Your feet must hold up your entire body all the time, and this requires a lot of effort. This also puts a lot of strain on the feet, and this can lead to pain and problems with your feet. If you are struggling with foot pain and do not know what it is or what has caused it, you should visit a foot specialist. The foot specialist you see may be able to diagnose the problem by examining your foot and asking you about the pain; but if not, he or she may order some of the following tests.
Blood Tests
If your foot doctor suspects that you might have arthritis in your foot, he or she may recommend taking blood tests to examine your levels. The main thing the doctor will look at is the antibodies in your system, as this will help the doctor determine if there is inflammation in the body. If your foot is hurting from arthritis, the doctor may issue you medication to help with this, and you may also need to go through physical therapy to help reduce your pain and improve your mobility.
X-Rays
Doctors also may recommend taking x-rays of your foot. X-rays are very helpful if the doctor believes that you may have an injury, such as a broken bone. X-rays can help diagnose problems like this, but they are limited in other ways. If your x-rays do not reveal a problem, the doctor may recommend other types of tests.
CAT Scan or MRI
Foot doctors can also diagnose foot pain by using CAT scans and MRIs. Both of these tests are considered imaging tests, and both can reveal a lot of different things. With a CAT scan, doctors are able to get a good look at muscles, tissues, and ligaments, and these are not things doctors can see well with x-rays.
With an MRI, your doctor will be able to also see your tissues and ligaments, but he or she will also get a good look at your tendons and cartilage too.
If you do not want to live with foot pain for the rest of your life, you should visit a doctor that specializes in foot pain or visit a site like http://familyfootanklephysicians.com/. This type of doctor can find the problem and offer a variety of treatment options. Over time, this may help you reduce the pain you are feeling, and it could help you protect your feet.
