It is a fact that most people take care of their health and for this purpose they visit their general physicians, optometrist or dentists. But one critical aspect of health that most of the time people ignore is the foot health. Do you know that you can get amazing health benefits by regularly visiting a podiatrist? Yes this article is all about. There are surprising health benefits when you take care of your feet. In order to get professional guidance and effective treatment in any case of disorder in the feet you have to go to visit a podiatrist. This will help you to keep your feet in good shape and there are also many other surprising benefits. In this comprehensive article we will deeply discuss why you should visit a podiatrist on a regular basis? And what are its benefits that you even don’t know. Let’s get started.
What is Podiatry?
Podiatry is a branch of Medical science which is related to feet, ankles and lower body parts. In this field of medicine it is focused on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of different health conditions related to the issues as we have talked about right now. So a person who is specialized in order to tackle all these conditions related to feet, ankles and other lower body parts is called a podiatrist. A Podiatrist is the only Healthcare professional that gives you complete guidance starting from diagnosis to the last step that is effective treatment and management. There are common issues related to feet, ankles like bunions and more complex conditions such as diabetic foot care and sports injuries. A professional podiatrist is trained to perform all these health related issues in a comprehensive way and professionally.
The Importance of Foot Health
Feet are an important organ of the body. The whole weight of your body directly comes on your feet. Feet are not only important for your movement but keep you active. So we can say that the whole building of your body is based on feet. That’s why good foot health is really important for your healthy and happy life. Poor foot health can be the result of creating difficulties including pain and discomfort. The quality of life also reduces to a greater extent. Medical research shows that the issues related to feet can also lead you to some other difficult and complicated diseases. So it is critical to address all the issues related to your feet. Here in the following we are going to talk about the importance of foot health. Let’s have a look.
Early Detection and Prevention Of Foot Problems
Why is it important to visit your professional podiatrist? It is of utmost importance to go to your podiatrist regularly because doing this will help to detect early possible issues of foot related problems. Besides that, you can take preventive measures in order to reduce the chances of foot related issues. The most important thing that you have to keep in mind is that there are certain conditions or irregularities of the foot that appear gradually such as bunions, plantar fasciitis and hammertoes. When you visit a podiatrist it helps to identify these sorts of issues in its early stage. Early diagnosis can make it easier to go for a better treatment. If you want to avoid complications in case of foot related issues then it is better to keep in touch with your podiatrist.
Managing Chronic Conditions
There are certain diseases whose patients make sure to visit a podiatrist regularly for checkups. These conditions are arthritis and diabetes and similar related issues. If we take an example of diabetic patients there are a lot of chances of foot ulcer and infections. It is because of the poor circulation and the damage of the nerve. So what do podiatrists actually do in this whole scenario? They will provide you professional guidance about specialized care. Now what is the meaning of specialized care? It means the podiatrist will deeply examine your foot in order to find out any complications. They will provide you wound care and orthotics which is needed according to the condition of the foot.
Enhancing Mobility and Function
It is a fact that if you have pain and discomfort in your foot then believe me that your daily routine life activities will be disturbed. There are a lot of reasons for foot pain and discomfort. So whether you are a sportsman or a common person, a podiatrist is really important for you. There are a variety of tools which are available to podiatrists. With the help of these tools, they can perform physical therapy and much needed surgery related to feet and ankles in a professional way.
Improving Posture and Positioning
Posture means how you sit and stand and what your positioning is. So it is very important that your posture will be in a perfect position. Your feet actually are crucial in order to maintain proper posture and alignment. The imbalance in the posture can result in certain issues like pain in the knees, hips or the lower area of the body. Now must understand what is the function of a podiatrist? A Professional podiatrist can provide you a lot of benefits in this whole scenario. Podiatrist actually provides you information by taking correct measures that will help you in reducing discomfort and improve the proper positioning of the feet.
Preventing Falls and Injuries
Another important benefit to visit a podiatrist is to prevent you from falling and injuries. He can provide you with a lot of information related to the prevention of possible injuries that can be very dangerous especially for adults. He can detect and identify those factors which increase the risk of falling and injuries like improper footwear and poor balance. By following the instructions given by the podiatrist you can improve your quality of life.
