I have had a painful right foot since November, I mainly suffer from the ball of my foot. The GP thinks of an inflamed joint or possibly a piece of glass that was left behind, because I stepped into glass a year ago.
Can an ultrasound at a podiatrist show whether there is glass in my foot or whether there is something else involved? Or should I have an ultrasound done in the hospital? I wondered if there is a difference between an ultrasound examination at a podiatrist or in the hospital.
Brigitte
Sepp Mortelmans, podiatrist
The biggest difference between the ultrasound at a podiatrist and the ultrasound in the hospital is that the ultrasound in the hospital is an examination in itself and the ultrasound at the podiatrist is part of the investigation into the cause and nature of the complaints.
When you go to the hospital for an ultrasound, there is a specific question from the doctor to look at a certain structure or part of the foot. They then record the findings in a report. A podiatrist uses the ultrasound in the total investigation into the cause and nature of the complaints. So not only what can be seen on the ultrasound is important, but also what could be the cause of your complaints.
An ultrasound will certainly show whether there is any residual glass in the foot. If this is not the case, I can immediately see what is causing the pain at the ball of the foot.
Do you also have a question? Then ask one of our experts. Always go to your doctor with urgent questions, the experts are not the right person for that. They also do not diagnose. You can find the other conditions here.
Sepp Mortelmans is a podiatrist. He is a specialist in the field of ultrasound and foot complaints as a result of rheumatism. You can ask him questions about foot problems in general and his field in particular.
