CO Podiatrist Discusses Role of Podiatrists

"The old adage 'when your feet hurt, you hurt all over' is true," said Cortez podiatrist Terry Cook, DPM. "Foot problems present a special challenge. If your arm hurts, you can just ease up on using it for a while until it heals, but it's hard to get around on just one foot." 

"Podiatrists treat foot and ankle problems like ingrown toenails, sprains, fractures, infections and inflammatory conditions, and bunions. And a big part of what we do is care for patients who have diabetes to help prevent amputations," Cook said. Like MDs, DOs, and other licensed healthcare providers, DPMs send their patients for laboratory studies and x-rays, prescribe medications, order physical therapy treatments, and perform surgery.