Have you ever gone to a Podiatrist?

I have a bunion and hammer toe on my right foot. I kinda stalled and didn't do anything about it.

Now, with this new podiatrist I see he's discouraging me from having surgery. He says if it doesn't hurt, don't do it.
The problem is I can only wear certain shoes.

All the cute shoes I see, I can't fit my foot in to.
I either have him cut my toenails and ingrown toenails, or I just go to the nail salon...where they'll polish them too.
 

AnnieA said:
Yes, and I wouldn't recommend them for any sort of surgery other than toenails.

I had pain in my metatarsal area, saw a podiatrist whose x-rays showed I had an old fracture in one of the smaller bones that had healed badly and he wanted to do surgery. I then saw an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion. He looked at the x-rays I brought from the podiatrist and said he couldn't tell anything from the angles of their x-rays which he said were done incorrectly. He had me have x-rays that day at his clinic and saw no evidence of a previous break. He then had me go for an MRI and that showed that the pain was caused by inflammatory arthritis consistent with my psoriatic arthritis so all I needed was a steroid injection into the area. I told my aunt about it who worked as an anesthetist in a same day surgery center in another region of the country. She said they had a lot of orthopedic surgeries trying to correct botched podiatrists' procedures and that there was often not a lot they could do. After my experience, I had several people who let the podiatrist I initially saw operate on them tell me they now had worse problems than before that couldn't be corrected by an orthopod. Also read similar stories online from other parts of the country, so it's not just the podiatrist I saw or ones from their particular training that cause problems. There's a reason why orthopods have medical degrees and extensive training beyond it ...many years more than podiatrists.
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That is a good explanation, for why people should consider checking with an orthopedic specialist or foot surgeon, if it seems like it might be a more complex problem or procedure involved.

For routine care and smaller issues, the Podiatrists are very good.
I have had 2 family members who went regularly, for years when older. Medicare covered it, but required at least 9 weeks between visits; perhaps they would cover it sooner, for either some other diagnosis than they had, or of course, for something acute that came up.
 
Kika said:
This just reminded me of a similar situation many years ago. I had a very painful callous on the ball of my foot, which I tried to take care of at home without success. I went to a podiatrist and he took x-rays. He said I had an old fracture, not healed properly, and the bone was positioned in such a way that the pressure from it caused my callous. As just with @AnnieA, "surgery was needed to correct the problem."
I went to my primary doctor, told the story, and he sent me to a radiology facility for x-rays. There was no "old fracture". Shoes with better cushioning eventually solved the problem.
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Gosh, I hadn't read this one yet, when I wrote my post. Second opinions are well worth it, regarding many types of suggested surgeries!
 

OneEyedDiva said:
Being diabetic, I knew I was supposed to be seeing one long before I did. I researched podiatrists in the area but couldn't decide. My DIL recommended hers. His office was a couple of blocks from where I went for blood work, so I walked over and asked if they took my insurance. Turns out they did not. But I'm glad I waited. In 2019 I started going to a senior center and I met a woman who used to be a nurse. She recommended a podiatrist. I finally started seeing him and I love him! I couldn't believe how much time he took with my feet. I felt like I was at a spa..LOL. Only thing his little office is kind of cold.

He is gentle, caring and thorough, not just about foot care but general health care. He said my uric acid was at the high end of the normal range and decided to take preventive steps to keep me from developing gout. He recommended a cherry supplement (said it's better than whole cherries or the juice). I double checked with my PCP, whom I adore and he agreed that it would be a good idea. Just like with my PCP, my podiatrist and I have very interesting conversations. After the first visit which took about an hour, subsequent visits have taken about 45 minutes, so we have plenty of time to chat. His demeanor is much like my PCP's...just a very nice, caring man.
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I had to reread this because I wasn't sure what the issue was with your feet that made you seek help. Then I googled gout. So you had a redness and pain near your toe? Did the cherry supplement work?
 
Once 10 years ago for an infection. My foot swelled up. He gave me an Rx-Strength antifungal ointment, along with an oral medication that I didn't take because the literature said not to take it if you're diabetic. It was fine in a few days.
After that, I learned NOT to listen to everything my doctor says. She said not to go barefoot outside, but it was OK indoors. It is NOT.
I also learned to always wear ventilated shoes - like these:
KEEN Men's Newport H2 Sandal Water Shoe
 
I had a pair similar to those once for use in the pool when trying out a water aerobics class in a YMCA pool with a rough foundation. I have sensitive feet I guess. They were expensive and would have been well worth it if someone hadn't stolen them in the locker room. The shoes were awesome and I was disappointed but thought maybe they needed them more than me. Only God knows the story...so I let go.
 
Lara said:
I had a pair similar to those once for use in the pool when trying out a water aerobics class in a YMCA pool with a rough foundation. I have sensitive feet I guess. They were expensive and would have been well worth it if someone hadn't stolen them in the locker room. The shoes were awesome and I was disappointed but thought maybe they needed them more than me. Only God knows the story...so I let go.
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They are pricey, but they're waterproof & that's a good feature that allows me to wash them & keep them clean, which is important for me.
But they're not good for walking through brush, stickers, dirt, or sand; stuff gets in them.
 
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