Many foot problems are treatable. It is unfortunate that many people live with foot pain who could be pain-free or at least have much less pain with proper medical treatment.
The medical specialty that is focused on foot care is podiatry. Podiatrist help can treat and correct a variety of foot problems. Podiatrists are licensed physicians who are knowledgeable about the complex structure of the feet.
Podiatrists treat a variety of foot problems like corns, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, bunions, foot injuries, foot deformities, and ankle injuries. Diagnostic tests may be performed by the podiatrist when diagnosing a foot problem.
Diabetic patients with foot wounds may need podiatrist help to prevent dangerous diabetic complications related to foot health. Diabetes complications that impair nerve functioning and circulation make diabetic patients susceptible to foot health problems. For people with diabetes, a foot wound can be prone to infection which can lead to gangrene and require amputation.
Podiatrist help can include physical therapy, prescription drugs, surgery, and orthotic devices. A variety of orthotic devices like shoe inserts, strapping devices, casts, or custom-made shoes. Podiatrists may not only fit orthotics for the patient, but may design them as well.
A person having a foot problem should be examined by their physician. Family physicians, also called general practitioners, can treat some foot problems. If the physician thinks the patient needs podiatrist help, the physician is likely to refer the patient to a podiatrist.
If a person gets a referral from the family doctor that the health insurance company has listed as the primary care physician, the podiatric treatment may be more likely to be covered by the person's health insurance. People may find a podiatrist without a doctor referral by consulting a phonebook or a directory of podiatrists on the Internet, but the listed podiatrists may not be covered by the person's health insurance policy.
After getting a referral, the patient should also either call the insurance company or consult the insurance benefits manual to make sure that the podiatrist is covered by their insurance. Even if the podiatrist is covered by the person's health insurance, the person may need to pay for a portion of the costs of the podiatric treatment. If the person has questions concerning how much the health insurance will cover, the person should contact the insurance company.
The medical specialty that is focused on foot care is podiatry. Podiatrist help can treat and correct a variety of foot problems. Podiatrists are licensed physicians who are knowledgeable about the complex structure of the feet.
Podiatrists treat a variety of foot problems like corns, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, bunions, foot injuries, foot deformities, and ankle injuries. Diagnostic tests may be performed by the podiatrist when diagnosing a foot problem.
Diabetic patients with foot wounds may need podiatrist help to prevent dangerous diabetic complications related to foot health. Diabetes complications that impair nerve functioning and circulation make diabetic patients susceptible to foot health problems. For people with diabetes, a foot wound can be prone to infection which can lead to gangrene and require amputation.
Podiatrist help can include physical therapy, prescription drugs, surgery, and orthotic devices. A variety of orthotic devices like shoe inserts, strapping devices, casts, or custom-made shoes. Podiatrists may not only fit orthotics for the patient, but may design them as well.
A person having a foot problem should be examined by their physician. Family physicians, also called general practitioners, can treat some foot problems. If the physician thinks the patient needs podiatrist help, the physician is likely to refer the patient to a podiatrist.
If a person gets a referral from the family doctor that the health insurance company has listed as the primary care physician, the podiatric treatment may be more likely to be covered by the person's health insurance. People may find a podiatrist without a doctor referral by consulting a phonebook or a directory of podiatrists on the Internet, but the listed podiatrists may not be covered by the person's health insurance policy.
After getting a referral, the patient should also either call the insurance company or consult the insurance benefits manual to make sure that the podiatrist is covered by their insurance. Even if the podiatrist is covered by the person's health insurance, the person may need to pay for a portion of the costs of the podiatric treatment. If the person has questions concerning how much the health insurance will cover, the person should contact the insurance company.
About the Author:
Please pay lots of attention to your diabetic foot care if you are having problems. And please seek any podiatrist for help if you have any foot issues. We have a free forum full of podiatrists, that give free foot health advice.
