The foot is just like any other part of the body and can be affected by any of the many different types of arthritis. Rheumatology is the healthcare speciality which manages all of those numerous arthritis ailments. On the subject of the feet there's lots of podiatrists who have got a expert involvement with rheumatology or the joint disease conditions that affect the foot. One of such experts is Professor Debbie Turner, PhD who is the Director of Academic Program for Podiatric Medicine at the Western Sydney University in Australia. She has been recently a guest on the Facebook livestream, PodChatLive to talk about podiatry and rheumatology. PodChatLive is the monthly live stream which has on a selection of different guests to go over a wide range of issues of meaning to podiatry and the foot. In the episode with Debbie Turner she gave the listeners a taste with just what the role of a Podiatrist within a specialist Rheumatology service needs to be structured. Debbie discussed the problems quite often noticed in the foot in rheumatology clinics and her approach to the evaluation and treatments for these types of conidtions. Debbie in addition provided some good tips for podiatrists who do not work inside Rheumatology, but might well be neglecting conditions due to their capability to masquerade as musculoskeletal issues.

Debbie Turner first graduated as a podiatrist in 1996 and has generally worked clinically and developed a skilled range of practice within the areas of gait investigation and imaging. She obtained an Arthritis Research UK academic fellowship in 2007 after which started learning musculoskeletal ultrasound and injection therapy of the foot. The employment of an incorporated imaging and alignment approach to managing chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus and inflamation related joint disease has been the main objective of her investigation activity. Debbie has published substantially in the field of rheumatology and has helped to set up potential in podiatry research as a result of PhD guidance.