Polydactyly Experience

Polydactyl of the foot is one of the most frequent abnormalities in the limb, and a lack of general knowledge of it can lead to labelling and stigma. Personal experience of post-axial polydactyly has made me realise how even a minor abnormality to the foot can significantly affect a person's life. Having an extra digit can not only be a physical hindrance but psychologically damaging as well. For example; having to wear wide shoes resulted in me being teased. A referral to surgery from a podiatrist provided me with comfort for my situation, alongside a better quality of life both physically and mentally. This experience piqued my interest into a professional health career that would allow me to work both alone or in a team to provide a wide range of treatments, including minor surgery that focuses on the lower limb area of the body. Podiatry would give me the ability to fulfil my desire to work with different types of
At the placement I observed everyday procedures from first consultations with patients, through to dealing with minor problems such as cutting toes, removing hard skin and the diagnosis of conditions and provision of treatments. One example was orthotics, such as moulded toe separators, as one of the patients first toe overlapped the second and I learnt that separators would help that patient to reduce discomfort and swelling of the foot. While witnessing the treatments the Podiatrist took the time to clarify the tools used and gave an explanation as to how the procedures were conducted, giving treatments to patients in the meantime. This has given me knowledge about a variety of issues and an understanding of how to treat them. One condition I came across was a woman who had a stroke, this led to her developing hammer toes on one foot, and this would also cause other problems such as corns and calluses that were dealt with by the