Sports podiatrist st ives is not just a foot specialist familiar with most sports but a highly specialized expert who know the details of sports performance and sport injuries. A podiatrist st ives physician is a licensed clinical physician who is in the trenches fixing problems and treating patients. They are typically well-traveled, working locally or internationally. Whether they treat athletes locally in their own clinic or refer patients out to a specialist, their goal is to diagnose, treat and prevent any injury or problem in sports that can cause a reduction in performance or perhaps worse, life-threatening harm.
A podiatric physician is required to be a graduate of an accredited medical school and have at least two years of experience in providing a broad range of primary care services, including diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. They need to have a Bachelor’s degree in sports medicine or a similar course and have cleared all required exams, including the AM Best Sports Podiatry exam. The podiatrist’s specialty is usually in one of three areas – orthopedics, pro sports and women’s sports. Some provide specialized procedures like arthroscopic knee surgery or plantar fasciitis. Others focus on specific sports like golfer’s elbow or swimmer’s shoulder. Orthopedic sports medicine is very complex and deals with injuries to the joints and tendons in the musculoskeletal system that support the spine.
An orthopedic physician can specialize in a particular area like orthopedic sports medicine, women’s sports medicine, geriatric sports medicine or acute/preventive orthopedics. Most will perform a diagnostic evaluation, review the medical history of the patient and do a physical examination and diagnostic imaging study of the body. They may ask the patient to complete a questionnaire concerning the type of athletic activities they engage in and the type of equipment they use. They will also perform a nerve test and a muscle test to rule out any possible injury to the nerves or muscles.
Good orthotics st ives podiatrists will be familiar with athletic footwear, sports medicine and a bit about biomechanics. Sports podiatry is an interesting specialization that combines the knowledge of an athletic trainer and a professional sports chiropractor. The athletic footwear is focused on correcting problems with the foot alignment and function. Sports podiatry specializes in treating conditions of the feet and lower leg, ankle and lower back pain, fractures, sprains and bruises, dislocations and ligament tears. Their main areas of focus are shock absorption, bral decompression, gait analysis, shoe function, neuromuscular therapy, orthopedic sports medicine and shoe inserts.
A sports chiropractor focuses on treating the back, neck and wrist, treating arthritic conditions and musculoskeletal complaints, and performing therapeutic exercises. A good podiatric physician will perform diagnostic tests to rule out serious underlying diseases such as cancer. Treatment will include rehabilitation, physical therapy, steroid injections and conservative treatment. Many times patients require multiple treatments to properly treat their conditions.
In the past, podiatric physicians were limited to treating runners and basketball players. Today they treat athletes of all sports from tennis to track to baseball. Sports podiatrists provide assistance to athletes with acute and chronic foot and ankle injuries, including sprains, strains, twisted ankles, twists and breaks. They are also trained to treat conditions of the foot, ankle and lower leg caused by athletic footwear, sports equipment and accidents. If you have been injured and are in need of rehabilitation, foot or ankle surgery or orthopedic treatment, a professional sports podiatric physician will best be able to assist you in getting the treatment you need.