subject: What does a Podiatrist do? [print this page] What does a Podiatrist do? What does a Podiatrist do?
If you have had a foot injury or any other kind of ailment with your lower extremities then it is probably time to go see a foot doctor. Many people never seek out the advice of a podiatrist only because they don't know very much about them or what they do. Here is a quick summary of some of the things that you will see happen when you go to visit a local podiatrist.
First of all, you should be able to have a consultation with your potential physician to see how he or she plans to go about the injury. This consultation is a good way to get on a personal level with the foot doctor and see what kind of care and service you can expect. This is also a good time for them to get opinions from other physicians including your family practitioner. Once you have received the consultation, your foot doctor should then give you a diagnosis. He or she will let you know if you have tumors, ulcers, bunions, fractures, torn ligaments, or any other kind of deformity. This is a huge part of your visit, and probably the most important.
Depending on how serious your foot injury was, the doctor may have to do surgery. If it is an experienced foot doctor, they will probably perform the surgery themselves. Otherwise, they will probably refer you to a different doctor who can handle your specific injury a little bit better.
Once the surgery is done, then you can get a prescription for medication as well as a diagnosis on how to go about rehabilitation. These are all important steps that you will go through the next time you go to see your local podiatrist.
