8 Essential Questions To Ask Your Podiatrist On Your First Visit

Nobody likes going to the doctor, but some visits can be more unpleasant than others. When you visit your podiatrist for the first time, it’s important to prepare ahead of time with questions about what to expect during the appointment and how to prevent foot pain in the future.

By asking the right questions on your first visit, you’ll better understand what’s causing your foot pain and learn how to prevent it from recurring in the future. Based on your queries, your podiatrist may suggest other ways that you can prevent foot problems down the road! Below highlighted are some important questions to ask on your first visit to a podiatrist; read on to know more in detail!

#1. Do You Have The On-Site Diagnostic Equipment?

A podiatric practice with the help of on-site diagnostic equipment is very convenient. Suppose your podiatrist suggests you get the image-guided tests and does not provide the on-site services. In that case, it will become an inconvenient experience for you to travel to another facility.

The concern with on-site diagnostic services is that they can eliminate complications and get you a fast diagnosis.

#2. What Is Your Work Experience? How Long Have You Been In This Industry?

Experience is an important factor that you should ask while hiring anyone from the medical profession. The experienced and well-trained podiatrist will provide an accurate diagnosis and faster and more effective treatments than the inexperienced podiatrist. So, if you are meeting with a podiatrist for the first time, you must ask for their experience to get high-quality treatment and care.

#3. Are You Certified?

Board certification indicates that the podiatrist follows specific standards while practising in their field. It is important to check their knowledge and training to confirm that you get quality care from the group of experts podiatrist.

Board certification is the approved seal from the best podiatrist in the medical field. It is always suggested to choose medical professionals who are board certified.

#4. Do You Give Diabetic Foot Care?

Diabetics involve extra care of their feet. If you find that you have peripheral nerve damage from diabetes problems, then the podiatrist gives you better foot care. In this way, a good podiatrist helps prevent the infection and saves you from unexpected situations that can lead to amputation.

#5. What Treatment Plan Do You Provide?

Treatment is changed from one patient to another because patients’ health is not the same. You should choose the one that does not provide cookie-cutter treatments and products. It is suggested to ensure that podiatrists provide different treatments, not only rely on popular ones.

Ankle and foot treatments must consist of the use of pain management, custom orthotics, and physical therapy.

#6. What In-Office Process Do You Give?

If he performs the in-office process, then it means they administer the treatments instantly rather than going to another facility. An example of the process that a podiatrist must perform in-house is wound care, callus trimming, cortisone injections, foreign body removal, and ganglion cyst drainage.

#7. How Quickly Can You Look At Patients?

When you get an injury or experience pain in your foot, it brings a screeching halt to your life. As a result, it is important to get the treatment immediately. It is suggested to choose a podiatrist who is available to give you immediate treatments easily.

If you choose a podiatrist who takes weeks or months to treat you, less pain will result in a big injury inside your feet, which is not good. So you must choose a podiatrist who can treat you immediately when your foot pain and injuries are required.

#8. Do You Treat Sports And Athletic Injuries As Well?

A podiatrist with sports medicine training has the knowledge to deal with specific injuries and issues related to physically active people. It enables them to suggest you properly care for your feet before, during, and after physical and sports activities.

Conclusion

It is always suggested to get high-quality podiatric care from a reputed podiatrist. For this, you should ask the above question from a podiatrist when you are consulting them for the first time. The board-certified podiatrist can diagnose and treat the full range of ankle and foot conditions and disorders.