Podiatry is a branch of medicine covering the diagnosis, study and treatment of the foot, ankle and lower leg.
The term podiatry originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that involve the feet. There are specialist branches of podiatry such as surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, sports medicine etc. In many countries podiatry is still known as chiropody, and the practitioners as chiropodists and though there are some variations the two are generally the same. Plantar fascia is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that originates in the heel bone and goes along the sole of the foot towards the toes and the painful condition that occurs in this tissue is known as plantar fascists. This condition which is usually caused by long hours of standing related to occupation is said to affect nearly two million Americans. It can also be caused by obesity where there is a lot of weight bearing down on the feet. The condition which starts with a pain in the heel is usually more intense when taking the first steps in the morning. Another symptom of plantar fasciitis is that the sufferer has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent upwards towards the shin which restricts movement in the ankle. The condition also increases the likelihood of pains in the knees mainly amongst runners but not just runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal name for a painful condition of the shins known as shin splints.
The usual cause of such a condition is running, sprinting or jumping. One cause of the condition is overuse of one muscle which can occur in athletes specialising in a particular activity and putting too much stress on the shins. If the condition is untreated it can lead to a stress fracture. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and the use of cold compresses are the usual treatment for this. Barefoot running is not often seen today though some famous athletes, such as Zola Budd were renowned for it. With the advances in running shoe design it is generally believed that running shoes are more beneficial than running in bare feet. When running barefoot the pressure is centered around the balls of the feet but in wearing shoes it is changed and the stress is on the heels and the area around the back of the heels which it is thought could lead to repetitive stress problems. It has been argued that wearing running shoes with the stress on the heels may cause repetitive stress problems but barefoot running is thought to be healthier because the weight distribution is more evenly spread.
Barefoot running tends to spread the weight on the foot more equally. Sports authorities tend to favor running shoes but there is no hard evidence to suggest which is really better.
The term podiatry originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that involve the feet. There are specialist branches of podiatry such as surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, sports medicine etc. In many countries podiatry is still known as chiropody, and the practitioners as chiropodists and though there are some variations the two are generally the same. Plantar fascia is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that originates in the heel bone and goes along the sole of the foot towards the toes and the painful condition that occurs in this tissue is known as plantar fascists. This condition which is usually caused by long hours of standing related to occupation is said to affect nearly two million Americans. It can also be caused by obesity where there is a lot of weight bearing down on the feet. The condition which starts with a pain in the heel is usually more intense when taking the first steps in the morning. Another symptom of plantar fasciitis is that the sufferer has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent upwards towards the shin which restricts movement in the ankle. The condition also increases the likelihood of pains in the knees mainly amongst runners but not just runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal name for a painful condition of the shins known as shin splints.
The usual cause of such a condition is running, sprinting or jumping. One cause of the condition is overuse of one muscle which can occur in athletes specialising in a particular activity and putting too much stress on the shins. If the condition is untreated it can lead to a stress fracture. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and the use of cold compresses are the usual treatment for this. Barefoot running is not often seen today though some famous athletes, such as Zola Budd were renowned for it. With the advances in running shoe design it is generally believed that running shoes are more beneficial than running in bare feet. When running barefoot the pressure is centered around the balls of the feet but in wearing shoes it is changed and the stress is on the heels and the area around the back of the heels which it is thought could lead to repetitive stress problems. It has been argued that wearing running shoes with the stress on the heels may cause repetitive stress problems but barefoot running is thought to be healthier because the weight distribution is more evenly spread.
Barefoot running tends to spread the weight on the foot more equally. Sports authorities tend to favor running shoes but there is no hard evidence to suggest which is really better.
