Foot Pain? Be Prepared For the Doctor
You have been having pain in your foot, or feet, and have just scheduled an appointment with your local Podiatrist, what can you do to help your physician treat you? Knowledge is power. The more information you can provide your Podiatrist, the greater ability for him/her to assess and treat you. Hopefully you are asking yourself, what can I do? The answers are in the details. Answering the following questions in advance can help your physician immensely.
1. What caused the pain to start?
- This is a simple question to have answered. Is the pain in response to a traumatic event or did it just start out of the blue?
2. When did the pain start?
- Is this an acute, meaning recent, problem OR has this been a long standing issue?
3. Where exactly is the pain?
- Probably the most important question to have an answer for before your appointment.
4. How would you describe the pain?
- This one might be a little difficult to answer, but it is always helpful is you can elaborate on it just hurts.
- Good words to describe the type of pain: sharp, dull, burning, stinging, stabbing, throbbing.
5. What makes the pain worse?
6. What makes the pain better?
7. Has this happened before?
8. How would you rate your pain?
- This is typically on a 0-10 scale. Zero being no pain at all, and ten the worst you have ever experienced.
If you can answer these questions to the best of your ability prior to your appointment, you and your physician can spend more time on treating what ails you. This is just one easy thing you can do to be a part of the solution in your healthcare. As was made famous in Jerry Maguire Help Me, Help you.
If you have any questions about your foot care, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Bowman at 713-467-8886 or online appointments visit Houston Foot Specialists website.
Category: Foot Pain
Tags: ankle pain, Foot Care, foot pain, Physical Therapy, Preparing for Appointment