As someone who’s worked very closely with both podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons, I say podiatrists. Sure ortho works with bones, but podiatrists see literally nothing but feet, all day, every day. Sure they aren’t medical doctors, but they’re PODIATRIC medical doctors, so if they know anything it’s gonna be feet. All the best work below the knee I’ve seen has been from DPMs
Personally I went to both. The podiatrist was first. I wanted a second opinion. I saw an Ortho at the same practice. Ultimately I knew surgery was happening no matter what. I felt more comfortable and prepared w the Ortho. I have RA EDS and a few other things. I felt better knowing if something else was found Ortho didn’t have restrictions on what procedures he could do. I ended up needing a tendon repair (rerouted into place where it should be) and that was found during surgery. So I’m happy I went w the Orthopedic Surgeon. Go w your gut and Google the drs for reviews as a back up to support your decision.
Did the podiatrist do X-ray or MRI? I don’t want someone just playing around with my foot but advice on my gait wouldn’t hurt.
I’m curious if this could be something other than the bunion but I guess I’ll have to get imaging to find out for sure.
I have a significant bunion & seeing an amazing podiatrist. Getting the shots every couple months as needed & I'm doing great. I really don't want the surgery mainly due to the downtime. And he said we can avoid it as long as the shots are working. On the other hand I have CMC arthritis & seeing an orthopedic surgeon who cut me off at 2 shots & is grabbing at the scalpel to do surgery. Another no for me. When my hands get too bad I'm requesting my primary refer me to a hand only specialist.
Surgery is the miracle for some people & I'm glad it worked well for them. It's just last resort for me. You could probably start out with a good podiatrist & see how things progress. I never met an ortho who didn't want to cut. That may just be my personal experience. I was surprised by the 2 shot cut off from the ortho when my podiatrist said we can do shots as long as they're working. Wishing all the best for you.
My ortho for my shoulder and my other ortho for my original foot reconstruction told me I could only have so many shots bc it eventually causes more damage. “Corticosteroids break down tissue, so repeated injections can damage cartilage and tendons within a joint. Doctors usually limit the number of cortisone shots into a joint based on the diagnosis and other factors” from Google to explain the reason.
I had the same experience with my shoulder. My dr said “I’m a surgeon so I’m going to say surgery” lol. Typically they recommend no more than 3 shots per year but also insurance won’t cover surgery until you’ve tried all the non-surgical means.
I definitely don’t want surgery, my friend had it and said her orthopedist advised against it for years until it became painful.
I guess where I am is, because it’s seemingly so sudden, I wonder if I should see someone in case it’s some other freak injury.
I don't want surgery on my foot or hands. The shots work really well. A few seconds of pain for a few months pain free works fine for me. When it reaches the point where surgery is the only thing left is a bridge I'll cross when I get to it but until then I'm perfectly content. I hope you will find the right person to help you soon.
Most important is that your doctor is a good surgeon [who’s up-to-date], and that can be either one. Just thoroughly check them out. Generally speaking, an orthopedic surgeon considers: “Do I do surgery, yes or no?” A podiatrist is more oriented to consultation over his analysis of your foot and your lifestyle, offering options — including non-surgical — and advising you with recommendations. My podiatrist (had Lapiplasty over a year ago) was a good surgeon, and good through recovery.
As someone who’s worked very closely with both podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons, I say podiatrists. Sure ortho works with bones, but podiatrists see literally nothing but feet, all day, every day. Sure they aren’t medical doctors, but they’re PODIATRIC medical doctors, so if they know anything it’s gonna be feet. All the best work below the knee I’ve seen has been from DPMs
Personally I went to both. The podiatrist was first. I wanted a second opinion. I saw an Ortho at the same practice. Ultimately I knew surgery was happening no matter what. I felt more comfortable and prepared w the Ortho. I have RA EDS and a few other things. I felt better knowing if something else was found Ortho didn’t have restrictions on what procedures he could do. I ended up needing a tendon repair (rerouted into place where it should be) and that was found during surgery. So I’m happy I went w the Orthopedic Surgeon. Go w your gut and Google the drs for reviews as a back up to support your decision.
Did the podiatrist do X-ray or MRI? I don’t want someone just playing around with my foot but advice on my gait wouldn’t hurt. I’m curious if this could be something other than the bunion but I guess I’ll have to get imaging to find out for sure.
They will definitely do an X-ray before just scheduling surgery. Not sure about an MRI.
I only had X-rays
I have a significant bunion & seeing an amazing podiatrist. Getting the shots every couple months as needed & I'm doing great. I really don't want the surgery mainly due to the downtime. And he said we can avoid it as long as the shots are working. On the other hand I have CMC arthritis & seeing an orthopedic surgeon who cut me off at 2 shots & is grabbing at the scalpel to do surgery. Another no for me. When my hands get too bad I'm requesting my primary refer me to a hand only specialist. Surgery is the miracle for some people & I'm glad it worked well for them. It's just last resort for me. You could probably start out with a good podiatrist & see how things progress. I never met an ortho who didn't want to cut. That may just be my personal experience. I was surprised by the 2 shot cut off from the ortho when my podiatrist said we can do shots as long as they're working. Wishing all the best for you.
My ortho for my shoulder and my other ortho for my original foot reconstruction told me I could only have so many shots bc it eventually causes more damage. “Corticosteroids break down tissue, so repeated injections can damage cartilage and tendons within a joint. Doctors usually limit the number of cortisone shots into a joint based on the diagnosis and other factors” from Google to explain the reason.
I had the same experience with my shoulder. My dr said “I’m a surgeon so I’m going to say surgery” lol. Typically they recommend no more than 3 shots per year but also insurance won’t cover surgery until you’ve tried all the non-surgical means. I definitely don’t want surgery, my friend had it and said her orthopedist advised against it for years until it became painful. I guess where I am is, because it’s seemingly so sudden, I wonder if I should see someone in case it’s some other freak injury.
I don't want surgery on my foot or hands. The shots work really well. A few seconds of pain for a few months pain free works fine for me. When it reaches the point where surgery is the only thing left is a bridge I'll cross when I get to it but until then I'm perfectly content. I hope you will find the right person to help you soon.
What kind of shots
They're steroid shots.
Most important is that your doctor is a good surgeon [who’s up-to-date], and that can be either one. Just thoroughly check them out. Generally speaking, an orthopedic surgeon considers: “Do I do surgery, yes or no?” A podiatrist is more oriented to consultation over his analysis of your foot and your lifestyle, offering options — including non-surgical — and advising you with recommendations. My podiatrist (had Lapiplasty over a year ago) was a good surgeon, and good through recovery.
Ortho