SPECIFIC PATIENT GROUPS
CHILDRENS FEET (Podopaediatrics)
Maintaining and caring for a child’s feet will benefit their health, mobility and well-being throughout their entire lives. Screening children regularly, from an early age, helps to pick up any problems with their feet before they become an issue and helps to prevent progression into adult foot complications.
Early advice also helps to establish an ongoing regime of foot care and foot health awareness.
SPORTS INJURIES
Achilles tendon strain, bruised nails, inflamed toe joints, broken toes, knee pain, foot pain etc. Treatment may involve strapping/padding, exercises, orthotics, referral for physiotherapy, advice.
DIABETES
Foot health is especially important for people who have diabetes as this condition can affect the nerves to the feet, resulting in numbness, and can also affect the blood supply. This means that injuries to the feet may go unnoticed and be slow to heal.
Regular appointments enable screening of the feet for circulatory or sensation changes, as well as advice and safe treatment of any corns or callouses and nail problems.
ARTHRITIS
There are many forms of arthritis, the most well known being Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis. If the hands/elbows/shoulders are affected, the ability to carry out basic foot care and nail cutting may be difficult. Arthritis of the spine, hips or knees impacts mobility and has a knock-on effect on the feet. When the feet are affected, inflammatory changes in the joints can result in enlarged, painful joints and toe deformities. This in turn may lead to painful corns and callous. Such patients may find great benefit from padding and insoles, as well as routine treatment and footwear advice.
NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, strokes and many other conditions may affect gait, stability and mobility, together with numbness in the feet. Alterations in sensation can be monitored at appointments and advice given regarding insoles, braces and footwear.
CIRCULATORY CONDITIONS
Poor circulation (which may result from many medical conditions) affects the health of the soft tissues so that the skin is more easily damaged, is then slow to heal and may be more vulnerable to infection. Excess fluid in the tissues of the leg and foot (oedema or lymphoedema) creates similar problems, as well as difficulty in shoe fitting. These conditions may be indicative of an underlying, undiagnosed problem. Monitoring at regular podiatry appointments enables early detection of changes and treatment advice.
(NB Sudden onset of pain &/or swelling in One leg, particularly if the limb is hot and discoloured, requires an urgent appointment with your GP)