Podiatry and chiropody

Podiatry is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Within the United Kingdom, the titles podiatrist and chiropodist are, to some extent, interchangeable.

Podiatrists assess, diagnose and treat people with problems of the feet, ankles and lower legs. Podiatrists provide many services including the following:

• essential foot care for people unable to reach their own feet

• vascular and neurological assessment, and wound management for diabetics
• treatment of ingrowing toe nails
• physical therapy
• palliative care for rheumatoid arthritis
• rehabilitation planning, for example for an athlete with a recurring knee problem

Foot facts

• an average adult takes about 18,000 steps each day
• in a life time our feet cover about 70,000 miles, equivalent to walking 4 times round the world
• 75 to 80 percent of adults will suffer from lower limb problems at some time in their life
• 62% of all sports injuries affect the lower limb