Podiatry is a branch of medicine that is devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.
The term podiatry originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that involve the feet. There are many branches of podiatry including surgery, geriatrics, sports medicine and biomechanics. In some English speaking countries podiatry is still known as chiropody and the doctors as chiropodists and though there are some differences the two are generally the same.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition in the plantar fascia which is a thick fibrous mass of tissue that starts at th heel bone, continues along the sole of the foot towards the toes. It is often caused by too much stress on the feet from long periods of standing at work or by too much stress on the feet caused by a person being overweight. It is thought to affect over two million Americans. The condition which starts with a pain in the heel is usually more intense when taking the first steps in the morning. Another symptom of the condition is that the patient has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent up towards the shin thus restricting ankle movement. This condition can cause knee pain which applies mainly, though not solely to runners. A podiatrist will usually examine the foot and how a patient stands and walks before deciding on a diagnosis and recommend treatment such as resting, stretching or wearing special shoes and in some cases will recommend taking corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is characterized by pains in the shins and is known as shin splints.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. One reason for the problem is the overuse of one muscle which is often suffered by athletes repeating a particular activity regularly thus putting too much stress on the shins. This can lead to stress fractures if the condition is not treated. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and the use of cold compresses are the usual treatment for this. Barefoot running is not often seen today though some famous athletes, such as Zola Budd were renowned for it. With the advances in running shoes design the general belief is that wearing shoes is more beneficial than running barefoot. When running barefoot, the emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. It has been argued that wearing running shoes with the stress on the heels may cause repetitive stress problems but barefoot running is thought to be healthier because the weight distribution is more evenly spread.
There is no concrete evidence as to which is better though most sports authorities recommend that
running shoes be worn.
