Podiatry is a specialized branch of medicine dedicated to examining, diagnosing, and treating various foot related problems. As your feet are crucial for mobility and your overall lifestyle, it’s vital that any foot problem is treated by a specialist that can recognize early signs of potential issues. A podiatrist can treat common complaints of foot pain to serious problems related to conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, helping to prevent these issues from affecting your overall health.
Podiatry treatment for diabetic foot ulcers concentrates on reducing the risk of these infections occurring in the first place, as well as treating any existing wounds caused by poor circulation or nerve damage associated with diabetes. If left untreated, these wounds can lead to serious infection and in some cases can result in amputation of the foot. Podiatrists are dedicated to helping patients with diabetes to keep their feet healthy through preventative care, proper foot hygiene and by offering advice on footwear. With proper podiatry care, people with diabetes are able to manage the condition successfully and live a normal life.
One very common foot problem is plantar fasciitis. Causing heel and bottom of the foot pain, it is a condition where the plantar fascia – a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot, and acts as a sort of arch – becomes inflamed. Your podiatrist can use a number of different treatments, including physical therapy, orthotics, and corticosteroid injections. They can also teach you exercises to help stretch your foot, which can help to ease the pain and increase flexibility.
Neuropathy is a serious medical condition often treated by podiatrists. Neuropathy is commonly associated with diabetes and involves damage to the nerves of the foot. Neuropathy symptoms include numbness, pins and needles and increased sensitivity which may make an individual unable to walk. Our podiatrists will provide you with customised foot treatment and provide advice on pain management and foot care. Regular monitoring of the feet will enable us to diagnose any potential problems early.
The advancement of technology leads to better podiatry service delivery. In order to identify the problems and solutions of implementing technology to aid podiatry service delivery, Kabir and his team conducted a research and review article on related issues in 2021. Mobile applications can facilitate the process of assessing foot problems. Many of the available apps allow individuals to record any problems they find with their feet and track progress. The individual receives advice from their podiatrist as necessary, and the podiatrist is able to encourage patients to be more involved in their management of foot health.
Many Podiatry practices are incorporating technology into their day to day practices in order to better treat and manage patient conditions. Having access to the latest technology and patient information, helps the podiatrist to provide quality care and advice to patients with foot related issues. Podiatry plays a huge role in the management of foot problems and helps patients to live normal lives. It is often misinterpreted that Podiatrists only deal with simple foot problems, however there are many severe conditions that they are able to treat, including diabetic foot ulcers. Treatment options for foot problems include felt padding and a variety of other options. Felt padding is used to off load pressure from high risk areas. People with diabetes often suffer from nerve damage and poor blood supply to the feet, putting them at higher risk of developing foot ulcers. Padding the feet properly is essential in the healing process of ulcers and in preventing new ulcers from forming.
Studies have shown that felt padding can be an effective treatment option. A 2006 study by Nubé et al. assessed the effect of felt padding on pain and wound healing in people with diabetic foot lesions. The results demonstrated that felt padding significantly reduced pressure and pain while promoting healing of the foot lesions. Important factors to be considered when using felt padding were the thickness of the padding and the layering effect that it provided, with more layers offering greater benefits to pressure distribution and comfort. For individuals with sensory defect, pressure management is critical and this treatment is a useful method to aid this process.
Felt padding for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers has been investigated by various authors, including Raspovic and colleagues (2016). The results of this study support the current concept that appropriate padding can decrease the risk of foot ulcer development/ recurrence by reducing pressure. Patients using fitted felt padding experienced fewer problems than those that did not use any padding. Customised footwear solutions are recommended given the unique shape of each individual’s feet.
Recent improvements in padding include the use of felt Padding with multiple layers of felt Padding placed successively from dorsal to plantar, or in succession along the length of a foot posted in a bucket style orthosis. Tong, et al. (2025) investigated the effect of multiple layers of felt Padding and found that in addition to providing comfort and pressure protection, the multilayer felt Padding provided a substantial reduction in plantar foot pressures with a consequent decrease in the incidence of diabetic foot ulceration.
In addition to using different thicknesses of felt padding (Fig. 3.23) in offloading devices in managing foot lesions, researchers have also explored the evidence supporting the best thickness of felt to achieve the best outcome. In a randomised controlled study, using a specific thickness of felt was shown to benefit the patient by reducing pressure whilst providing adequate cushioning to a diabetic foot lesion (Curran et al. 2015). In a further study, a right thickness of felt was shown to improve healing of diabetic ulcers (Connell and MacGilchrist 2021). Such studies inform podiatrists about the options available to them and aid treatment decisions with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with foot lesions.
