I’ve recently starting running again and I’m having problems with my knees, shins and ankles. I want to go see a doctor about the problems, but I’m not sure what type of specialist to go and see. A Podiatrist? Orthopedist? Sports Medicine?
Does a Podiatrist deal with knee problems? Would an Orthopedist be able to diagnose problems below the knee? Or would a Sports Med be the best since I’m pretty sure everything results from running?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mods if this is inappropriate, I apologize and please close this thread
You’re best bet is probably to talk to your GP (your ‘regular’ doctor). He/she will be able to, based on your symptoms, give you the best course of action and tell you where to go and who to see.
As Joey said, see your primary care doc first. I’m assuming you have insurance - most plans want you to run everything through your primary first, and they coordinate referrals.
Otherwise, my first choice would be a sports med doc. A lot of GPs have a tendency to dummy up and say “Well, don’t run so much!” when a patient says it hurts when they run. A sports med doc understands that there’s something that needs to be addressed so you can run more.
Also, hunt down the best athletic shoe shop in your area. There’s one in this area that (at least they were the last time I was there) is graced with the periodic presence of a doctor, and you could go there and say “It hurts when I run” and they’d check you over to see if you’re pronating/supinating/flattening your arch, etc and get you fitted properly in the shoe and possibly insoles best suited to your body.
Many Board certified Family Physicians also have an additional certification in sports medicine. You could look for one like that, IF your family doc isn’t able to address your concerns (most should be able to, but not all).