Podiatry

Podiatry Services

Our feet are the foundation of our bodies. We stand, sit, walk, run, dance, and exercise, which can eventually take a toll on even the toughest of feet. Your feet do a lot of work. By the time you’re 50, you’ll have walked 75,000 miles on them. Feet are complex structures with many bones, tendons, and ligaments that have to work together perfectly to keep you moving.  Podiatry is the area of health that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical and surgical conditions related to the feet and lower legs.
 
Foot care and diabetes.  Foot care is particularly important if you have diabetes, because foot problems are a common complication of this condition. More than 65,000 people a year need to have a foot amputated because of diabetes, something that can be prevented with regular care from a Podiatrist. Diabetes affects feet in two ways. Blood supply may be affected, resulting in slower healing. You may also lose some feeling in your feet due to nerve damage, which is called “neuropathy.”   People with neuropathy may not be able to feel or perceive that their feet are in trouble. If you have diabetes, you should be seen by a Podiatrist at least once annually.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of conditions can be treated by a Podiatrist?

• Ingrown toenails, and other common conditions such as Plantar warts, nail disorders, corns, and calluses.
• Bunions and hammertoes. These are problems with the bones in your feet. A bunion happens when the joint at the base of your big toe gets bigger or knocked out of place. That makes the toe bend toward the others. A hammertoe is one that doesn't bend the right way.
• Arthritis. This results from inflammation, swelling, and wear and tear on your joints. Each foot has 33 joints.
• Heel pain. A common cause of heel pain is heel spurs, a buildup of calcium at the bottom of your heel bone. You can get them from running, ill-fitting shoes, or being overweight.
• Plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. Sports and nonsupportive shoes are usually to blame. Overpronation, meaning your foot bends in or out too far when you walk, is often a cause.
• Morton’s neuroma. Nerve problems between the third and fourth bones of your foot can cause pain, burning, and a feeling that there’s something in your shoe. It usually affects runners. Tight shoes and overpronation make it worse.
• Fractures and sprains. Podiatrists regularly treat these common injuries when they affect a foot or ankle. They also work in sports medicine, treating foot problems athletes have and recommending ways to avoid them.
• Growing pains. If your child's feet point inward or look flat or their toes don't line up right, a podiatrist might be able to help.
• Discrepancies in leg length, or problems that arise from the position of your feet and/or lower legs. These are called the biomechanics of your feet.  Many of these conditions can affect feet, ankles, calves, knees, and sometimes even the hip and lower back.

 Are Podiatry services covered by Medicaid?
Foot care by a podiatrist is a covered treatment when it is deemed medically necessary to treat the patient’s condition and ensure the patient’s health and safety. Covered podiatry services include:

• Evaluation and management services.
• Routine foot care.
• Mycotic procedures to treat fungal infections.
• Casting, strapping, or taping of foot injuries.
• Laboratory, radiology, and the prescribing of drugs or injections to treat diagnosed conditions.