I’ve got an appointment with a podiatrist tomorrow and I was just wondering what the experience has been like for others. Helpful?
As long as you’re only going or a foot problem they’re the guys to see. 
Seriously, the ones I’ve dealt with know their stuff when it comes to foot/ankle problems.
It’s an achilles (I think) thing.
Yes, but it was not a positive experience.
I went to a podiatrist a while ago to get orthotics. Make sure you tell them about your level of activity, and what you expect to get out of the visit (ie. you want to be able to run, etc.)
Getting my feet cast for the orthotics was fun.
What does that mean? You’re kind of scaring me. Was it painful? Were you given a bad prognosis? Elaborate, please.
I hope Dr. Roof kicks in some info. I think it is like any other physician, there are sports minded Podiatrists that are totally on top or runners and athletic needs, and others that work on older peoples feet in the nursing home. I think if you find one that is a sports type Podiatrists you are set. The other option is the Ortho MD, but some of them are hand or joint guys, some do a lot of ankles and feet, and others more of a general practice.
At least all the Podiatrists have had training in the right neighborhood of the body. Boy and then if orthotics are what you are looking fore there are plenty of choices in the rigidity department.
He studied my gait & came up with a set of custom orthodics which seemed to solve the gait problem. Unfortunately the “Problem” was later discovered to be a spinal/pelvis thing. My chiro corrected the spinal/pelvis thing & made the corrective orthodic useless. $300 wasted.
The lesson I learned was that each practitioner seems to think their specialty is the solution. I now take control of my health care & look for the cause & not just treat the symptom.
Funny you mention that. I just came back, five minutes ago, from my first-ever visit to a podiatrist! Found him on my health insurance company’s website. I was sure I’d stress-fractured a metatarsal ten days ago, but wanted to confirm it.
Told the guy I’d researched it on the internet, and he kind of smirked, as I’m sure they all do at our amateur diagnoses, but he did xrays and ran his fingers up and down the bone and confirmed what I suspected. He kept scaring me before the xrays telling me I might have to get a cast, etc., and I’m telling him I have a half ironman in 7 weeks…anyway, the xrays came back and he is showing me on the xrays where it’s sort of “fuzzy” at the fracture site, but I couldn’t see it. Anyway, I tell him I’m fine cycling and swimming and have to keep doing that stuff, so he decides to give me a sandal with a stiff sole and velcro straps, and tells me to ice it 3-4 times/day and take anti-inflammatories (which he of course gives me a prescription for). So, no running for a month for me, meaning I’ll give aqua-running a try and hope I can still pull off the half-mary at the end of the race! Damnit!
Oh yeah, this post was about YOU…sorry! Good luck tomorrow!
Sucks. Aqua-running sounds about as exciting as a trainer to treadmill brick. Count me out. Good luck in the half. You’re doing disney, right?
Yes, doing Disney in May, but I’m also doing the Calif. 70.3 on March 18th, and I’ll limp the damn 1/2 mary if I have to!
Well, I’m not sure what you are asking, but it wouldn’t be much different than any other medical visit. Fill out the standard demographic forms, insurance info, photocopy insurance card/drivers license, etc. You will likely have some X-rays (done in the office), a physical exam and some medical history/questioning. Hopefully you were referred to him/her by your primary care physician, or a friend.
Definitely let him/her know how active (I’m guessing) you are. I see such a wide variety of patients, it does make a difference. In fact, when a runner comes in as a patient, my medical assistants just assume that I’ll be in the room extra long and rearrange patients becuase of it. Even if it is just a simple/quick diagnosis, I actually love to talk with my runners (even better, but more rarely triathletes).
As was mentioned earlier, keep in mind the “if you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail” mentality. If you think your achilles problem might be due to something else, make sure to ask.
Best of luck to 'ya!
SNAP !!! At the end of the season I would have sworn I had a stress fracture in my left foot (5th metatarsal). I went to my sports med Doc. & he said it was a stress fracture eventhough nothing was conclusive on the x-ray. After 6 weeks of trial & error, my chiro discovered it was some nerve or other way up my left side. A few sessions of ART once the problem area was identified the problem evaporerted. If you like, I can ask him specifically what it was & get back to you?
Crystal ball…He is going to sell you orthotics. $450.
Sure Speedy! Anything would help!
Yep…make sure he’s knows his stuff like rroof!
**In-Store Physicians **
Dr. Paul Langer DPM
Sports Podiatrist, Minnesota Orthopedic Specialists, P.A.
Biographical Information
Paul Langer is a podiatrist with Minnesota Orthopaedic Specialists. He serves on the clinic advisory board of the American Running Association and is an editorial board member of Running & FitNews. He has lectured nationally on running injuries and running shoes and is the author of STEPWISE: Healthy Feet for Age 50 and Beyond. He has completed 20 marathons and is currently training for his second Ironman triathlon.
I’ve sent the email to Dr. Brown & I’ll keep you posted.
Speedy: now that is silly because:
#1 5th met stress fractures are pretty uncommon and
#2 if X-rays are inconclusive - get a bone scan or MRI so as to not treat the wrong dx and keep you from running
Lastly, since the magic A.R.T. seemed to help, you likely had insertional peroneus brevis tendonitis (lateral muscle that inserts into the base of the 5th metatarsal)
Nothing magic in this stuff, really …
According to Dr. Brown…
Are you asking me to reveal the Caramilk secret???
Several possibilities exist…
I may have acted as a placebo and you fixed your problem yourself.
I may have created a distraction, shifting your focus to another area allowing the natural healing process to occur without interference.
I may simply have suggested an alternate reasonable explanation and then reported that I had corrected this fictitious problem. Your subconscious was now allowed to abandon the condition it had created as a defense mechanism to protect your fragile psyche from dealing with the guilt and remorse of having underachieved last season
Or it could have been the sural nerve was iritated in the popliteal fossa where it passes between the 2 heads of the gastrocs.
Any and all are equally reasonable so take your pick.
Cheers
I thought it might be the last one, but the others sound good…
Dude, what are you suggesting was “Silly”?