Podiatrist Research Paper

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Podiatrists Provide Foot Pain Relief

A Podiatrist is a health professional who is devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of disorders relating to the feet. In times gone by, podiatrists were called chiropodists, but this moniker is gradually falling by the wayside. Podiatrists who have medical degrees are referred to as podiatric physicians or podiatric surgeons; and some even go on to narrow the field of their studies to specific areas in the treatment of feet and ankles, such as surgery, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics and sports medicine.

Structure Of The Foot:

The structure of the foot comprises 26 mostly small bones and 33 joints which form two arches. These bones are held together by the fact that they fit into each other; and fibrous ligaments, muscles and a tough tissue (known as the plantar fascia) support them to retain the shape of the foot. There are also fat pads in the foot, which assist in absorbing impact and with weight bearing. The two major functions of the feet are that act as levers which push the leg forward to enable us to walk; and they help in maintaining body balance by being able to adjust to uneven surfaces. Bear in mind that the feet are very small in relation to the weight of the rest of the body and the impact of each step taken exerts a force of about 50% of a person 's …show more content…

More women suffer from this affliction than men, and this is most probably caused by them wearing shoes which are ill-fitting or which push the feet into unnatural positions, such as shoes with pointed toes and shoes with high heels. There are certain medical conditions which may cause foot pain. High impact exercise may injure the feet Obesity will put extra stress on the feet; and pregnancy may cause a build up of fluids, resulting in swollen feet.

Podiatrists May Be Able To Provide Simple But Effective Relief For Foot

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