How can you become a podiatrist in Australia?

A podiatrist is an Allied Health professional who specializes in dealing with the feet. They can address conditions for example toe fungus, ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, hammer toes, infections and foot injuries.

Podiatrists are able to do ingrown toenail surgery using a local injection. This is a very frequent procedure. They might also treat diabetic and arthritic patients, that might need assistance from a podiatrist to cut their toe nails correctly or to keep track of any a change in their feet. Podiatrists additionally check the blood pressure to a patient’s feet to figure out if the client has an adequate amount of blood flowing through to the feet. They may also manage ulcers and manage the broken down wounds. Within the sports medicine discipline, podiatrists could check the health of an athlete’s feet, treat any injuries which may have occurred, observe how the athlete runs, and may recommend the best footwear. Sports injuries that a podiatrist could deal with include heel spurs, shin splints, an ankle sprain, stress fractures or Achilles tendinopathy. They could also recommend and produce orthotic supports for patients. At times a client needs extra support in their shoes to help them walk without having pain. A podiatrist will assess and diagnose whether an orthotic insert is likely to make a difference. If so, the podiatrist can make a cast of the feet and then produce the appropriate foot orthotic, whether it’s for biomechanical or palliative reasons.

A functional support is a footwear insert that can help the client to walk normally and is normally created from a thermoplastic substance. A palliative shoe insert is manufactured out of EVA or foam and is manufactured to help people who have painful feet or who are suffering from wounds so that you can wear shoes comfortably. Clients whose feet are disfigured might be able to experience relief when wearing accomodative foot orthotics. Podiatrists can work in private practice, in private hospitals, nursing homes, sports medicine practices or in community health clinics.

How can you become a podiatrist?

You have to complete a four year Bachelor of Science/Master of Podiatric Practice degree or a four year Bachelor of Podiatry degree. This is a full-time training course and is available at a few educational institutions in Australia, such as La Trobe University in Melbourne and also Charles Sturt University in New South Wales. The courses include theoretical and practical lessons, as well as clinical experience. After you have turn into a certified podiatrist, you will need to register with the podiatry board. If you’re interested in the biomechanics of the feet and the variety of health concerns which can affect your feet, then a vocation as a podiatrist could be very satisfying.