Podiatry

PODIATRY, OR PODIATRIC MEDICINE

Podiatry, or podiatric medicine, is a branch of medicine devoted to the study of, diagnosis, and medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower extremity. The term podiatry came into use in the early 20th century in the United Statesand is now used worldwide, including countries such as the United Kingdom andAustralia.

Podiatry is practiced as a specialty in many countries, while in many English-speaking countries, the older title of chiropodist may be used by some clinicians (not to be confused with chiropractic, which is unrelated). In Australia, the title is podiatrist orpodiatric physician and the specialist is the podiatric surgeon. In many non-English-speaking countries of Europe, the title used may be podologist or podólogo. The level and scope of the practice of podiatry vary among countries.

Podiatric surgery

Podiatric surgery is a specialist field in the podiatry profession. Podiatric surgery is the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the foot, ankle and related lower extremity structures by accredited and qualified specialist podiatrists. Podiatric surgery is designed to ensure continued functionality of the foot and ankle areas.

Patients who complain of joint and ligament problems, as well as those with congenital deformities, are offered a plethora of surgical solutions that fix bones, muscles, and joints. Certain podiatric surgeons specialize in minimally invasive surgery, while others perform full reconstructions.

Podiatric sports medicine

Sport podiatry, a sub-specialty of podiatric medicine, involves the expertise in diagnosis of foot and lower limb problems as well as treatments such as joint mobilisation, advanced biomechanical assessments, injection therapy such as corticosteroids, soft-tissue manipulation and trigger point therapy, advanced orthotic therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, strength and conditioning of the lower extremities and footwear prescription for the professional, elite, amateur and young athletes, as well as those who have sustained injuries in day-to-day life.

Sports podiatry covers the following two areas:
Foot and Lower Limb Overuse Injuries
Mechanical performance enhancement to minimise injury and to maximise efficiency

3D Digital Foot Scan

The Scan Any 3D foot scanner is an incredibly accurate instrument. It has replaced the traditional plaster casting method. It uses a dual camera system and specially designed sock to convert the image to a raw 3D file.

The benefit of 3D scanning is reliability of reproducing the image and the ease of storing and sending the information to our orthotic laboratory.

PODIATRY Services Available

Using the best in non-surgical and surgical treatments, our podiatrists treat whatever foot, ankle and leg problems you may have. As a team, our staff also focuses on preventing injuries, and keeping you — and your family — healthy and strong.

We provide care for common foot and ankle issues, such as:

Treatment

1

Treatment of diabetic foot can be challenging and prolonged; it may include orthopaedic appliances, antimicrobial drugs and topical dressings.

2

Most diabetic foot infections (DFIs) require treatment with systemic antibiotics. The choice of the initial antibiotic treatment depends on several factors such as the severity of the infection, whether the patient has received another antibiotic treatment for it, or whether the infection has been caused by a micro-organism that is known to be resistant to usual antibiotics (e.g. MRSA). The objective of antibiotic therapy is to stop the infection and ensure it does not spread.

3

It is unclear whether any particular antibiotic is better than any another for curing infection or avoiding amputation. One trial suggested thatertapenem with or without vancomycin is more effective than tigecycline for resolving DFIs. It is also generally unclear whether different antibiotics are associated with more or fewer adverse effects.

DIABETIC FOOT CLINIC

A diabetic foot is a foot that exhibits any pathology that results directly from diabetes mellitus or any long-term (or "chronic") complication of diabetes mellitus. Presence of several characteristic diabetic foot pathologies such as infection, diabetic foot ulcer and neuropathic osteoarthropathy is called diabetic foot syndrome. Due to the peripheral nerve dysfunction associated with diabetes (diabetic neuropathy), patients have a reduced ability to feel pain. This means that minor injuries may remain undiscovered for a long while. People with diabetes are also at risk of developing a diabetic foot ulcer. Research estimates that the lifetime incidence of foot ulcers within the diabetic community is around 15% and may become as high as 25%. In diabetes, peripheral nerve dysfunction can be combined with peripheral artery disease (PAD) causing poor blood circulation to the extremities (diabetic angiopathy). Around half of patients with a diabetic foot ulcer have co-existing PAD. Where wounds take a long time to heal, infection may set in and lower limb amputation may be necessary. Foot infection is the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation in people with diabetes.

Podopaediatrics

Podopaediatrics is a specialty of podiatric medicine that focuses on the treatment of medical lower limb issues in children. Proper podopaediatric care is important in the long term because unaddressed structural problems with the feet can worsen over time, eventually causing severe issues with gait and pain. By correcting early foot deformities many long term chronic mobility issues can be safely and effectively addressed, sparing a great deal of discomfort on the part of the patient, and future expenses. A number of different foot ailments can affect children from a variety of different backgrounds, these can include structural issues with the foot like flat footedness, or other, more general issues like ingrown toe nails or infections. A child’s foot is more at risk compared with an adult. Biomechanical abnormalities as a child can cause long term damage, this is because the foot is more malleable. Children tend to have a high pain threshold as they are easily distracted and ill-fitting footwear is also an issue when it comes to children’s foot health.

Podopaediatricians are specially trained to provide treatment to younger children. One of the requirements of becoming a podopaediatrician is that a practitioner completes the necessary qualifications after having graduated from a recognised podiatric medical school. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses outlined by regulatory bodies like the Health and Care Professions Council determine what practical experience and theoretical knowledge is needed for one to become a qualified podopaediatrician.