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A brief outline of common foot problems
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What qualifications should I look for when I want to find a podiatrist?
Qualifications vary from country to country but inAustralia and New Zealand as all WesternCountries where podiatry is a closed profession,
itis illegal not to be registered with theAustralasian Health Practitioner RegulationAgency (Podiatry Board of Australia).
Most registered podiatrists belong to A professional association, and many aremembers of the Australasian PodiatryAssociation with the post nominals, M A Pod A(WA).
Some practitioners include their academicqualifications such as Diploma of Podiatry (DipPod), Bachelor (BSc) or Master of Science (MSc),or Docorate (PhD). In the latter case they will usethe pre-nominal "Doctor".
Australasian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Australasian Podiatry Council
Find a podiatrist
What is the difference between a podiatrist and a chiropodist?
Historically there is no difference between thetwo terms. In Australia both terms are usedwithin the state acts which govern registration.
As a term chiropody is less popular now and sincepodiatry means to treat feet, ‘podiatrist’ is thepreferred term.
The majority of foot problems involve skin ornails i.e. corns and acute infections. Systemicdiseases, musculo -skeletal and repetitive injuryare the common precursors.
Not everyone however suffers sore feet and approximately one third of the population at anyage or any stage require services of footphysicians.
Do corns have roots?Corns and callus are Nature's way of protectingskin surfaces subjected to complex shearingstress.
Increased cell reproduction arises when thenormal skin cells are damaged by friction.Over a bony prominence this causes skin toappear deeper as if growing from a core or root.
Successful pain relief comes from excessskin reduction with a sharp scalpel . This isalmost impossible to do safely for yourselfand needs an expert to do this on yourbehalf.
Hard skin will return within 28 days as thedamaged cells are replaced. All external cause offriction must be removed.
Are verrucae catching, and can I go swimming if I have one?
The short answer is conditions apply,because at certain stages of the life ofthe wart (caused by a virus) it may bemore contagious than others. It isprudent to take precautions.
Viral infections are picked up by physical
contact and can live outside the bodyespecially in wet conditions e.g.
changingroom floors.
Protecting the sole with rubber socksreduces the risk of cross infection andallows those with verruca to swim safelywithout contaminating others.
What causes Athlete's Foot and how can I prevent it?
Athlete's foot is a generic term for fungal infections of
the foot. Fungi and yeasts thrive outside the body inwarm, moist conditions such as showers or changingroom floors.
These flora are highly contagious and present symptoms such as: irritated patches of skin betweenthe toes, which crack and peel. These may appearsoggy and smell unpleasant and hence, the referenceto the foot of an athlete. Discoloured nails and orscaling and itching skin are common symptoms.
Good foot hygiene improves skin texture and manySymptoms disappear.
In the event of an identified fungi or yeast thenprescribed medicines are usually very effective.
Tell me why my feet hurt after standing on them all day?
The amount of energy required tostand still is greater than walking andrunning. People compromised by alack of circulation moving through thelower extremity coupled by gravity,drawing body fluids downwards causesthe ankles to swell. By the end of theday the gathered fluid makes feetbigger.
Symptoms vary but many peoplecomplain of burning sensation relievedonly by removing shoes and bathingand resting their feet.
My feet tend to get very sweaty in summer, what can I do?There are more sweat glands per inch of ourfeet than anywhere else in the body.Sweating is perfectly natural and with goodfoot hygiene then even the wettest foot willpresent few problems.
Increased temperatures around the feetcaused by exercise or environment increasesperspiration flow. Fluid build up in thepresence of certain bacteria often accounts forfoul smells.
Going barefoot or wearing open-toed shoesor sports thongs encourages sweatEvaporation and regular bathing in salt waterremoves of sweat breakdown and smelly feet.Avoid covered footwear and regular use of goodantiperspirants also help.
How can I get rid of hard skin?Man-made fibres dry out the surface of
the skinand when general friction increases
localtemperatures skin cell production is
increased.Old dry cells become dry and are slow toseparate from the new cell beneath.
How we walk dictates callus patterns and
depending on the type of stress over the area
determined its appearance e.g. cracked skin on
the heels.
Skin cells respond instantly to moisturising
creams .Complicated hard skin types may
respond better to prescribed medication.
Using a pumice stone to gently remove the hard skin is often made easier after a warm foot bath (46C0) for no more than 10 minutes.
Why do women suffer more foot problems than men? More women visit the podiatrists‘surgery but that does not preclude menfrom having as many foot problems astheir gender counterpart. They just donot go to their podiatrist.
Many misguidedly blame theapparent sex difference oninappropriate footwear but there is
littlescientific evidence to support thispremise.
Epidemiological studies have shown that
over the age of eighty, more men arelikely to need podiatric care.
Are shoes the source of most foot problems?
The simple answer is no and provided the shoe
fits comfortably and is appropriate to the activity
it is put to then foot and shoe should becompletely compatible. Not everyone
complies.
In studies women are more likely to wear shoes
smaller than the physical dimension of theirFeet and a neat fit does feel more
comfortable.
Differences in nerve proprioception between
genders is thought to be a significant reason
why women prefer tighter fitting shoes.
What is a foot orthotic?Allopathic medicine isbased on the conceptthere is an ideal model ofnormality. Deviation fromthe norm may be correctedby replacing the missingpiece. Corrective footorthoses consist of footplatforms with balancedwedges made from differentmaterials to effect differentfunctions .
Commonwealth of Australia
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