Tele-technology, tele-podiatry in this instance, has continued to evolve allowing greater access to patients for initial and follow up consultations. A review by Kavitha et al. ( 2020) found that tele-podiatry has been utilised to provide increased access to podiatric care, particularly for patients living with disability, in rural and remote locations. Utilising video consultation with a podiatrist, patients have access to initial and follow up consultations from home; removing physical and geographical barriers for patients with mobility disability who require access to podiatric care.
podiatry plays a significant role in improving the quality of life for patients who suffer from various foot problems. When podiatrists are involved in diagnosis and management, be it through preventative measures or corrective procedures, patients feel relief from pain and gain increased mobility allowing them to engage in normal activities of daily living. This can be attributed to the vast range of foot feeling solutions podiatrists have at their disposal. One such solution is felt padding, recently rivalled by innovations like tele-podiatry. However, with solutions like these, patients with foot problems are able to receive effective care and lead normal lives. One such case study is that by Blakely (2016), in which a 44-year-old male patient suffered from severe left plantar fasciitis, affecting his ability to perform everyday activities. The patient received custom orthotics and specific exercise treatments resulting in an 80% reduction in pain in a three-month period. He was then able to participate in high-level golf again.
While we know that our interventions have physical outcomes such as reduced pain and improved mobility, it is interesting to note that there are also positive effects on general health and wellbeing. The Podiatry Annual Conference 2022 provided a platform for evidence-based foot care management and its related physical and psychological health benefits. We commonly see patients presented with foot pathology who are restricted from activities they enjoy due to pain. Once appropriate foot care management is implemented, patients are able to return to activities which enhance their mental health, preventing isolation and symptoms of depression. In turn, patients experience improved levels of psychological health including increased confidence and hopefulness.
In addition, current research into various aspects of podiatry shows how preventive care can alter the management of many common foot problems. For example, effective patient education can empower individuals to avoid many common foot problems. Diabetic patients are notorious for being plagued by numerous foot-related problems. However, through preventive care measures, such as annual or bi-annual foot assessments and patient education on foot health, podiatrists can empower these patients to take steps to prevent such problems occurring in the first place. By preventing severe foot problems, the need for complicated hospital visits, and subsequent costs to both patient and health service, can be significantly reduced.
Foot care can also have related effects on the ability of a patient to be more mobile. In cases where a patient has been treated for diabetic neuropathy, he or she can expect to walk and exercise more after podiatric medical treatment that may have included the use of orthotic shoe gear and physical therapy. Not only will this patient be able to resume his or her normal routine again, but also he or she will be able to live a healthier lifestyle and avoid many of the conditions associated with inactivity. Furthermore, by having greater mobility, a patient can more freely be involved in family functions and activities in the community.
Podiatry is not just about identifying a foot problem; it is about making a huge difference to a person’s life. By implementing the appropriate intervention, patients can become more mobile and experience a reduction in pain, which can have far-reaching affects on both physical and mental health. Management of the feet needs to be holistic and patient-orientated in order to ensure that individuals receive the appropriate foot care strategies to maximise quality of life. While debate continues within the research community regarding the development of podiatry as a healthcare discipline, effective foot care management will continue to play a significant role in healthcare in terms of enhancing health outcomes for individuals presenting with foot-related problems.
Citations:
Nubé, V.L., Molyneaux, L., Bolton, T., Clingan, T., Palmer, E. and Yue, D.K., 2006. The use of felt deflective padding in the management of plantar hallux and forefoot ulcers in patients with diabetes. The Foot, 16(1), pp.38-43. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958259205001057
Kabir, M.A., Rahman, S.S., Islam, M.M., Ahmed, S. and Laird, C., 2021. Mobile apps for foot measurement in pedorthic practice: scoping review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(3), p.e24202. https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/3/e24202
Raspovic, A., Waller, K. and Wong, W.M., 2016. The effectiveness of felt padding for offloading diabetes-related foot ulcers, at baseline and after one week of wear. Diabetes research and clinical practice, 121, pp.166-172. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168822716306593
Williams, A.E. and Nester, C., 2010. Pocket Podiatry: Footwear and Foot Orthoses E-Book: Pocket Podiatry: Footwear and Foot Orthoses E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aBMoTTxI1Z4C&oi=fnd&pg=PT2&dq=Podiatry+felt+applications+for+foot+problems&ots=fZ34FUBPlI&sig=JFCU3PSEgv8i6V49MP_iIKRL2VY
Tong, K.P., Obradovic, K.N., Acciani, A.L., Wortzman, N. and Kigner, S., 2025. The Use of Multilayer Felt Padding in the Treatment of Neuropathic Plantar Foot Ulcerations. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 115(1). https://japmaonline.org/view/journals/apms/115/1/22-088.xml
Blakely, M., 2016, March. The use of best practice in the treatment of a complex diabetic foot ulcer: a case report. In Healthcare (Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 18). MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/4/1/18
Curran, M.J., Ratcliffe, C. and Campbell, J., 2015. A comparison of types and thicknesses of adhesive felt padding in the reduction of peak plantar pressure of the foot: a case report. Journal of medical case reports, 9(1), p.203. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13256-015-0675-8
Kavitha, K.V., Deshpande, S.R., Pandit, A.P. and Unnikrishnan, A.G., 2020. Application of tele-podiatry in diabetic foot management: A series of illustrative cases. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(6), pp.1991-1995. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871402120303970
Connell, L. and MacGilchrist, C., 2021. The Effectiveness of Felt in Reducing Peak Plantar Pressures at the 1st Metatarsophalangeal Joint: In a Healthy Population. https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-797370/latest
Corbett, A., 2022. Podiatry Annual Conference. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 15(1), p.34. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13047-022-00529-4
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