Should I See a Podiatrist or Sports Medicine Orthopedist for Foot or Ankle Injuries?

Ever wondered – is it better to see a podiatrist or orthopedist? Understanding the difference between podiatry services and sports medicine services is important, as you want to make sure you choose the right medical care professional to treat you or your loved one. The main difference between the 2 specialists? Podiatrists treat injuries, conditions, and symptoms directly affecting one’s feet and/or ankle health. Sports medicine specialists treat one’s entire musculoskeletal system, i.e. shoulders, elbows, hips, hands, wrists, ankles, knees.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, healthy feet are fundamental to the quality of our lives.

Sports Medicine Orthopedists

A sports medicine orthopedist focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of those who experience a sports-related injury or injury sustained from another type of physical activity. Sports medicine orthopedists must complete 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years at an accredited medical school, and complete a 5-year surgical residency in generalized orthopedics to receive certification.

This type of medical professional often treats those who play competitive sports. This means their focus tends to be on providing their patients with treatment options that allow them to return and participate in their chosen sport as quickly as possible, while still keeping safety in mind. They also offer their patients preventative care services, teaching them how to prevent themselves from experiencing possible future injuries. 

What Sports Injuries Can Orthopedists Treat?

Choosing to see an orthopedist whose focus is on sports medicine can be beneficial when suffering from the following sports injuries - ruptured ligaments, torn ligaments, fractures, dislocations, sprains, ACL injuries, PCL injuries, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, tendon injuries, and overuse injuries.

What Treatment Options Can Orthopedists Provide? 

Non-surgical treatments include prescribing medications, physical therapy, and cortisone injections. Surgical treatments include soft tissue repair, tendon repair, bone fusion, internal fixation, arthroscopy, osteotomy, and joint replacement. 

Podiatrists 

A doctor of podiatric medicine is a medical professional who treats patients who are experiencing problems with their feet, ankles, and/or related structures of the leg. These particular areas of the body require expert care due to the important role these body parts play in a patient's everyday life. Podiatrists must complete 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years at an accredited podiatric medical school, and 3 to 4 years of surgical residency training to receive certification.

Some podiatrists will choose to specialize in a particular field, with wound care, diabetic care, pediatrics, sports medicine, and surgical treatment being some of the more common fields chosen. All podiatrists have a goal to use the best treatment option available to address their patients’ podiatric problems. During treatment, they tend to focus on pain reduction and speed healing. When it comes to preventive foot and ankle care, podiatrists offer their patients the advice they need to ensure good foot and ankle health. 

What Sports Injuries Can Podiatrists Treat?

Sports injuries are some of the more common causes of foot and ankle trauma. Podiatrists are exceptionally qualified to diagnose and treat the following sports-related injuries – foot sprains, ankle sprains, foot fractures, ankle fractures, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis. They can also treat the inflammation that causes foot arthritis, which is often aggravated when participating in certain types of physical activity, i.e. running, tennis, baseball. 

Non-sports related injuries podiatrists often treat include bunions, ingrown toenails, calluses, blisters, warts, corns, nail infections, flat feet problems, dry skin, hammertoes, foot ligament pain, and overall muscle pain. 

What Treatment Options Can Podiatrist Provide?

Non-surgical treatments include writing prescriptions for non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications, setting fractures, rehabilitative services, providing cortisone injections, offering custom orthotics supports, and addressing skin disease. Surgical treatments include fixing fractured bones, repairing Achilles tendon tears, correcting hammertoe problems, and repairing damage causes by foot or ankle arthritis. 

What Are the Benefits of Visiting a Podiatrist?

Some of the many benefits that come with choosing to see a podiatrist include:

• They’re foot and ankle care specialists
• They can recommend any necessary lifestyle changes to benefit foot and ankle health 
• They can diagnose and treat sports-related injuries with great accuracy
• They offer long-term foot and ankle health services, including beneficial advice

Bottom Line

While there is some overlap between the services each professional provides for their patients, podiatrists specifically focus on treating problems taking place in the feet and/or ankles. Since podiatrists are specialists in treating the feet and ankles, this is the medical professional you should choose when in need of a proper diagnosis and/or treatment when experiencing feet or ankle-related problems. Choosing to use a foot and ankle expert ensures you're getting the absolute best medical treatment. 

If you suffer from chronic pain caused by a sports injury, or if you have a new injury that needs to be treated, contact an Upperline Health podiatrist for comprehensive foot and ankle care.