiropody?

This may vary on a case-by-case podiatrist basis, but generally, licensed podiatrists are trained and educated to do the following:

• Perform podiatric surgery related to the foot and ankles
• Perform microsurgeries and reconstructive surgeries
• Perform physical examinations and study medical histories
• Diagnose and treat conditions like ingrown toenails, flat feet, cracked heels, Athlete’s foot
• Administer anesthetics and also sedation for conditions related to the foot and ankles
• Prescribe medications
• Interpret X-rays and also other medical and imaging studies, giving podiatric advice and diagnosis
• Perform certain physical therapy
• Prescribe, order, and fit prosthetics, casts, insoles, and orthotics
• Diagnose and treat sports-related injuries, including setting fractures

If you aren’t sure about a doctor who refers to him or herself as a chiropodist, our advice is to make sure that they have the proper education and certification to perform the tasks of podiatrists.

For the most part, the difference between podiatrists and chiropodists is one of semantics – doctors who refer to themselves as podiatrists and chiropodists should be able to provide proper foot pain treatment.

Learn more: What Does a Podiatrist Do?

The post What’s the Difference Between a Podiatrist and a Chiropodist? appeared first on Essex Union Podiatry.

source https://www.essexunionpodiatry.com/podiatrist-chiropodist-difference/

Foot Doctor in Caldwell

At Essex Union Podiatry (EUP), we provide complete and complete foot and ankle take care of Essex and Union counties with three handy areas in Springfield, Rahway and Caldwell, New Jersey.

Essex Union Podiatry is comprised of three elite physicians: Dr. Jason Galante, Dr. Nancy Kaplan and Dr. Sarah Haller. Every physician is highly trained in a broad range of specialties to fit the individualized podiatric wants of adults, youngsters and adolescents. Together, they create many years of combined experience and use the most recent instruments and technologies obtainable for each surgical and non-surgical remedy options.

At EUP, we pleasure ourselves on delivering a superior stage of service with a comforting bedside manner. With identical-day appointments and in-network insurance coverage, we're totally invested in the patient as well as the arms-on high quality care we provide.

At Essex Union Podiatry, we now have a dedication to personalised, compassionate care relating to your condition and its treatment. With a staff strategy and an emphasis on patient education, we work hand in hand with our patients to make sure that you're thoroughly knowledgeable about your analysis, remedy options and preventative care. We create a customized plan that works best for you and we embrace you within the choice-making process. Our purpose is to get you moving again and to advertise your improved well being and properly-being with minimal downtime.

Plantar fasciitis is likely one of the top causes of heel pain. Individuals who run and people who are chubby often have plantar fasciitis, and wearing footwear with poor arch assist can increase the chance of growing it or make symptoms worse.

The plantar fascia is a protracted band of connective tissue that runs from the ball of the foot to the heel. It acts as a shock absorber whenever you stroll, and when there is too much pressure on it whether from too many miles on the street, too much further weight or insufficient support it could possibly develop tears.

These tears usually occur towards the rear of the tissue, so the pain of plantar fasciitis is often felt on the bottom of the heel. When the body attempts to repair the tears, it might probably sometimes overcompensate and produce too much calcium. This further calcium is deposited close to the heel bone and varieties heel spurs, which can trigger further heel pain.

X-rays can show heel spurs, but typically a medical historical past and bodily exam are all it takes to diagnose plantar fasciitis. If you have plantar fasciitis, your podiatrist can prescribe a stretching, bodily remedy and nonoperative care regimen Podiatrist in Caldwell that will resolve the issue. If this conservative care fails to assist, the subsequent step is carrying custom orthotics to offer the arch with extra support. Custom orthotics are efficient for a lot of sufferers, nicely-tolerated and far much less invasive than surgery.

If plantar fasciitis is pain on the bottom of the heel, a possible reason behind pain at the back of the heel is Achilles tendinitis. Achilles tendinitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle tissue to the heel bone (calcaneus). Like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis is usually brought on by overuse. Achilles tendinitis typically flares up after an enormous enhance in activity. Most podiatrists can confidently diagnose Achilles tendinitis with a physical examination, however imaging studies reminiscent of X-rays or ultrasound might be useful in ruling out other sources of heel pain.

Your podiatrist can assist you with workouts to stretch and strengthen the calf muscle tissue and Achilles tendon to each treat current ache and stop future inflammation. Orthotics can also help. It is best to start out treating Achilles tendinitis early. The longer the irritation persists, the upper the danger of a extra critical Achilles tendon rupture that requires surgery.

Also known as hallux valgus (hallux is another name for the massive toe), bunions seem as bony bumps at the base of the massive toe. Typically they do not harm, however when they do you will feel pain and inflammation on the inside of the foot, where the large toe meets the entrance of your foot. You might also discover redness and inflammation in the area. Your toe could really feel stiff, and you may have difficulty strolling, particularly when you?re carrying tight shoes.