How Your Gilbert, AZ Podiatrist Can Help You And Your Feet Feel Great!

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How Your Gilbert, AZ Podiatrist Can Help You And Your Feet Feel Great!

Podiatry may be among the most misunderstood branches of medicine. Many people dismiss a Gilbert, Arizona foot doctor as someone who can only correct symptoms and not the actual root problem. In reality, nothing is further from the truth, if one stops and considers what one's feet go through in an average day.

People do not usually think about it, but any Gilbert, AZ foot surgeon knows that people's feet are in use just about every minute of the day. People use them for posture when sitting, for comfort when reclining, and of course to get from place to place. In an average day, a person may walk as much as five miles, or 10,000 steps, just in the course of their daily activities. Restaurant servers may do twice this, and healthy people who hike or run on a regular basis as much as triple, on average. A sedentary person, however, may only walk one to three thousand steps a day.

Now consider the size of a person's foot. An average man's foot is around 26.3 centimeters, give or take 1.2 in either direction for standard deviation. Width may vary, but typically the width of one's hand is about the same as the width of the foot. For an average man standing 5'9" tall, weighing about 200 pounds, and who wears a size 9 shoe, the area of this man's foot will only be about .02 square meters. This is a very small area when the force of gravity and the mass of the person's own body is taken into account. Because so much weight and pressure is being exerted on a small area, there are a number of things that can go wrong.

A Gilbert, AZ orthopedist will not find it uncommon to have to treat anything from fungal infections of the feet and toenails to hangnails to collapsed arches. Some of these problems are the result of nature, as researches have identified no less than eighty different types of fungi which find the foot congenial. Others come from poor grooming habits, as in the case of hangnails, which are often caused by improperly clipped nails' ragged edges growing into the toe. Collapsed arches may be a result of genetics, low bone density, or injury.

The feet are also more prone to general injury and damage such as blisters, broken bones, and open wounds than most other parts of the body. In the vast majority of these cases, the victim simply was not paying attention to where they were going or what was on the floor around them, resulting in a painful wound which in many cases require the intervention of a Gilbert, AZ wound doctor to correct.

While visiting a podiatrist may seem like something "only old people do," this is really not the case. Just about anyone can benefit from a visit to a foot doctor, whether to ensure good-fitting shoes or to catch incipient problems early, before they can get worse. The best kind of cure is the one a person doesn't need in the first place because of proper treatment and early intervention.

What Does A Gilbert, Arizona Foot Surgeon Do?

A Gilbert, AZ podiatrist actually does more than most people might think. In addition to the obvious, such as helping people choose footwear that fits properly or screening for potential problems, a Gilbert, AZ orthopedist may also engage in corrective surgery to address problems of the bones, connective tissues, or skin of the feet. Some examples of this may include bone spurs, torn ligaments, and severe fungal infections requiring surgical intervention to prevent them from spreading.

Gilbert, AZ podiatry offers far more than most people might think. In addition to medical attention when required, a Gilbert, AZ foot doctor can also offer advice on ways to improve one's posture, balance, and stance; how to ensure one's footwear fits properly, to prevent unnecessary problems later; and ideas, tips, and tricks for keeping one's feet soft and healthy from the outside in.

A Gilbert, AZ wound doctor is there to help with emergency problems of the feet, such as puncture wounds from stepping on nails, cuts from shards of glass, or the types of injuries athletes are prone to. In all these cases, a podiatrist can help ensure the wound is treated properly and effectively, so as to minimize the risk of secondary damage.

Most people never think about their feet until something goes wrong. Unfortunately, by the time many foot problems are detected, they require a degree of care that would have been unnecessary had they been caught earlier. If one's feet are properly cared for, they will carry their owner for a lifetime. For more information on what a Gilbert, AZ podiatrist does, visit http://www.GilbertFootSurgeons.com today.

When To See A Gilbert, AZ Wound Doctor

Unlike most parts of the body, an injury to the foot tends to become apparent immediately. Difficulty or inability to walk, jog, or run without the aid of crutches or a cane, and a general restriction in one's physical activities and speed, are often the first warning signs someone has that something is very wrong. In many of these cases, enlisting the advice and intervention of a Gilbert, AZ podiatrist may be necessary to correct the immediate problem and prevent ancillary problems from cropping up.