Customized Footwear Advice
For your better foot health it is important to wear suitable shoes that fit according to your feet. So by analyzing your foot structure, a professional podiatrist can give you professional advice about selection of shoes. In order to reduce several possible foot issues, podiatrists actually recommend you to use supportive shoes that will enhance your comfort and overall foot health.
Addressing Skin and Nail Conditions
When we talk about foot health it does not mean that it is just related to bones and muscle. Skin and nails are also included in the foot health. There are various issues related to skin and nails which are very important to treat. Fungal infections, warts, corns, and ingrown toenails are the most common examples of these skin and nail diseases. A professional podiatrist can ensure to detect and treat these types of issues in an effective way.
Comprehensive Foot Care for Athletes
Podiatrists become really crucial especially for athletes. It is because athletes put extra stress on their feet. That’s why the chances of falling and injuries increase. With the help of regular visiting to a podiatrist it will help to minimize the chances of injuries because they actually give you complete care and treatment for foot health. Podiatrists can provide you professional advice related to preventive strategies, injury management and performance enhancement. All these things when get together provides foot health that makes athletes perform best in their games.
Comprehensive Health Benefits
When we see the importance of foot health then it shows that foot health is actually really important for your overall health. Foot issues are linked to your overall health conditions. For example if there is swelling in your ankles or feet then it can be a sign of kidney or heart diseases. So when you visit your podiatrist regularly it helps to monitor all these possible issues. In case of any complication, the podiatrist informs you in order to take early steps to prevent that incoming disease.
Personal Healthcare and Education
During a visit to your podiatrist you actually get personalized Healthcare and education related to your foot health and issues. Podiatrists check out you personally and take their time to understand your lifestyle, medical history and some other important factors. In this way you will get proper guidance on footwear. Podiatrists can recommend those exercises which help to strengthen your feet. When you get personal attention related to your feet issues this will help you to improve the overall quality of life.
Common Foot Conditions Treated By Podiatrists
There are certain important foot diseases that are efficiently treated by podiatrists. Some of the important and common foot issues are as follows: plantar fasciitis, bunions, corns and calluses, Morton’s neuroma, hammertoes, Achilles tendonitis, toenail fungus and athlete’s foot.
Tips for Maintaining Healthy Feet
While it is better to visit your podiatrist on a regular basis, there are also certain tips to improve and maintain your healthy feet. Let’s talk about one by one.
Keep Your Feet Clean And Dry
It is important to make a habit to keep your feet clean and dry at all times, especially those areas of feet which are between your toes. By doing this chances of fungal infections decrease to a greater extent.
Wear Proper Footwear
It is important to wear fit shoes that are helpful to make you feel comfortable. High heels and tight shoes are not recommended for your healthy feet.
Cut Your Toenails Properly
It is important to cut your toenails in the right way. Cut straight and across and also avoid cutting them too short.
Moisturize Your Feet
It is crucial to moisturize your feet on a regular basis because it is not only important for your feet health but also it prevents cracking.
Examine Your Feet Regularly
Examining your feet regularly is very critical in order to maintain and improve the health of the feet. By regularly examining your feet you can detect any possible issues like blisters, swelling or cuts.
Manage Chronic Conditions
There are certain chronic diseases that you have to control in order to avoid any complications in your feet. Some dangerous chronic diseases that can affect your feet are arthritis and diabetes.
Stay Active
It is important that your blood circulation remains normal. For this purpose exercises are really important and helpful in order to keep you active and improve your overall health.
Conclusion
There are a lot of health benefits in the case of regular visits to a podiatrist. By visiting podiatrists you will not only maintain your feet health but also it helps to identify some of the dangerous diseases related to feet. So healthy feet are very important for your overall health. You can improve posture and mobility of the feet in an effective way from early detection of issues and taking preventive measures. As a whole we can say that podiatrists play a key role to improve your quality of life. Simply add a podiatrist in your daily routine Healthcare activities. So it is not understandable to ignore the importance of a podiatrist.