Take Your Feet Along to a Podiatrist for a Check-up
With Australia's population rapidly ageing, many of our elderly citizens are having difficulty performing basic tasks that they once found simple. Elderly people are prone to a loss of balance which can leave them vulnerable to falls. It also makes a previously simple task, that of being able to cut their own toenails and look after their feet, now too difficult.
This increased need for foot care has created a surge in the demand for the services of podiatrists. However, most podiatrists would be dismayed to think that the only need in the community for their experience and training was to cut the toenails of the elderly. In fact, podiatry is a much wider discipline requiring years of study and training. Podiatrists study and treat disorders of the foot, ankle, knee, leg and hip, known collectively as the lower extremity.
Physio on Brunswick is a centrally located health services practice that provides much more than physiotherapy. They offer massage, hydrotherapy, Pilates, dietician services, acupuncture, exercise physiology and of course, podiatry. Having all these complementary services in such close proximity to the CBD offers convenience as well as experienced health care professionals.
How Does Podiatry Help with Leg Problems?
Including podiatry within the physiotherapist practice is an excellent strategy, as both disciplines work with each other to create solutions for patients. For example, a person may present for a consultation complaining of sore feet and discomfort when walking. However, on further examination by the podiatrist, it may be that along with regular podiatry treatment, the patient requires some physiotherapy assistance to correct the cause of the symptoms.
Generally, humans, as a species, don't treat their feet well. For the vehicle that allows us to move around and engage in life's activities, we give our feet little attention. They are crammed into ill-fitting shoes designed for looks and not foot comfort, they aren't massaged and looked after like the hands, and they are neglected until they protest. This usually starts with acute pain and discomfort, constant aching, the development of corns, bunions or ingrown toenails, or an unsightly nail fungus infection.
Can Podiatry Prevent Some Conditions?
This is the time that these neglected feet should be brought to see a podiatrist, who has the skills to assess and identify the problem and suggest solutions. It could be that the patient needs special custom orthotics inside their shoes to correct a problem. Diabetics particularly have problems that require the fitting of special comfort shoes.
A visit to a podiatrist at the first sign of an ingrown toenail may avoid the eventual need to have the toenail surgically removed. Instead of ignoring a nail fungus and allowing it to spread, or applying costly over-the-counter remedies that take months to work, a podiatrist can offer the best and quickest solution to deal with the problem.
Elderly people, especially, need to see a podiatrist at a city physio on a regular basis to keep their feet healthy, their toenails cleaned and clipped and to work with a physiotherapist if it is helpful to their particular condition. Since they no longer have the balance or dexterity to attend to their feet themselves, a podiatry visit should be seen as a chance for a little luxury, which, at this time in their lives, they surely deserve.
Physio on Brunswick https://www.physioonbrunswick.com.au/ is the perfect place to go for 100% attention by skilled and experienced health professionals. They are very close to public transport, and their clients love relaxing at one of the trendy cafes nearby after their treatment. Do yourself and your feet a favour, and call Physio on Brunswick today.