If you come down with the seasonal flu, you head to the doctor for antibiotics. If your child has a fever, you take them to the after hours clinic to ensure everything is alright. We prioritize our health in certain situations and ignore it in others, and a study on foot pain management reveals that people rarely seek out professional help for their foot pain, even though the results show that it is often highly effective.
For the study, Today’s Podiatrist surveyed 1,000 adults and found that 77 percent said they had experienced foot pain in the past. However, only a third of those with foot pain also said they would seek out expert care by a podiatrist. This may not seem all that surprising, after all, it’s not like you run to your doctor’s office every time you stub your toe or roll your ankle, but what may be surprising is just how effective expert foot care can be in allowing the pain to heal.
The survey went on to say that of those patients who visited a foot specialist, 88 percent said their podiatrist was able to provide a quick and accurate diagnosis, and 76 percent said they were able to prescribe an effective treatment regimen that improved or fully healed their issue. Think about that. Nearly 9 out of 10 people who visited a foot specialist were able to get a clear diagnosis, and 3 out of 4 successfully treated their condition. It’s almost a no brainer that you should seek expert care if you’re dealing with a lingering foot issue.
Ignoring Help
You might not think it’s a big deal that people aren’t seeking expert-level care for their foot condition, but that may change when you learn just how debilitating this foot pain is during daily life. According to the same survey, half of adults have restricted their walking, running, exercise or similar physical activities like playing with their grandchildren because of their foot pain. For those with chronic foot pain, that number jumps up to 83 percent. 41 percent of people also mentioned they would participate in more activities and 39 percent said they would exercise more if not for their foot pain.
So here we have a sizeable portion of people who are affected by foot pain on a daily basis, yet only 1 in 3 are willing to seek out expert care, which can provide successful treatment to more than 75 percent of patients. It just doesn’t make sense. We may think we’re being tough by pushing through the pain or we’re trying to save a few bucks by avoiding a doctor’s visit, but we’re only hurting ourselves, especially because solutions can so easily be found.
