What are the Roles and Responsibility of Podiatrist?

Podiatry is the branch of medicine related to study of diagnosis and treatment of disorders of ankle, foot and lower extremity. This professional is experiencing considerable growth and changes in recent years, which in turn have increased the need for skilled and knowledgeable podiatrists in the health sector.

What do Podiatrists Treat?

Podiatrists commonly deal with diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of surgical and medical conditions of lower limbs and feet. Health conditions they treat include joint and bone disorders such as soft tissue, arthritis, muscular pathologies, in addition to circulatory and neurological diseases. They also treat other complications that may affect lower limb such as nail and skin disorders, calluses, corns, ingrown toenails. To further elaborate, the treatment extends to infections and foot injuries that are gained through severe physical or sports activities.

How to become Podiatrist?

To become a professional and trained podiatrist, one must complete the Bachelor’s Degree, get registered with the State Podiatry Registration Board. To become a qualified practitioner, one must aim at addressing both external and internal medicines that are involved in local pathology and systemic diseases affecting feet.

Where do they Practice?

Professionals will practice in different areas such as community health care centers, private clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, sports medicine clinics and other related places. They also work as a part of the health care team, consult with other practitioners when they manage other problems related to foot.

Skills Included:

Professional podiatrists will diagnose and treat any common or rare syndromes related to skin and nail foot pathologies. They play an imperative role in maintaining mobility of disabled and elderly people and others. They keep monitoring foot health, especially of those who are with diabetes and circulation problem. Professionals are recognized as important personnel to prevent and manage any complications related to lower limb of both acute and chronic conditions. They further have instrumentation for effective and painless treatment.

Certain ailments cannot be treated just with drugs and may need minor surgical incisions such as compound fractures, bone spurs and others. During such cases, a professional must be capable of performing surgery. He may also have to do surgery to remove heel bone spurs which are painful and grows badly when not properly treated. Moreover, he must also be knowledgeable in knowing about when to end certain types of treatments, in addition to perform surgery at the right time.

A podiatrist may also prescribe shoe inserts or orthotics for those with arch problems, fractures with plastic casts. He may also prescribe antifungal medications for athlete’s foot. Moreover, conditions that are related to circulation and diabetes may need special diets, which are designed for alleviating syndromes.

Other types of conditions treated:

They also treat hammertoe, which is a condition where trauma to foot is caused by something that is simple as shoes or anything small for feet and cause toe bend backwards.

Administrative duties:

Some may also have to perform administrative duties such as creating patient reports, generate bills, maintain files, track revenue and expenses, do taxes and other clerical works. There are also other administrative duties to be performed when working for a medical company or hospital such as training staff members or other podiatrists.

Are you looking for more information about podiatrists? Read more to get some useful information about them in details.