At Long Island Foot & Ankle Care, PC finding the source of your foot discomfort and treating it so you can get back to your life without pain is our number one priority. You may not realize it but you can play a big role in our Lake Success or Valley Stream office. As a patient, your preparation for your appointment and your interaction with us can make your time with the podiatrist more productive and reduce your recovery time. It’s true! Here’s what you can do:
1. Give yourself the “Joe Friday” treatment. In other words, bring in as many facts as you can about your foot, toe or ankle condition. Our foot and ankle surgeons, Dr. Russell Caprioli, Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti, Dr. John Haight or Dr. Marzana Mleczko will want to know details about the pain you’re experiencing: where exactly on your foot is the pain, how would you describe the pain (stabbing, aching, dull, throbbing), how long have you had it, is there anything that makes it worse (exercise, cold weather, running), have you ever had this pain before and did you have any treatment related to it, how did it come on—suddenly or gradually.
2. Bring the right stuff. If this is your first appointment with us be sure to have previous medical records that pertain to past podiatric treatment and also be ready to give the foot doctor your medical history. If your foot pain seems worse when you wear a particular pair of shoes, you should wear or bring those to your appointment (otherwise bring the shoes that you wear most often). Your shoes may hold clues in their style or wear pattern that will help the foot doctor diagnose the source of your discomfort.
3. Don’t be shy. Talk to us about your symptoms, concerns with the condition you have or the treatment options the podiatrist suggests. Often there are multiple options and the goal is to create a treatment plan that will best fit your lifestyle.
4. Stick with the plan. Once the foot doctor prescribes a treatment, stay with it. Or, if you decide to discontinue a medication or therapy, be sure to let us know as soon as possible. Your healing with definitely be delayed if you and the podiatrist are not communicating about what you are doing and how the treatment is going.
The best patient care results from a good partnership between you and the foot doctor. If you are having issues with your feet or ankles, contact us by calling: (516) 825-4070 or (516) 327-0074.