Suffering Foot or Ankle Pain or Discomfort?
If you are or ever have experienced any problems with your feet and ankles, problems such as pain, infection or swelling, you may wonder where to turn for treatment. You may also be faced with ingrown toenails or have corns, bunions or calluses, or you may suffer from diabetes. Conditions such as these are treated by a podiatrist, often referred to as a foot doctor in The Woodlands TX. Because this medical area is a specialty you may be referred by your primary care physician.
There are times when a foot or ankle problem can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, ice, rest or changes in your shoes but there are plenty of times when the pain persists and you need to see a foot doctor. Here is a list of a few common conditions that may warrant seeing a foot doctor in The Woodlands TX.
A sore that does not heal: If you suffer from diabetes, any sore on your foot or ankle will take a long time to heal. The foot doctor can begin treatment early in the event a wound or sore does not heal. If you have an open wound for a period of time it is very easy for it to turn into a skin or bone infection.
Discoloration of the foot: Generally speaking, both feet should look the same. If one foot appears very much different than the other then there may be a problem. If one foot appears red the problem may be an infection or gout, if the foot takes on a blue or purple hue there may be a problem with the veins and if the foot should be white there may be a problem with poor blood flow.
Pain or swelling: It is not normal for a person to have edema in one foot and not the other. If you see this condition a visit to the foot doctor is in order as it may be a broken bone, a ruptured tendon, infection or tendonitis.
Pain that increases with activity: Pain that gets worse when you are active is a sign that you may have a stress fracture. Don't try to work through the pain; you will only aggravate the situation. If a foot doctor catches the fracture in the early stages there is a far better chance that it will not turn into an actual broken bone. There are many other issues with the feet and ankles that can warrant a visit to the foot doctor; these issues range from arch problems, a sudden deformity, pain that will not go away even after 24 hours and pain that will not subside even with the feet elevated. These are all issues that can be treated by a professional foot doctor.
