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Vasseem Shah: Chiropodist / Podiatrist

Podiatry* can be described as ‘maintaining the feet in healthy condition.’ The podiatrist is the specialist responsible for the care of the feet.

The foot is a complex structure which can develop problems if proper care is not taken and can be affected by general medical and surgical conditions. Some foot disorders can also have serious consequences on general health and well-being.

Podiatry is a profession allied to medicine and members of the profession frequently liaise with other specialists. They will often have a good knowledge of the whole body, necessary to assess the causes and health implications of the foot problems presented to them.

After obtaining their first degree in podiatry, many Podiatrists go on to specialise in subjects such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, geriatrics or paediatrics. Podiatrists may diagnose and offer treatment and advice on many types of foot disorders without the need for a referral from a medical practitioner.

Many Podiatrists are involved in screening of schoolchildren for potential or established foot problems as this provides an opportunity to promote good foot-health education from a young age and also prevent potential problems from occurring later in life.

Some conditions are usually treated under local anaesthesia such as ingrowing toenails, benign soft tissue tumours and corns. Podiatrists can also treat problems such as bunions and hammer toes.

*The profession is in the process of changing its title from Chiropody to Podiatry to indicate advances that have been made, and are still being made, in the professional scope of practice, and to use the title that is recognised in most other countries with similar level of education.