YOUR PODIATRIC EVALUATION

To determine your best treatment, your podiatrist looks for the cause of your symptoms. A medical history and a foot exam help diagnose your problem. Your podiatrist may also test the range of motion in your joint, from hips to toes. If necessary, you may be scheduled for imaging or lab test to help confirm the diagnosis. Your Medical History : Does foot pain interfere with your job or keep you from a sport you enjoy? To learn if orthoses may treat your problem, your podiatrist asks about your symptoms and how they limit your activities. You may also be asked about medical conditions affecting your overall health. Imaging and Lab Tests: Your podiatrist may order x-rays to study the bones of your feet. sometimes special imaging tests, like CTs, are ordered to assess damage to soft tissue. Routine lab test, such a blood analysis, may help evaluate your general health. Your Foot Exam: During this hands-on examination, your podiatrist looks for the problem causing your symptoms. He may feel for displaced bones or swollen soft tissue. Your feet may also be examined for sores and/or other skin changes. To evaluate blood circulation, your podiatrist may check the pulse, skin color, and temperature of your feet. The strength, reflexes, and sensation in your feet may be tested, too. Testing Your Range of Motion: To help diagnose your problem, your podiatrist may test how far and how smoothly your joints move. Depending on your symptoms, range of motion may be tested in the joints all the way from your hips to your toes. Your podiatrist may also watch how your lower body moves when you walk or run. Your podiatrist may use a tractographto measure the range of motion in your subtalar joint. Your Treatment Plan: After making a diagnosis, your podiatrist may recommend orthoses as the best treatment for your. Before prescribing your particular orthoses, your podiatrist may make a 3-D scanner image of your feet. this 3-D scanner image will help your podiatrist determine which type orthoses will be effective to help you with your foot pain and problems. This will also help your podiatrist to decide with Physical Therapy and/or surgery will be necessary.