The study, diagnosis and treatment of the feet, ankles, and lower leg is known as Podiatry.
The term podiatry originated in the USA and refers to a Doctor of Podiatric medicine who is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that involve the feet. There are many branches of podiatry including surgery, geriatrics, sports medicine and biomechanics. In some English speaking countries podiatry is still known as chiropody and the doctors as chiropodists and though there are some differences the two are generally the same. Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition affecting the thick fibrous tissues that begin at the heel bone and continue along the sole of the foot towards the toes known as the plantar fascia. This condition which is usually caused by long hours of standing related to occupation is said to affect nearly two million Americans. It can also be caused by too much weight constantly bearing down on the feet. The condition starts with a pain in the heel which gets stronger, rather than eases, when the muscles are warmed up, but is more intense in the mornings when taking the first steps. Another symptom of plantar fasciitis is that the sufferer has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are bent upwards towards the shin which restricts movement in the ankle. It can also increase the likelihood of pains in the knees particularly among runners but not confined to them. A podiatrist will generally examine the foot and the way a patient stands and walks, before making a diagnosis, and the treatment will involve rest, stretching, special shoes and in some cases may require the use of corticosteroids. Medial tibial stress syndrome is the formal name for a painful condition of the shins known as shin splints.
It can occur when jumping, sprinting and running. Athletes who tend to use one set of muscles when specializing in an activity are likely to suffer shin splints and if such a condition remains untreated it is possible that a stress fracture may occur. This can lead to stress fractures if the condition is not treated. It is usually diagnosed as increasing pain that worsens rather than eases during exercise when warmed up. Cold compresses, rest, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be recommended by the podiatrist to relieve such pain. Barefoot running is not often seen today though some famous athletes, such as Zola Budd were renowned for it. With the advances in running shoes design the general belief is that wearing shoes is more beneficial than running barefoot. When running barefoot, the emphasis is based on the balls of the feet whereas the emphasis is changed to the heel and the area around the back of the heel when wearing running shoes. It has been argued that wearing running shoes with the stress on the heels may cause repetitive stress problems but barefoot running is thought to be healthier because the weight distribution is more evenly spread.
There is no concrete evidence as to which is better though most sports authorities recommend that running shoes be worn.

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