Podiatry

What is podiatry?

Podiatry is a medical specialty that focuses on foot health.

Feet are vulnerable to numerous problems, having to support your entire weight, and suffer considerable stress when running or jumping. Since they're so far from your heart, any problems with your circulation can affect your feet adversely.

Poor circulation leads to the development of ulcers on the feet that are often difficult to treat. These non-healing wounds can result in infection, tissue death, and amputation of the foot in the most severe cases.

The podiatry specialists at Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC, focus on limb preservation and aim to prevent amputation wherever possible.

What conditions require podiatric care?

Diabetic foot care is one of the areas in which podiatry plays a crucial role. Diabetes affects your feet in two ways:

Reduced circulation

When you have diabetes, your body lacks the hormone insulin needed to metabolize sugars. This lack of insulin can damage the veins in your legs, so they're less efficient at circulating blood.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Neuropathy is a term for nerve dysfunction. Diabetes can affect the peripheral nerves (those that aren't part of your central nervous system), causing pain and unpleasant tingling, burning, or prickling sensations. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy can also cause loss of feeling in your feet.

Due to insufficient oxygen and nutrients in your legs because of the reduced blood supply, minor injuries to your feet may fail to heal. They can then develop into chronic open wounds called diabetic foot ulcers.

If you have diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the loss of feeling makes it likely that you won't notice and treat minor wounds when they occur, which encourages ulcer formation.

How does podiatry help with vascular conditions?

If you have diabetes, regular examinations of your feet can prevent ulcers from developing. If an ulcer does appear, the podiatry experts at Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC, can detect it at an early stage and provide the treatment you need to help the wound heal.

Podiatric examinations can also identify other circulatory issues with your lower legs and feet, such as swollen ankles, varicose veins, and arterial ulcers.

For more information about the podiatry services available at Vascular Surgery Associates, LLC, and how they could benefit you, call or schedule an appointment online today.