Sandy Foot and Ankle Conditions

Yet most people have never seen a podiatrist. Frequently, patients who have been referred to us say they didn’t know that a podiatrist could treat various conditions that affect the feet. Another concern is that many people don’t know how to care for their feet or prevent common foot and ankle problems. A large number of conditions can be prevented or improved with regular foot care, including podiatric visits in some cases.

Benefits of a Foot and Ankle Conditioning Program

Some people believe that a foot and ankle conditioning program is only for serious athletes, but this isn’t true. Many people with varying fitness levels and goals benefit from a conditioning program. It can help reduce the risk of painful conditions or injuries by strengthening the muscles, tissues, and joints of the lower extremities. If you have foot or ankle pain or are recovering from an injury, you may be able to improve your symptoms by working to keep your body as healthy as possible.

What Are Some Advantages of Taking Part in a Foot and Ankle Conditioning Program?

• Boosting your strength. The stronger your leg, ankle, and foot muscles and ligaments are, the more stable your ankle will be when you walk, run, or perform other activities. This helps to reduce the recurrence of ankle pain and injuries.
• Increasing flexibility. Performing stretching exercises after a strength workout will improve your range of motion and lessen the risk of injury. Over time, this rise in flexibility will improve your body’s resiliency.
• Focusing on target muscles. Depending on the nature of your injury or condition, and your treatment goals, you might benefit from targeting specific muscles in the legs and feet.

How Do You Begin a Foot and Ankle Conditioning Program?

A foot and ankle conditioning program should be supervised by a board-certified Jordan podiatrist, and in some cases, a physical therapist will work with you and your doctor. If you have foot or ankle pain or an injury, the first step is to contact a foot and ankle specialist for an evaluation. They will examine the affected area and may run imaging tests like X-rays or a CT scan. After diagnosing your condition, the doctor will create a comprehensive care plan to treat your condition. This could include medication, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery. A foot and ankle conditioning program will usually begin once the acute injury or problem has been addressed and your pain is starting to subside.

Your doctor will monitor your progress as you work on the conditioning program. It can take time to see results, and some people do experience an increase in pain when starting a new exercise program. If your pain is significantly worse or you are in too much pain to continue training, let your doctor or physical therapist know right away. They might be able to devise a modified regimen that puts less stress on key areas. In some situations, your doctor may give you injections to temporarily reduce inflammation so you can exercise with less pain.

What Common Foot and Ankle Conditions Can a Sandy Foot and Ankle Specialist Treat?

If you ask someone what a podiatrist does, often you might hear a response like, “They remove bunions,” or, “I went to one for an ingrown toenail once.” Podiatrists do treat these conditions, but they also help with a wide variety of other issues that affect the ankles and feet:

• Tendonitis. Multiple tendons in the feet and ankles could become inflamed, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Possible diagnoses include Achilles tendonitis, posterior tibial tendonitis, peroneal tendonitis, extensor tendonitis, anterior tibial tendonitis, and more. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and other factors that your doctor will carefully consider.
• Flat feet or fallen arches. Without treatment, fallen arches can affect how you walk and lead to other issues with the feet or ankles. A foot and ankle specialist can create custom orthotics to help ease the issues caused by fallen arches.
• Diabetes. Although an endocrinologist will generally manage a patient’s diabetes treatment, painful foot ulcers or non-healing wounds are common in diabetics due to poor foot circulation. Unfortunately, this poor circulation increases the risk of infection, and in severe cases, amputation of the foot may be necessary. A podiatrist can treat these ulcers to reduce the risk of infection and keep the feet as healthy as possible.
• Athlete’s Foot or nail fungus. Fungal infections are easy to catch and frequently cause intense itching of the feet. Your foot specialist will treat these infectiions and get your feet back to normal.
• Arthritis. Any of the 33 joints in the feet could become inflamed and swollen with arthritis pain. There are several different types of arthritis requiring different treatments.
• Heel pain. There are multiple possible diagnoses for heel pain, including heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. A foot and ankle specialist will determine the cause of your pain and begin a treatment plan.
• Morton’s Neuroma, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, and other nerve problems. Runners and other people who put a lot of pressure on their feet may develop nerve damage, with symptoms ranging from pain to numbness.
• Hammertoe, ingrown toenails, and other toe issues. The bones of the toes are small and withstand a lot of pressure as we walk on them. As a result, joints and tissues in the toes quickly become injured or inflamed.
• Metatarsalgia or sesamoiditis. Inflammation in the ball of the foot can make walking and other activities extremely painful, but a podiatrist can help treat the pain.
• Skin conditions. Allergic contact dermatitis can occur anywhere, but sometimes, people experience an itchy, painful rash on their feet. Other skin issues that affect the feet include calluses, plantar warts, planar lichens, and more. Your podiatrist can help determine the cause of rashes and other foot irritation and treat the symptoms.
• Ganglions. If left untreated, these small, fluid-filled cysts can cause pain and even nerve damage.
• Sprains, strains, and other injuries. Whether you’re a runner or you just twisted your ankle wrong walking to your car, injuries happen, and they can leave you with a lot of foot or ankle pain. Your podiatrist will diagnose the injury and recommend a treatment plan.

Will Health Insurance Cover Your Foot and Ankle Care?

Many people have concerns about insurance coverage because policies vary widely. The good news is that most insurance policies do cover podiatric care. Some policies require a referral from another doctor, while others will cover your consultation without one. Depending on your specific policy language, there may also be restrictions on which treatments are covered or how much coverage you have. For instance, your policy may only pay for 20 physical therapy sessions yearly.

If you aren’t sure if you need a referral or what your insurance policy will cover, please call our office, and one of our staff members will help you find the answers. We know that insurance can be complicated, and we want to make the process easy for you.

How Can You Find the Right Foot and Ankle Specialist in Sandy?

Treating your foot or ankle problem should begin with seeking a qualified and experienced podiatrist. You need someone with the knowledge to correctly diagnose your condition and the skill set to effectively treat it. A podiatrist, or DPM, is a physician who specializes in injuries and diseases of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

Dr. Elizabeth Auger, DPM, has been treating foot and ankle difficulties in the Sandy area for more than 24 years. Her practice centers on holistic, patient-centered care, which starts with a complete medical history and an accurate diagnosis. Dr. Auger earned her degree from the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine, then completed a three-year residency in foot surgery and wound care in Salt Lake City. Fond of the scenery and Utah lifestyle, she continued her practice in Sandy and has been helping patients with foot and ankle issues ever since.

Make an Appointment with a Sandy Foot and Ankle Specialist Today

Waiting to treat a foot or ankle problem often increases the chances that it will get worse or become a chronic issue. If you’ve had foot pain for more than a few days without improvement, please contact our office today. Our helpful administrative staff will be happy to answer your questions or assist you with insurance coverage. In most circumstances, we can schedule you for a same-day appointment so you can get a diagnosis and treatment plan as soon as possible.