Sowell Podiatry makes every effort to comply with HIPPA standards. We feel it is important to gain our patients trust by protecting their privacy for them. Patients determine how their information is used and we follow their wishes concerning communication about them in the offices and when communicating with other offices and facilities. Be sure to read our HIPPA compliance documents when visiting our offices.
We care about our patients and want to be available to them around the clock. Podiatry does not have many “emergencies” and therefore allows us to be fairly open with our contact information. We trust our patients to use wisdom when deciding if they are experiencing an emergency and whether Dr. Sowell will be able to help them. During regular office hours, the phones are covered (even during lunch) and after hours there is an answering machine that will record messages that are not of an emergent nature. However, at the end of the answering machine Dr. Sowell’s cell phone number is given in case you need to reach him. Also, he is on staff at most area hospitals and can be reached by simply asking staff to contact him. We also answer email questions from our website and blog if you have a special question or concern that is not an emergency or does not require an office visit.
Rest Pain
By · CommentsRest pain is a pain that is typically felt in the feet and legs while trying to fall asleep. Patients will describe a burning that often requires them to get up and move around or to hang their feet off of the side of the bed. Some patients will even sleep in a chair to avoid rest pain. This can be a sign of significant arterial circulation disease and should be addressed immediately. Please seek your podiatrist or primary care physician to see if your burning is due to arterial disease.
Additionally there are other symptoms concerning arterial disease that should be followed up with your doctor. Pain in your calf muscles that occurs when walking can also be a sign of circulatory disease. Some patients say my legs give out, my legs start burning or have to sit for a while and wait for the pain to go away. Then they get up and walk about the same distance before experiencing the pain again. This is called intermittent claudication and is another sign of arterial disease.
It is not normal to have foot or leg pain while walking, resting or trying to fall asleep. Call Sowell Podiatry today if you are having these issues. We offer in office vascular testing that is easy and is non-invasive. We can help.
Nursing home residents deserve the same care and compassion as any patient in our practice. Dr. Sowell has always had a heart for elderly patients, particularly those in nursing home facilities. He has seen patients in nursing home facilities since August 1997 and currently sees residents of over fifteen area nursing homes. Our goal is to treat our nursing home patients with the same quality care provided in our office. We travel to their facility and see each resident that needs care in their room, providing more privacy and comfort. Getting to know our nursing home patients is a great experience and providing them relief of pain and deformity with respect and dignity is our goal
Dr. Sowell will take every opportunity to speak to or educate diabetics concerning their foot and medical care. Too many people with diabetes suffer from wounds, infections and amputations that could be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. Diabetic foot complications put a large burden on our medical system and on the families affected by the disease. If you know a person who has diabetes, please help them get involved in their own medical care and educate themselves on proper nutrition, blood sugar control, foot exams, eye exams, etc. Sowell Podiatry provides education in the office, on our website (www.sowellpodiatry.com), on our blog (www.nacogdochesfootdoctor.com), through speaking engagements and community events.
Diagnosis and treatment are not enough. Patients need to be educated on their condition, treatment options and prevention. Too often patients settle for a quick diagnosis from their physician and are handed a prescription on the way out without any explanation as to the severity of their problem, its cause, or how to prevent this from recurring. At Sowell Podiatry, Dr. Sowell spends much of his time explaining the cause of the condition so patients have a better understanding and, therefore, can make a better decision concerning treatment. Typically, many treatment options are considered and discussed. Dr. Sowell feels a patient educated on their condition makes better decisions and is more compliant to the course of treatment. Written handouts and articles are distributed to promote more study at home if desired and our website (www.sowellpodiatry.com) is a great resource for information.