The most obvious reason to consult a Gilbert, AZ foot surgeon is for an open wound on the foot. There are any number of ways a person's feet can be injured, with or without shoes. Even the thick soles of work boots can be pierced by nails or other sharp pieces of metal if the object is caught at the right angle with sufficient force. Such wounds are particularly prone to infection, especially if the metal is rusty or one's feet are dirty from sweating, operating in hot, dusty conditions, or if one is not wearing appropriate footwear. In such cases, timely intervention can not only reduce the risk of infection, but ensure other damage which may not be visible to the naked eye has not occurred.

However, one's problem may not be as simple and obvious as cutting one's foot on glass or piercing it with a sharp bit of metal. In some cases, one's feet may hurt intensely for what appears to be no reason. In these situations, a Gilbert, AZ orthopedist can help pinpoint the problem. Some of these are relatively simple, such as new shoes that have not been properly broken in or which do not offer the proper support for one's arches. In other cases, X-rays or CAT scans may be required to help isolate the possible causes. No matter what the cause, visiting a Gilbert, AZ podiatry specialist at the first sign that something might be wrong is the first step to ensuring that the problem does not go uncorrected.

A Gilbert, AZ foot doctor knows that some foot problems may not be foot problems at all, but may actually have more to do with the way one sits, stands, or even the softness of one's bed or the type of footwear one is used to. Posture problems can lead to foot problems just as often as the other way around. Consulting with a Gilbert, AZ foot doctor can often help correct these problems before they become a lifelong handicap. At the first sign of pain, tenderness, or of course if one suddenly finds a sharp object lodged in one's foot, it is a good idea to seek help from a qualified podiatrist as quickly as possible.

Why Would Someone Want To Be A Gilbert, Arizona Podiatrist?

Many people's kneejerk reaction to anything to do with the feet is disgust. From childhood, most people hear about how feet are covered in germs, fungi, dirt, and other unappealing matter. While this is true, the same people who flinch at the idea of feet use them every day, often without ever giving a second thought to the fact that their most important means of getting around is quite literally right below them.

Podiatry is actually quite a fascinating medical specialization, because the human foot, despite some of its less appetizing facets, is one of the most complex and beautifully designed pieces of biological machinery on Earth in its own right. Consider for a moment that the average person's foot comprises only about 15% of the person's total height and does not protrude very far from the ankle. Now additionally consider that there are 52 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons. This amazing complexity allows humans to walk, run, balance, and even manipulate their environment. However, because the foot is so complex, it greatly increases the possibility that something could go wrong, from external injury to inflammation of the muscles or connective tissues.

A Gilbert, AZ foot surgeon goes through four years of medical school after their undergrad studies, just like any other doctor. After their medical school, they attend residency in a certified podiatry program. Once they have completed their course of study, they typically sit a certification board established by the American Medical Podiatry Association. This certification demonstrates that the doctor has successfully completed the rigorous training and has demonstrated competency in the field of podiatry.

A Gilbert, Arizona orthopedist may choose to specialize in a particular subfield of podiatry, such as sports podiatry, diabetic care, pediatric podiatry, wound care, or surgical podiatry. Each of these requires specialized study and further professional development, as the needs of a toddler with a malformed Achilles tendon are vastly different than a person with adult-onset diabetes and consequent circulation problems in the feet. These different specialties are designed to ensure that patients receive the best possible treatment for their individual needs.

Human feet are perhaps some of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. Because the human line of sight is several feet above the ground, and humans tend to be lamentably absent-minded and unaware, the foot is uniquely prone to injuries and accidents which are generally far less common in the hand or other areas of the body. A Gilbert, AZ wound doctor is specially trained to care for these sorts of injuries, because the foot has its own unique set of vulnerabilities and potential problems which can arise in the aftermath of a serious wound. These doctors are trained to not only prevent scarring or further damage or trauma to the tissues of the foot, but to ensure that a simple wound doesn't become a complicated problem down the line.

A Gilbert, AZ foot doctor is a medical specialist with just as much training, education, and dedication as any other kind of doctor. Their goal is to make sure their patients enjoy an active, healthy lifetime of being able to get around on their own two feet. Whether the problem is a simple case of bursitis, a broken toe, a puncture wound, or secondary problems caused by disease, consulting with a Gilbert, AZ foot surgeon can help minimize the chances of further injury or damage to the most important part of the body most people don't give a second thought to!

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