4 Common Podiatry Questions Answered by your Great Neck Podiatrist

06 Apr 4 Common Podiatry Questions Answered by your Great Neck Podiatrist

When it comes to your feet and maintaining the health of them, it helps to have as much knowledge about care and treatment as possible. Whether you are suffering from some mysterious, minor discomfort in your foot or just got out of surgery, it’s normal to have plenty of questions about your condition. In this post, we will take a look at the four most commonly asked questions related to podiatry and provide you with the answers.

1. How Can I be Sure my Feet Are Getting Proper Blood Flow? If you have a circulation concern about your feet, a podiatrist will be able to check the pulse in your feet the same way you check for a pulse in your wrist. If your pulse is weak, it often means poor circulation. Other indicators that you are not getting good blood flow include thinning hair, skin discoloration and extra shininess in the skin, and brittle nails. You might also start to experience cramping in your legs if you are suffering from poor circulation to your feet. If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to contact a podiatry specialist to get a complete examination.
2. Am I Suffering From a Stress Fracture in my Foot? Stress fractures are quite common and need to be treated the same way regular fractures are treated: with four to six weeks of rest. If you experience swelling, redness, or bruising, in your foot, these could be signs of a stress fracture. If after resting, elevating, compressing, and icing your foot, these signs still persist, it is a good indication that you could have a stress fracture in your foot. If this is the case, you will need to call a podiatry center to schedule some emergency x-rays and stay off of your foot until you know whether or not you have a fracture.
3. What do I Need to do if I Have a Broken Toe? Essentially everyone at some point in their lives will experience the unfortunate displeasure of walking into something and stubbing their toe. In most cases, although it is painful, it doesn’t become a serious injury. However, once in a while, a stubbed toe or other toe injury results in a break. If you suspect you have a broken toe, the best thing to do is get it examined by a podiatry specialist. From there, they will put your toe in a splint, aligning it with the toe next to it. It can take anywhere from four to eight weeks for your toe to fully recovery. In that time, you may be able to start wearing regular shoes again, otherwise you may need to wear a hard bottomed, open toed shoe provided to you by your podiatry specialist.
4. How Can I Avoid Bunion Surgery?Fortunately, for individuals suffering from a bunion, surgery is typically a last resort. It is only used after other treatments are tried. If the bunion is a severe problem, only then will surgery be necessary. In most cases, when the bunion is caught early on and treated right away, it doesn’t turn into a long-term, painful, and expensive problem. If you notice you have a bunion, call a podiatrist to get early treatment and avoid bunion surgery altogether.

Do you have a podiatry related question that you don’t see included above? Don’t hesitate to contact us today. We are eager to answer anyone’s questions about their foot needs. Whether you are suffering from a painful fungal toenail infection, suspect that you have broken a bone, or have any other foot condition that is bothering you, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.