Fear of the Foot Doctor Can Hurt

It’s Halloween and while “Fear of the Foot Doctor” may sound like a fright night movie pic, at Texas Foot Specialists we know that some patients are nervous to bring their concerns to our Pasadena (281) 991-0600, Sugar Land (281) 242-4448 or Houston (713) 664-6677 office. Our podiatrists Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller want to reassure you that we will do everything we can to make your visit comfortable and that there are no scary surprises lurking in our exam rooms. 

Below are some of the more common fears we’ve heard in the past:

“I’m afraid something bad is wrong with my foot.”

The fear of getting bad news at the foot doctor’s office is perhaps the biggest reason patients put off making an appointment. If you are experiencing pain however, in your feet or ankles, the sooner you get it evaluated the better the chance that your treatment will be low impact and for a shorter duration of time. Delaying seeking treatment, on the other hand, can start to alter how you walk and cause additional problems or even cause a fall injury. In most cases your fears are larger than the foot problem and the sooner treatment starts, the sooner you’ll get relief.

“I’m too busy to have to stay off my foot.”

It’s true that for some podiatric conditions, rest is prescribed. But often the recommendation is to put your foot up several times a day and not to stay off it completely. If you do have a condition that requires immobilization of your foot, however, continuing to walk on it may lay you up for a much longer time or lead to an unwanted surgery.

“The foot doctor will think I didn’t keep my feet clean.”

If you have a skin rash or abnormal looking toenail, there is a chance that you have a bacterial  or fungal infection. These are very contagious and easy to pick up in public places such as the gym, pool or nail salon. It does not mean that you don’t wash your feet often enough! Not treating a skin or nail infection can cause it to spread to other family members or even to other parts of your own body.

So, don’t be scared! If you have noticed anything unusual about your feet, contact us today.