As silly as it sounds, we don’t tend to think about our feet and their health simply because they are the farthest body part from our eyes. As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind”. However, foot pain, whether you are experiencing pain at the nails, skin, heel, or ball of your foot, should not be ignored. Your foot health is an integral determinant of the quality of your life. Just think about how many steps you take in a day and how much your life would change if your feet were compromised. Pain is a good indicator that something is not right, and should be addressed as soon as possible to prevent further complications down the road.
A Registered Chiropodist is a primary health care professional who specializes in assessing, managing, and preventing dysfunctions, disorders, and diseases of the foot. Here are a few benefits of visiting a chiropodist for a foot check:
Checking for nail abnormalities
Your toenails are much more susceptible to changes and infections than your fingernails, mainly due to their vulnerability to damage or trauma. Toenails can become thickened, discoloured, curved, ingrown and painful. If you start noticing these changes, book an appointment with your local foot specialist to help safely manage these changes and determine the cause.
Checking for skin disorders
For the most part, your feet spend a lot of time in an enclosed space, either in a pair of shoes or a pair of socks. If you exercise regularly or if your feet are naturally sweaty, this introduces another factor: moisture. All these things increase the chance of getting Athlete’s foot.
In addition, feet bear much of our weight when we move, which makes them susceptible to friction. In response, the skin on our feet thickens and forms calluses to protect itself. However, excessive hard callus buildup and deep corns can also cause pain. Fortunately, these conditions can be easily treated and managed by a chiropodist.
Increasing foot function
If you have foot pain, the chances are, the underlying cause is due to how your foot moves through your gait. With time, these abnormal movements can cause strain and sometimes even permanent damage in the soft tissues and joints. Addressing the issue sooner than later through proper footwear advice, stretches, taping, and/or custom foot orthotics, will work out to your benefit.


