Podiatry falls under a branch of the medicine profession with key area of specialty being human movement and medical care of feet and ankles. The professionals who work in this profession are called podiatrists. These professionals are well distributed in the US allowing easy access to their services. Any podiatrist near Boulder is uniquely qualified to provide professional care for the foot, ankle, and lower extremity in general. These practitioners are sometimes called podiatric physicians or surgeons.
Doctors of podiatric medicine are well specialized in diagnosing, preventing, and treating foot conditions, diseases, injuries, and disorders. Their work allows them to provide independent judgment and order and/or apply many different diagnostic tests. Most diseases manifest first signs through feet, which puts these doctors in a unique position to identify them on time. In people who lack access to podiatric help, such signs normally go unnoticed.
The scope of practice of podiatrists varies depending on the demographical and geographical location one is situated. The job entails working with other health professionals within the society as a vital part of a team. Podiatric experts are capable of prescribing medications, treating sports related injuries, setting fractures, and performing surgical procedures. They also carry out or order physical therapy regimens and fit and/or prescribe insoles, orthotics, and customized shoes.
Diagnosis entails taking and analyzing results from X-rays and related imaging procedures. To understand diseases and disorders better, podiatrists may need to carry out full physical examinations and medical histories. A license is however needed to perform such medical histories and physical examinations.
Practitioners who are further specialized are in a position to care for and conserve diabetic feet through partial or complete amputations. Such amputations are done in an attempt to prevent further loss of the leg or even life. A podiatric doctor has the authority to administer or order sedatives and anesthesia. Sedation and anesthesia is however an area primarily covered by anesthesiologists or certified nurse anesthetists. Intravenous (IV) sedation is the most widely used form of sedation.
Qualifying to become a podiatrist involves training for many years, tests, and hospital-based residency. Admission into podiatric medical school is possible at graduate or undergraduate level depending on the jurisdiction of the institution. In podiatric schools, the first two years involve general courses similar to those of students taking medicine. Specialization starts at third year and extends into the fourth year which is also the final year in most cases.
Hospital-based residency training lasts for at least two years but it can be more. Some of the areas podiatrists have training include general pathology, general medicine, pharmacology, human gait, non-surgical foot care procedures, general anesthesia, and surgical techniques. Surgical procedures learned include enucleation, wound debridement, cryotherapy, partial or total nail avulsions, cutaneous procedures, matricectomy, and electro-surgical methods. With this kind of knowledge, they are able to handle a wide range of problems in people of different ages.
Main branches contained in the field of podiatry include podiatric vascular specialist, orthopedic, rheumatology, medical physician, gerentological podiatrist, sports medicine, and neuro-podiatrist among many others. Some practitioners have specialty in a single branch while others specialize in several. Those with specialty in sports medicine avail themselves on-site where their clients engage in sports.
Doctors of podiatric medicine are well specialized in diagnosing, preventing, and treating foot conditions, diseases, injuries, and disorders. Their work allows them to provide independent judgment and order and/or apply many different diagnostic tests. Most diseases manifest first signs through feet, which puts these doctors in a unique position to identify them on time. In people who lack access to podiatric help, such signs normally go unnoticed.
The scope of practice of podiatrists varies depending on the demographical and geographical location one is situated. The job entails working with other health professionals within the society as a vital part of a team. Podiatric experts are capable of prescribing medications, treating sports related injuries, setting fractures, and performing surgical procedures. They also carry out or order physical therapy regimens and fit and/or prescribe insoles, orthotics, and customized shoes.
Diagnosis entails taking and analyzing results from X-rays and related imaging procedures. To understand diseases and disorders better, podiatrists may need to carry out full physical examinations and medical histories. A license is however needed to perform such medical histories and physical examinations.
Practitioners who are further specialized are in a position to care for and conserve diabetic feet through partial or complete amputations. Such amputations are done in an attempt to prevent further loss of the leg or even life. A podiatric doctor has the authority to administer or order sedatives and anesthesia. Sedation and anesthesia is however an area primarily covered by anesthesiologists or certified nurse anesthetists. Intravenous (IV) sedation is the most widely used form of sedation.
Qualifying to become a podiatrist involves training for many years, tests, and hospital-based residency. Admission into podiatric medical school is possible at graduate or undergraduate level depending on the jurisdiction of the institution. In podiatric schools, the first two years involve general courses similar to those of students taking medicine. Specialization starts at third year and extends into the fourth year which is also the final year in most cases.
Hospital-based residency training lasts for at least two years but it can be more. Some of the areas podiatrists have training include general pathology, general medicine, pharmacology, human gait, non-surgical foot care procedures, general anesthesia, and surgical techniques. Surgical procedures learned include enucleation, wound debridement, cryotherapy, partial or total nail avulsions, cutaneous procedures, matricectomy, and electro-surgical methods. With this kind of knowledge, they are able to handle a wide range of problems in people of different ages.
Main branches contained in the field of podiatry include podiatric vascular specialist, orthopedic, rheumatology, medical physician, gerentological podiatrist, sports medicine, and neuro-podiatrist among many others. Some practitioners have specialty in a single branch while others specialize in several. Those with specialty in sports medicine avail themselves on-site where their clients engage in sports.
