Foot problems affect millions of people around the world, but not everyone know that there is help available. It does not matter if you are a parent worried about a child's gait, a sportsman who needs to up his performance, a diabetic who needs help to prevent or manage complications or just someone who has a health issue with the legs and feet. We also cater for the elderly who simply cannot reach their feet or suffer from long or thick nails, corns, calluses and ulcers.
Taking care of your feet as you get older becomes very hard. Nails thicken and skin becomes frailer, often with corns and calluses. Venous problems and ulcers are also more common and harder to manage without help. For some it is simply a question of not being able to reach their feet or being able to see well enough to maintain their own feet. That is where the podiatrist steps in to help take care of those niggling foot issues and keep our elderly walking better and with less pain.
Diabetics can get to carry on with their normal lives, keep going to school, do not have to stop working in the fields they enjoy and even continue with normal sporting activity. That is provided that complications are detected early and treated without delay.
Most medical aids and diabetes management programs let their members see a podiatrist at least once a year. Screening is done for circulatory problems, neurological issues, skin and nail changes, proper nail management, muscle imbalance, bone structure issues and changes as well as gait and biomechanical abnormalities.
The importance of identifying congenital and developmental problems in children and treating it early cannot be over stressed. Your Podiatrist can do a gait analysis and biomechanical exam to determine any problems and then use remedial therapy, exercises and shoe inserts to correct them.
Proper form is the cornerstone for most sporting disciplines. Whether you are a golf pro trying to improve your golf swing or a power lifter trying to get the most out of a dead-lift it all starts with good biomechanical form.
Fungal infections of the skin and nails can be devastating if left untreated, but do not waste your money on the wrong treatment.
Skin lesions and ingrown toe nails should not cause you to suffer. Your podiatrist can permanently treat these conditions either through conservative management or if needed through skin and nail surgical procedures.
Stinky or sweaty feet do not have to be a problem. The medical conditions, hyperhidrosis (sweaty feet) and bromhidrosis (stinky feet) are more common than you think. For mild conditions over the counter products have some success, but for more severe conditions various interventions are available.
Diabetes, stress, HIV and various other medical conditions can decrease your body’s ability to fight infections. Transplant patients and other patients on immunosuppressive therapy are also at risk. Even the smallest of wounds can lead to serious problems and even death if not treated correctly. That is why it is important to have them treated by a Podiatrist with experience in managing high risk patients.
Strenuous or high risk working environments, including the wearing of safety boots, moist environments, high heat and chemical exposure all put the worker’s foot health at risk. Working in conjunction with OCCSA help is provided for these hard working people in the form of podiatry service. Several employers arrange special days where screening is done on the premises for potential issues. Special occupational health and safety clinics are also run to maintain foot health both on the premises and off site at one of our clinics.