Podiatry

Podiatry is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the foot and lower limb. Within the field of podiatry, practitioners can focus on many different specialty areas including surgery, sports medicine, biomechanics, geriatrics, paediatrics, diabetes and rheumatology.

Technically there is no difference between a podiatrist and a chiropodist. Podiatry is simply a more modern term adopted in the UK, along with many other countries, to reflect the advancements of treatment and regulatory changes within the profession.

There is, however, a perception that chiropody is the diagnosis and treatment of more general foot complaints, such as corns, verrucae and fungal infections, while podiatry is involved in more specialist areas such as biomechanics and surgery.

The most important thing when considering chiropodic/podiatric treatment is whether the practitioner is fully qualified and a State registered practitioner. Historically an individual may have had as few as six weeks training before being able to set up practice and call themselves a chiropodist or podiatrist. Now, as a minimum, they must undertake a three-year university degree including practical training and be registered with the Health Professionals Council before they are permitting to use the terms podiatrist or chiropodist.

For those who do not meet these minimum criteria they must use another term with the most common being a Foot Health Practitioner. The use of either podiatrist or chiropodist or the adjectival form by a non-registrant is unlawful.

Using specialist software, video Gait analysis allows the assessment of your movement patterns and posture to help diagnose the root cause of a given problem.

This is part of a Biomechanical assessment where the structure, alignment, symmetry, strengths and deficits of the lower limb can be identified.

Orthotic insoles are a medical ‘in-shoe’ appliance most commonly prescribed by Podiatrists that specialise in musculoskeletal disorders. They are typically used as part of the management of recurrent injuries/pain due to a particular movement pattern.

Steroid injections are used for painful problems of the foot/ankle. They are a powerful anti inflammatory medication, commonly used for inflamed joints and soft tissues.