Podiatrist? Whats That?

[Mark Reyneker]

WHAT DOES A PODIATRIST DO?

A PODIATRIST is that member of the healthcare team concerned with your
lower limbs. Your lower limbs extend from your pelvis down to your
feet. A medical field completely dedicated to your legs and feet
developed since the lower limbs are vital for our daily functions yet
are prone to many problems.

WALKING

Walking upright is a fundamental trait that makes us human. No other
species on earth is able to do this. Our entire body structure, from
the foramen magnum (part of the brain) down through the spinal curve
all the way to the foot is designed for walking (fig 1 a-f). Yet we
never think about it. Your Podiatrist does.
Podiatrists specialise in walking since it is often times an
unnoticeable walking problem that will lead to lower limb pain.

MISALIGNED BODY STRUCTURE

Over the years research has shown us what is normal and what is
abnormal body structure. Many of us inherit or develop what we
consider to be abnormal skeletal alignment. Examples of these are flat
feet, knock knees, intoeing and differences in leg length. These
misalignments can go unnoticed for many years as the body will
compensate for it. Eventually these misalignments manifest themselves
as pain in the foot, knee or lower back. This is why these conditions
are often times missed by routine examinations – they are hidden.
Podiatrists are trained how to identify and address these
misalignments.


HISTORY

Podiatry is not a new field but it is relatively new to South East
Asia. Our oldest journal is the Journal of the American Podiatric
Medical Association (JAPMA) and is 112 years old. Podiatry is taught
as a medical profession in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand,
United Kingdom, America, Canada and certain parts of Europe. It is not
taught is any part of Asia.

The FAMILY PODIATRY CENTRE is 7 years old. We have 3 branches and have
a presence in Singapore and Malaysia. We are a multidisciplinary
clinic focusing on all conditions that affect the lower limbs.

For more information visit us at www.familypodiatry.com.my or
www.familypodiatry.com.sg or www.familypodiatry.blogspot.com.