There are plenty of shoes that allow people to show off their feet. From sandals to flip flops and peep toe high heels, these shoes show off pedicures and fancy nail polish colors, but they can also show signs of tired, misaligned or even infected feet if you are not careful. If you begin to notice pain or changes in the look or feel of your feet, then you should seek out podiatrists in Ottawa CA to help you figure out why.

If you have pain or any other issue in your feet, it can affect your whole body. A cramp in one foot can cause you to favor your other foot when walking, which in turn can cause stress to that foot. It can also cause hip pain and spinal pain or injury as well. All of this can possibly be avoided by a visit to a foot doctor who can help you get better before other parts of your body start to suffer.

A lot of times, people do not realize that something as simple as walking improperly can cause you all kinds of pain. If you have a bad gait or favor one side more than the other, it can throw your body into an imbalance that hurts. You may be asked to walk and answer a few questions so your doctor can assess what is causing the pain.

Sometimes these ills can be fixed by simply walking differently or changing shoes. Other times, surgery may be needed in order to fix the root cause. Some podiatrists can do the surgery in their office, if they have surgical rooms available, while others may need you to check into a hospital in order to get it done.

If you or a loved one has diabetes, you know that there is special care that needs to be taken of your entire body. This is especially true of the feet, which can suffer greatly in patients with diabetes. From peripheral neuropathy that causes sharp nerve pain to foot ulcers and rashes, there are all kinds of things that must be properly treated in order for a diabetic to keep their feet healthy.

There are some issues that may seem cosmetic at first but can often cause undue rawness and rubbing on your feet and toes. Corns are a great example of this, because they are unsightly but also can cause pressure due to rubbing against shoes. The same goes for calluses that are really thick. Then there are fungal infections such as athlete's foot that are also troublesome and may require a prescription from your doctor.

There are a whole host of other conditions which your podiatrist can help with. Arthritis is a common problem which can develop, causing quite a bit of pain. Then there are sports injuries, whether you are a professional athlete or an amateur just playing for fun. Then there are workplace injuries or accidents that can affect your feet.

In addition to in office treatments, you may be fitted for orthotics, which are inserts placed into your shoes that can help realign your gait, alleviating stress in your feet, hips and spine. Worn daily, they can really help you get back to a life free of pain.