The Benefits of Visiting a Podiatrist Regularly

Athletes need to have a podiatrist in order to maintain optimum foot health, which is always key in playing sports. Likewise, people who are in professions where they are constantly on their feet – such as flight attendants, beauticians, dental hygienists, retail workers, and delivery drivers – should also have a podiatrist to ensure that their feet are healthy and strong.

Certain underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, also warrant having a podiatrist who can monitor and treat any foot conditions. After all, in diabetes, even the smallest foot injury can develop into a serious infection, which can eventually require amputation to prevent a systemic fatal infection.

Let’s talk about how a podiatrist can help you maintain total health, and where you can go in St. Charles County for complete orthopedic and podiatry care.

Why Do I Need to Keep Seeing a Podiatrist for My Work or Sport?

Even if you only play the occasional game of basketball, tennis, golf, soccer, and other high-impact activities, you will want to visit a podiatrist at least once or twice a year for a checkup. The doctor is very likely to find something you may have missed – such as a developing callus, or an ingrown toenail you’ve been ignoring.

Similarly, people who are on their feet a lot during their workday will benefit from partnering with a podiatrist. This doctor can have custom orthotics made for your shoes, or total custom-made orthotic shoes, so you can walk around all day long and feel much less strain than ever before.

A podiatrist understands that you may be required to wear a certain type of shoe for your profession, such as high heels or steel-toed boots. The doctor can create customized orthotic inserts for your shoes, designed specially for your individual feet, so you can enjoy much less stress and pressure on your feet all day.

Why Diabetic Foot Warrants Regular Podiatry Appointments

If you have diabetes, you know that having high blood sugar tends to negatively impact the nerves in your feet. What happens is that the sugar interferes with the blood’s ability to feed the nerves, so the nerves actually cease to function – which means you can feel spotty and sporadic numbness in your feet.

The reason this happens in the feet, and it’s called “diabetic foot,” is because the feet are the farthest away from the heart. They therefore get the least amount of circulation power from your heartbeat, so it’s easy for the excess blood sugar to settle and interfere with supplying nutrition to your nerves in the feet.

Because diabetic foot negatively affects the nerves, you cannot feel pain if there is the slightest injury on your foot. Think about it: Even if there is a piece of sand in your shoe, you step in such a way as to not put pressure on that spot on your foot until you can remove your shoe and take the speck of sand out.

However, if you have numbness, you can’t feel this. That is why even a small problem can develop into a large and serious injury and infection, which can become systemic and affect faraway organs.

Skilled Podiatrist in Saint Charles County, Missouri

If you are in a high-impact profession or sport, or if you have diabetes, be sure to partner with an experienced podiatrist. At Advanced Bone & Joint, our podiatry team is here to evaluate, treat, and monitor your feet so they stay healthy for a lifetime.

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment with an expert podiatrist, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (636) 229-4222 or by filling out our appointment scheduler online. We look forward to being your podiatry partner!