Perception of Podiatry by a Teenage Girl

So, what comes into your head when you think of a podiatry clinic?

I asked some of my classmates at college what they know about podiatry and how they’d feel about having to attend a podiatry appointment. Many people told me that they wouldn’t see the point. They’d be scared or wouldn’t want to go because they think it would be awkward letting someone touch their feet. Or they feel like it would be a painful experience.

If I’m honest, I also had this perception to begin with. When I heard the words podiatry clinic I expected it to be a hospital type environment with a real clinical, serious feel. I expected there to be the same atmosphere that you find in doctors or dentists. That kind of stressful, distressing undertone. Surely something so technical and medical would be nerve racking and daunting. You would think that it would be quite an awkward situation. I mean what is there to talk about while someone is investigating and scrutinising your feet?

Truth is it’s not as scary as you think.

Walking in, you find yourself in a very different environment from what would be found at a hospital or dentist. It’s more of a welcoming building allowing you to feel at ease from the very beginning. Although this may seem like quite an intimidating appointment to approach, I can assure you that the podiatrists will alleviate your stress and nerves. Using their naturally chatty, friendly manner will put you at ease.

I have experienced this first hand! I can guarantee your appointment will be filled with giggles and chit chat ensuring you have a tension free experience. Believe me when I say that all your prejudgements are misconceptions. Tthe second that you step into a clinic with any one of these podiatrists you will quickly see the reality that its actually not bad. All your worries will be wiped. Although you may go into the appointment feeling as though you are being judged (I would think that too, don’t worry) its honestly the complete opposite. Wrapped up in conversation you may even forget that you’re getting your feet checked. Trust me on this, it’s nothing to worry about at all.

Above all, I can guarantee that you will see results that would won’t be able to believe. I can say from first-hand experience, that the treatments will benefit you extremely. You will quickly see a difference. Faye (one of the podiatrists) examine my foot as I had a large spot on it. After immediately identifying it as a verruca she froze it and after just one appointment it had vanished. Some may even call this magic!

I also found that many of my classmates had no idea whatsoever about podiatry. They thought it was useless. I believe that this is definitely something that needs to change.

More should be done to create awareness about podiatry. Educating young people and the general public on what can be done to help and where they can receive this help. We rely on our feet everyday as the foundation of our bodies. We stand, walk, run, dance, play sport and exercise which can be hard on our feet even for the toughest of people.

Regularly visiting a podiatrist can help prevent and sooth pain. Making sure your feet are comfortable allowing you to tackle your day to your full potential. I feel that this is especially important for my age group. Teens are more active and we rely on our feet for a lot without even sparing a second thought. Almost all of my friends take part in physical activity whether that would be a sport like gymnastics and football or just simply going to the gym or going on regular runs. We all find that we regularly exercise and take part in physically demanding activities, which is why I believe foot health and podiatry is essential in a young person’s life.

Personally, I am a dancer and my main dance style is ballet.

As you can imagine this is extremely demanding for my feet due to the pointe shoes that I wear each lesson. Surely, by going to a podiatrist, and getting help to make sure my feet are in check and healthy, it would better my performance and make dance an all-round more comfortable and enjoyable experience. And this would most definitely apply to an extremely large number of teenagers and young adults whether that be your badminton shoes rubbing and irritating your feet or damaged feet from landing stunts while cheerleading, I personally believe that everyone can benefit from keeping on top of their foot health. So, stop neglecting your foot health and taking your feet for granted. Stop ignoring that dead skin or that verruca and putting off making an appointment. Take action. Maybe a visit to Medipod is needed after all.  

Thank you so much for reading.

Aneli Godden-Wood

16 years old
www.medipodclinics.com