What is a Podiatrist and why do I need one?

September 27, 2017

A Podiatrist and a Chiropodist mean the same thing and these two terms are used interchangeably. There are many preconceptions about what a Podiatrist is and what a Podiatrist does.

Many people believe a Podiatrist just cuts toenails and removes hard skin; however, a Podiatrist is a foot and ankle specialist, trained to assess, diagnose and manage any type of foot and ankle abnormality or problem.

Upon qualifying many Podiatrists choose to sub-specialise in a particular field of Podiatry such as dermatology, diabetic foot care, biomechanics, and many more.

Most people visit a Podiatrist when they have pain or discomfort with their feet or if they notice any abnormal physical changes such as a bunion.

When you visit a Podiatrist they will carry out a thorough assessment of your feet which allows them to diagnose your condition. They will then give you specialist advice and in many cases, formulate a treatment plan for you.

If you are suffering from foot/ankle pain or notice anything unusual your first port of call should be a Podiatrist. You should not delay seeking professional advice as early detection means treatment can be started sooner rather than later and this often means a better prognosis (treatment success/cure).

The most common reasons people come to see a Podiatrist are:

Corns and callus (hard skin)
In-growing toenails and general nail care
Fungal toenails
Verrucae
Athletes foot

You don’t have to be suffering from foot pain to make an appointment with a podiatrist. A benefit of seeing a Podiatrist can be for foot health education and prevention of problems. A Podiatrist can provide lots of useful information even before you have a complaint with your feet about how to stop the development of preventable foot problems.

Alongside this the Podiatrist can educate you on the self-care of your feet; self-care is beneficial when you are equipped with the correct knowledge of how to carry this out safely and effectively.