Podiatrist and chiropodist

A podiatrist is a person who works in the medical profession and specialises in the treatment, injury, ailments or genetic problems related to the feet, the ankles or the lower legs. This area of medicine is called podiatry.

A chiropodist, and the discipline chiropody, are the older and theses days less used ways of describing the same area of medicine.

A podiatrist will be a qualified medical professional (a doctor in most countries) and in many cases the podiatrist will have their own area of specialism. This may be surgery or the diagnosis and treatment of a particular group like older people. Podiatry is also used extensively in sports where the lower legs and feet can be susceptible to injury, stains and fatigue etc.

Podiatry and chiropody in different parts of the world

How a podiatrist or chiropodist is perceived and acknowledged varies in different countries throughout the world.

In the UK, where the title chiropodist is still widely used, podiatrists have a slightly more limited scope of practice than in e.g. the USA. Even so, in order to practice as podiatrist it is necessary to register with the HPC and a BSc is one of the requirements. Some podiatrists then go on to study surgery.

In the USA podiatry is split into two different areas. The first has professionals called podiatrists and the second has orthopedists (derived from the word orthopedic). The status of these clinicians is higher in the USA than in the UK, however the scope of the training can also be more extensive. Podiatrists are amongst the highest paid professionals in the USA.

When you might see a podiatrist

If you have any kind of foot or lower leg problem that cannot de diagnosed or resolved by a general practitioner doctor, you may be referred to a podiatrist.

This could be the result of a complex or hard to diagnose injury, or simply because of an in growing toe nail. As with all areas of medicine the treatments range in scope from the minor to the severe.

A podiatrist may be involved in recommending special shoe types like diabetic shoes, or customised orthopedic shoes for people with severely injured or miss-shapen feet. Most podiatrists will recommend all of their patients to wear healthy shoes with good support, plenty of cushioning and low heels.