When you suffer from chronic foot problems as a result of your daily life, be it from sports, work, or just daily living tasks, you likely find yourself a frequent purveyor of your podiatrist's exam room. As such you have likely become all too familiar with the standard procedures and technologies in your podiatrist's office. You are used to the standard x-rays, manual exams, and the like. However, there are new technologies and procedures being introduced in the medical field on almost a daily basis. So, get to know what changes have arrived and will soon be arriving in podiatric care field so that you can ensure you are getting the best treatment possible.
Portable Ultrasound Technology
Now, more than ever before, medicine is becoming more and more portable and accessible. Not so long ago, getting a picture of what was going on inside the body was limited to the use of large, cumbersome machines, and the scans were not particularly accurate.
However, today podiatrists have access to various scanning technologies. Chief among these is the new portable, handheld ultrasound. These new devices are smaller than even the latest smartphones making them easy and convenient for your doctor to use when you come in with a foot or ankle injury.
In addition to the standard manual examination, your doctor can use the portable ultrasound and scan your foot or ankle on initial examination. They will be able to see and read the scanned images right there in the office, and can detect torn tendons, ligaments, broken bones, and the like quicker than ever before.
Skin Patches For Foot Ulcers
If you are a diabetic, chances are you have heard about the dangers of damage to your feet and the potential ramifications such as severe infection and eventual amputation. Treatment for the foot ulcers (open sores) that can develop as a result of diabetes has always been difficult and fraught with problems and failures in the past.
However, today's doctors are able to employ new technologies to deliver foot ulcer medication directly to the wound while protecting the feet as well. These transdermal patches use tiny microneedles to deliver the medication under the outer layer of skin treating the wound more directly and effectively.
Skin patches for foot ulcers are meant to heal wounds more quickly and effectively, but also prevent the scar tissue from re-opening (re-ulcerating) in the future. Thus, it can also protect you from future wounds.
3-D Printing For Foot Care
Oftentimes, when you experience chronic foot pain and discomfort, your podiatrist prescribes orthotics in the form of shoe inserts or custom footwear to help you to keep going about your daily life without as much pain.
Most of the time, you just buy standard issue insoles and inserts and call it a day. However, this is not always an effective means of treatment and can leave your feet still achy and sore.
3-D printing technologies are changing this process. Now you can have insoles and inserts 3-D printed to perfectly fit your foot so that your feet are best supported and cushioned.
When you experience foot or leg problems and pain, you may think that your podiatrist is using the same old technique and technologies that have been around for decades. However, treatments and technologies are constantly changing and evolving. So, keep these new options in mind the next time you pay your podiatrist a visit to ensure you receive the best treatments possible.
Share19 January 2015
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