Who Should I See For Orthotics?

When it comes to your foot problem, you are likely to be confused about whether to see a podiatrist or a chiropractor. To help you better understand who you should see for orthotics, this post takes a close look at what chiropractic and podiatry have to offer. 

Chiropractic 

Chiropractic is a word that has Greek roots. It means the combination of hands. When it comes to chiropractic training, it differs from college to college. But, its main focus is manipulation of the spine in order to ensure therapeutic benefits. It has been more than a century since the first manipulation was performed by D.D. Palmer. A chiropractor is a professional who diagnosis, manages, and prevents mechanical disorders involving the musculoskeletal system. Since these disorders effect the functioning of your nervous system and overall health, the practice helps provide relief. 

What Does A Chiropractor Do? 

Although training and specialty of chiropractic care Oak Park varies, the training focuses on honing the spine to treat the musculoskeletal disorder behind the disease and pain through nerve compression.  If you ask anyone for advice about chiropractics, they would tell you that they are professionals for back pain. The truth is that chiropractors tend to be highly trained and are well-known for spinal manipulation. Most of their training revolves around the spine and providing relief to nervous tension. There are even some chiropractors that deal with the extremities in the hands and legs. Some also provide shoe insets like foot levelers. The expertise of each chiropractor is different and the same holds true for every podiatrist. 

Podiatry 

In the simplest of words, a podiatrist in a health professional that specializes in the treatment of the legs and feet. They treat a variety of conditions like foot injuries, infections, bunions, calluses, corns, ingrown toenails, and toe fungus. A podiatrist also treats foot problems which are caused by underlying medical conditions like arthritis and diabetes. The recommendations made by the podiatrist include medications for treating skin conditions, use of custom-made shoe inserts, and specific exercises. There are some podiatrists that even specialize in certain areas like workplace health, children, and sports. As for others, they deal with hands-on modalities like FMT (Foot Mobilization Technique). FMT is an art that focuses on stimulating the nervous tissue for bringing about change in the surrounding environment.   

Orthotics 

Orthotics Oak Park is shoe inserts. A podiatrist also specializes in biomechanical issues of the leg and foot. They utilize supportive devices which are called orthotics. These devices can be made in pre-form which predetermines the foot type in order to life the arch of the foot to reduce stress on connective tissue. A customized orthotic is a device which helps align the ankle and the foot in the right position to reduce strain and stress on the body.   

The truth is that it all comes down to where the foot problem comes from. It ensures that you achieve the best outcome. If the chiropractor believes that the spinal issues relate to poor foot posture, they may refer you to a podiatrist and vice-versa.