Many of us take our feet for granted barely giving them a second thought until they start to cause us pain. Of course, your feet and ankles are crucial in everyday functioning. From walking the kids to school to running a marathon, your feet make it possible.
So what happens when you start experiencing pain? Sometimes taking things a bit easier for a few days will make any pain go away. Other times you may need to visit a podiatrist who specialises in foot and lower limb conditions. But what can he or she help you with, what do podiatrists treat?
Our podiatrists provide proven conservative treatments combined with state-of-the-art technologies to deliver effective solutions for lower limb pain and problems.
We also have a particular interest in diabetic foot care, sports medicine and foot surgery and treat people of all ages from children to adults and seniors.
With all of this experience and technology, we can prevent, diagnose, and treat a wide variety of lower limb disorders and abnormalities.
What do podiatrists treat?
Some of the common conditions our podiatrists treat on a daily basis include:
Ankle fractures or sprains – These often occur when a person steps the wrong way during walking or participating in a sport. We accurately diagnose such conditions and treat them with the most effective method.
Plantar Fasciitis – This refers to an inflammation of the plantar fascia, the strip of tissue at the bottom of the foot. Obesity, age, and certain exercises are often to blame. We can treat this condition with orthotics, injections, and sometimes surgery.
Ingrown nails – This is caused by the edge of a toenail growing into the surrounding tissue. It can cause severe pain, inflammation, and pus. Our podiatrists have taken further postgraduate surgical training and where appropriate can remove the ingrown portion of nail chairside in our clinic.
Bunions – Bunions can be hereditary or caused by injury. If conservative treatments don’t work, surgery can straighten the big toe and remove swollen tissue.
Wart removal – Aside from non-invasive options for plantar warts, our podiatry services extend to a minor surgical procedure called curettage which removes the wart from the skin under local anaesthetic.
We also utilise advanced technologies
Laser – This highly effective treatment for fungal toenail infection kills off the fungus that’s living on the nail so that as the nail grows, the fungus won’t be able to damage and change the appearance of the nail. Most patients require 4-5 sessions.
Shockwave – When a person is in pain from an injury, we use shockwave treatment. This emits acoustic pressure waves into specific areas of the body and can help relieve pain, reduce inflammation, facilitate healing, and regenerate new tissue.
How we can help with diabetic feet
When asked what do podiatrists treat, another important podiatry service is caring for diabetic feet.
Diabetes can be hard on the feet as a result of long-term high blood sugar. Complications from diabetes can in the worst-case scenario even lead to foot or leg amputations.
Our podiatrists are trained to provide diabetic care which includes regular monitoring, preventing, and treating complications of the lower leg brought on by diabetes. Diabetic feet can swell, crack near the heel, and suffer pain or numbness. We can prescribe diabetic footwear and/or insoles that help prevent potential problems.
Need to find a modern, trusty podiatrist?
As you can see, podiatrists play a major role in improving mobility and comfort. Our experienced caring podiatrists are here to help get you back on your feet and enjoying life once more.
Call the Cartwright Podiatry team today on (02) 8405 6850 or book an appointment online. Now you know what podiatrists treat, let us show you how well we do it!
