Podiatry is not only for the foot

Most people probably know that Podiatry is the branch of medicine that treats conditions of the foot and lower leg. When we think about foot conditions, almost certainly, not too enticing images of bunions, corns, ingrown nails and hammertoes come to mind. Podiatric doctors certainly take care of these ailments, but my personal experience is that podiatrists can do much more than that. This is what one Podiatrist and a simple pair of custom orthotic insoles did for me.

Some years ago I started having problems with my knees. I played rugby at the time and towards the end of one season I started getting a pain in both of my knees after practice. At the beginning I didn't think much of it, blaming the state of the pitch since it was rather badly kept anyway. I didn't seek medical attention since the level of discomfort was then very bearable and would generally disappear before the next practice.

It didn't stay so for long though, and soon I started having problems during practice too, especially when the team went out for running sessions on pavement. In just a question of a few weeks I went from being problem free to finding it difficult to run. I had to stop running on paved roads and stick to athletics tracks, which are more forgiving on the knees. That's when I finally decided it might be a good idea to see my doctor -I know sooner would have been good too, but I am slow on the uptake on certain things-. The diagnosis was not great, inflamed meniscus on both knees. He prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and sent me home for the rest of the season. I didn't complain too much about having to take it easy for a few weeks, since the season was all but over at that point.

I followed my doctors recommendations and as expected I was pain free by the end of the treatment. My relief was short lived, though. As soon as I put on my running shoes and attempted to go for short run, the pain returned with a vengeance in almost no time.

I returned to my doctor, but his recommendation was to repeat the treatment and if that didn't work, he said I might have to consider getting some surgery. I was not too elated about the news.

It never came to that, thought, since at about that time, I moved to Canada from Spain. I didn't take up rugby again once over the Atlantic. I went through the motions and checked out a few clubs, but I was afraid of aggravating my condition. At 30 years of age, my best years as a player were probably behind me anyway. On top of that, the season was played mainly during good weather months, which I thought were too short lived in Canada to spend them running after an oval ball and tackling charging beasts with my bare hands. So, I decided to quit playing rugby all together.

However, my problems weren't over just yet. In the course of a few months, the pain in my knees intensified. I soon found it difficult to walk and standing for more than ten minutes was almost impossible. I was slowly becoming crippled. I only found some relied when I used completely knew shoes. So, I ended up having to buy new shoes every 2-3 months because as soon as a pair was just somewhat worn in the heels, I would be unable to walk with them. I found out it couldn't be just ANY kind of shoes either. You can imagine, that at the rate I was going through each pair, I got to try a few brands and learnt to become very very picky. In the end, I had to settle for rather high-end brands, as they were the only ones to offer the kind of support I needed without knowing it. So, at 200-300 dollars a pop, in addition to the pain, my condition was driving me bankrupt and I had a rapidly expanding collection of almost never worn shoes.

I decided to try my chances with another doctor, who diagnosed flat feet and sent me to get some orthopedic soles. I got those done, but they were of no use whatsoever. So it couldn't be that either.

I was falling into despair when one day I came across the ad for a Podiatrist in a local newspaper. Until that day, I had no idea of what Podiatry was. The specialty is not known in Spain, but I knew instantly I had to give it a try. Since nothing else had worked to that point, there wasn't much to lose anyway.

This podiatrist diagnosed my problem. It had nothing to do with flat feet. Apparently I had a problem with the way the heels of my feet hit the ground. They were not stable throughout the gait motion and were bringing the rest of the limb -painfully- out of alignment. This was according to him the probable cause of my problems. I had a pair of custom orthotics made and fitted and, wonders don't cease, a few weeks later my problems had vanished or almost. I slowly started jogging again and, although I think I will never be able to run a marathon, I can run decent distances of 6-8 km with little discomfort two or three times a week. I took too long in getting my condition diagnosed and treated properly, so I can't seem to go beyond that, but, hey, I'm not going to complain about it. The cost of my custom orthotics has been more than offset by a very dramatic decrease in shoe replacement costs. My shoes now could last almost until they fell of my feet in pieces from constant use if I so chose to. Although, I must confess I have remained a fan of pricey shoes to this day. Especially of Ecco footwear. I have an excuse, you know, it's only for medical reasons... After all, they are doctor recommended.

I can't thank enough my podiatrist, and I would recommend people that are experiencing similar problems to mine, such as joint pains, back pains, that could be caused by bio-mechanical problems of the leg to seek also the advice of an expert in Podiatry. It might just be the answer you were looking for. After all, the alignment of the body only starts where the foot hits the ground.