Podiatric malpractice can always be prevented

Medical professionals are expected to provide optimum healthcare facilities to the general public. Besides years of college education, healthcare professionals are trained in clinics to equip them with the skill and tactics needed to cater patients. Podiatry is a subdivision of medicine that is dedicated to addressing the problems of the lower limbs and its associated organs. Despite the quality of podiatrist education and years of clinical training, podiatrists have not been able to overcome podiatrist malpractice problems that have adversely affected the reputation of the profession.

Podiatrists, like other medical professionals, are prone to making mistakes that can cost their patients their health and wealth. At times, when a podiatric treatment goes wrong, the patient might never be able to live a normal life again owing to disability of the legs, ankles or feet. For this reason, people who are in need for podiatric attention shy away from going to a podiatrist. However, such malpractice can be avoided if the podiatrist and patient play their part correctly in alleviating the problem.

Some of the steps that can be taken to leave no room for podiatrist malpractice are:

·         The patient-podiatrist relationship should enhance the level of communication between the two to allow easy flow of information between the two. This will permit the podiatrist to understand the patient’s condition better and the podiatrist will be able to address the problem in a better manner.

·         The patient should not expect too much and too early from the podiatric treatment. The period of the treatment should be completed and the routine prescribed by the podiatrist should be followed strictly before making any claims of malpractice.

·         Podiatrist and patients should always consider taking second opinions from other podiatrists to help reinforce the trust in the suggested treatment plan and prevent podiatrist malpractice.

Why podiatric malpractice takes place?

Podiatry is a branch of medical sciences that is dedicated to providing clinical and surgical solutions to injuries of the legs, ankles and the feet. This field is gaining popularity with time with the increasing number of people engaging in sports and other physical activities that have augmented the foot problems we face in our everyday lives. After attaining a college degree in podiatry, a podiatrist needs to train in a clinic before getting his or her license issued. Despite the dedicated years of training, podiatrists have not achieved the recognition and importance they deserve because of the stigma of podiatry malpractice.

Injuries of the legs, ankles and feet are complex. A podiatrist who is new to the profession or lacks the required experience to treat a patient is most likely to make a misdiagnosis which will eventually lead to a therapy that is either ineffective or potentially dangerous to the well-being of the patient. Especially when it comes to podiatric surgery, a fresh clinician might not have the perfection of the surgeon who has been operating on patients for years.

Failure to examine the patient properly can cost a podiatrist his or her entire career. In some cases, podiatrists are eager to recommend surgery to a patient without a thorough medical assessment. A simple x-ray report cannot suffice as the basis for podiatric treatment. Suggesting a surgery to a patient without testing both sides of his body, the state of the associated nerves and the capacity of the affected organs to perform normally is criminal on part of the podiatrist. The result of such a surgery is almost always podiatrist malpractice.

As a victim of podiatrist malpractice you can always seek legal safeguards and help against negligent podiatrists by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Use of High Heels

Women really love to wear high heels. It makes them feel glamourous and fashionable. But sometimes, high heels can be really discomforting and can create significant foot problems if the person isn’t careful enough. Foot Doctor Northwest Indiana says one of the main problems that is caused by wearing high heels is bunions.

Although foot doctors are of the view that bunions are mainly a product of heredity but somehow, when you wear the wrong type of shoes, this factor can also be a cause of the problem.
High heels can be a cause of problems for a number of reasons. When you wear comfortable shoes, the pressure and weight is equally distributed throughout the foot. But same is not the case with heels. When you wear high heels, all the pressure and weight goes all the way down to the toes because of the unnatural angle. Also, most of these shoes have narrow ends or pointy toe boxes. The toe tips, because being sort of stuck, are squished together real bad. This factor can be a cause of bunions as stated by Foot Doctor Northwest Indiana.

To avoid bunions, if you haven’t inherited them, there are some precautionary measures that you can take. To begin with, wearing the right sized and shaped shoes is the way to go. Although you like wearing high heels, you need to realize that frequent use of these shoes can cause many foot problems including bunions. We’re not saying that you shouldn’t wear high heels at all, but you should not wear them that often as well. For some women, for instance, businesswomen, celebs or those ultra-fashionable ladies, anything other than high heels is simply not an option. For them, it seems like high heels are their requirement or ultimate survival. But what they do not realize is that if they do not stop them from wearing high heels all the time, they will face many foot problems in the later years says Foot Doctor Northwest Indiana.

We understand that there are some women who find it extremely hard to give up on heels. Well, if they can’t, they should at least be careful in the selection of high heeled shoes. Avoid getting those heels that a narrow ends. Instead, go for the ones that have wide ends and the toe box should be rounded instead of pointy. Also, the shoe should be your right size, it should fit you perfectly. When you wear high heels, make sure to rest your feet as much as possible and wherever possible. Take the shoes off whenever you find the time.

Podiatric vs. Orthopedic Surgeon

Lack of awareness about foot and ankle surgery options can often lead to unwise decision making. If you suffer from an ailment of the foot or ankle then first you need to look at doctors who specialize in the problem you currently face. People will recommend a Podiatrist or an orthopedic surgeon in most cases of foot surgery Northwest Indiana.

However, you must understand clearly the similarities and differences between the two to determine who is suitable for your issue. 

What exactly is their specialization?

A common person simple sees a foot or an ankle when they look at it. A doctor observes a lot more: skin, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, tissue, nails, tendons, joints, bones, etc. An orthopedist treats medical problems related to bones (breaks, weakness, etc), tissues (muscles, vessels, nerves, tendons, etc), and toe or ankle joints. This covers a vast area but not all. Of course, they both diagnose and treat ailments related to them even surgery.   

However, there are a few other aspects of foot and ankle illnesses that orthopedics do not specialize in and will probably recommend a podiatrist for them.

As you may know, the skin all over your body does not possess the same nature. The dermatological aspects of foot and ankle must be taken care of by a qualified podiatrist. Their education and training focuses only on these two parts of the human body so they are more capable of finding feasible solutions for your problems. If you find it hard to move certain parts of your foot or ankle then consult a reliable podiatrist. Any issues that restrict movement in these areas are dealt with by podiatrists.