Your foot and/or ankle have been incredibly sore and tender lately. It hurts when you walk. As you think about calling your family doctor, you wonder if you should call a podiatrist instead…but you may not be exactly sure what they do?
Good thinking! Your intuition happens to be correct. A podiatrist is the only type of healthcare provider who has specialized and complete training in the foot and ankle.
A podiatrist, otherwise known as a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM), diagnoses, treats and helps to prevent foot and ankle injuries, diseases and disorders. They also deal with leg issues caused by foot and ankle conditions. A podiatrist can perform surgery, as well as prescribe medications, and physical therapy.
Because many diseases have symptoms that tend to occur in the foot and ankle regions, podiatrists are often able to detect serious health conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease or arthritis.
You may not realize it, but podiatrists are educated in a mixture of areas including dermatology and orthopedics. Some podiatrists specialize in a particular area, such as sports medicine or geriatrics. However, many have practices that offer a variety of specialties.
Let’s take for example Baltimore-based Dr. Jordan R. Stewart, DPM. Dr. Stewart’s practice, The Timonium Foot and Ankle Center, offers a large variety of podiatric services to its patients.
Some of these include:
- Treatment For Adults and Children
- In-Office Digital X-rays
- Ultrasound Imaging
- Laser Therapy (For Pain and Toenail Conditions)
- Foot and Ankle Surgery
- Custom Foot Orthotics
- Sports Medicine Care
- Diabetic Foot Care
- Pain Management
- Nail and Skin Conditions
- Durable Medical Equipment for The Foot and Ankle
- Second Opinion Evaluation
Dr. Stewart is able to handle all types of podiatric needs for patients of all ages. He has been praised by his patients as being easy mannered, friendly, caring, and spending quality time with them without feeling rushed.
It takes eight years of schooling in both under-graduate and graduate programs to become a podiatrist. Dr. Stewart, for example, attained his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland at College Park. He then went on to attend one of the top podiatry schools in the nation at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia.
Following his schooling, Dr. Stewart then completed a 3-year surgical residency at Baltimore-based Mercy Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His third year of training included a fellowship in foot and ankle surgery in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Stewart is also certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. A podiatrist can become board certified when they receive advanced training and clinical experience. They must also pass an in- depth, thorough exam.
Podiatrists stay current and updated on the latest technology to treat foot and ankle conditions. When Dr. Stewart is not seeing patients, he spends time studying and researching new advancements in podiatric medicine, and only recommends the most effective treatments to his patients.
One of these is the Diowave 15W Therapeutic Pain Laser to treat pain in the foot and ankle. This FDA-approved laser is highly effective in treating pain, while at the same time being a pain-free treatment process with no side effects.
Another new type of technology Dr. Stewart uses in his practice is called CoolTouch Laser Therapy. This laser painlessly and quickly treats toenail and soft tissue conditions without the use of medication. This makes your recovery much faster and avoids the side effects of oral medications.
Dr. Stewart only performs surgery in the when necessary and only after all non-invasive treatments have been exhausted. He has extensive surgical experience and has been praised by his peers for his dedication and excellence in this area. Here is what one of his patients had to say:
“I can’t thank Dr. Stewart enough for taking good care of me. As his peers stated, he is a very precise surgeon whose work is exemplary.”
Podiatrists are the most qualified doctors to take care of your foot and ankle problems. If you have a foot and/or ankle condition and would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stewart, give us a call at 410-560-2777 or simply fill out the brief form on the top right of this page.
Here are some things that his patients regularly say about him:
“I would absolutely recommend Timonium Foot and Ankle, Dr. Stewart and his staff to anyone. I want to give them all a HUGE Thank You !!!”
“I have been very happy with him and have referred several of my friends and family to see him.”
“Dr. Stewart and his staff are the best!!!!”
“I highly recommend the Timonium Foot and Ankle Center to anyone who has foot and/or ankle issues. My family and I are so grateful to Dr. Stewart for helping us all out.”