Podiatry Arena - Foot Diagnosis

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. There are many branches of podiatry including surgery, geriatrics, sports medicine and biomechanics. In English speaking countries podiatry is known as chiropody and is practiced by chiropodists but the jobs are very similar with minor differences. Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition affecting the thick fibrous tissues that begin at the heel bone and continue along the sole of the foot towards the toes known as the plantar fascia. 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 starts with a pain in the heel which gets stronger, rather than eases, when the muscles are warmed up, but is more intense in the mornings when taking the first steps. Another symptom of the condition is that the patient has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent up towards the shin thus restricting ankle movement. The condition also increases the likelihood of pains in the knees mainly amongst runners but not just 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 term for shin splints which is a painful condition in the shins.
The usual cause of such a condition is running, sprinting or jumping. 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. This can lead to stress fractures if the condition is not treated. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. 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 shoes design the general belief is that wearing shoes is more beneficial than running barefoot. 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 repetitively proved that wearing shoes is very important for the heel.
Most sports authorities advocate the use of running shoes but there is no definitive evidence to decide the best method.