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The world around us is dominated by science in one way or another, be it biology in plants, the human body, physics in engineering or communications and chemistry in food or DNA research.
To understand how the lower limb works and to help patients you need to know all sorts about biology, physics and chemistry.
Biology
Biology is probably the main science people associate with working in a medical profession.As a podiatrist it's really important to understand the structure of the body as well as how things interact.
Podiatrists measure the blood flow in legs and feet and to do this they have to know exactly how to find the arteries and veins. They can test blood flow in a number of ways by using their hands, ultrasound devices and blood pressure tests.
Podiatrists can treat painful or ingrowing toenails using simple surgical techniques. To do this they have to give patients injections of anaesthetic which must be placed accurately near the nerves in the toe. Also to do the surgery effectively they have to understand the structure of the nail and surrounding tissues. So you can see how important it is to know your anatomy!
Physics
Physics is also important. Podiatrists treat a lot of different patients with biomechanical problems and understanding levers and forces really helps to diagnose the problem and work out how to treat the patient.
- Participating in sports puts increased forces through joints in the legs which can cause pain and injury. Runners for example can develop foot or leg problems that may need treatment from a podiatrist. Using a treadmill, video equipment and their knowledge they can assess the patient, diagnose the problem and potentially provide custom made insoles that can alter the mechanics of the foot and reduce unwanted forces going through the foot.
Chemistry
Chemistry is also important in podiatry. Chemical reactions are essential for normal body function. Podiatrists need to know how illnesses and medicines may affect different chemical processes in the body in order to provide appropriate treatment.
- Wounds in the skin contain all sorts of biochemicals. Podiatrists must understand what potential interactions there might be with anything they are using to treat a wound that would slow down the healing process. So they need to know about different kinds of medication and how they react with the body.
- Understanding chemistry enables podiatrists to calculate the maximum safe dose of anaesthetic for a patient.
Soc Chiropodists & Podiatrists 13-Oct-2009
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