Foot Surgery – Podiatry Arena

The study, diagnosis and treatment of the feet, ankles, and lower leg is known as Podiatry.
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. Surgery, biomechanics, geriatrics, and sports medicine are specialist branches of Podiatry. In some English speaking countries podiatry is still known as chiropody and the doctors as chiropodists and though there are some differences the two are generally the same. Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition in the plantar fascia which is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that starts at th heel bone, continues along the sole of the foot towards the toes. 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 too much weight constantly 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. This condition can cause knee pain which applies mainly, though not solely to runners. A podiatrist will generally examine the foot and the way a patient stands and walks, before making a diagnosis, and the treatment will involve rest, stretching, special shoes and in some cases may require the use of corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal name for a painful condition of the shins known as shin splints.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. One reason for the problem is the overuse of one muscle which is often suffered by athletes repeating a particular activity regularly thus putting too much stress on the shins. If the condition is untreated it can lead to a stress fracture. Such a condition is usually diagnosed by the symptoms involving pain during exercise which is gradually worsening as exercise continues rather than easing up as the muscles get warmer. Anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and the use of cold compresses are the usual treatment for this. Barefoot running is not the norm in modern times though famous athletes such as Zola Budd were well known 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 emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. 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.