A podiatrist or chiropodist is a podiatric professional; a person devoted to the study and medical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower extremities. In short they specialize in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the foot and lower limbs.
The titles “podiatrist” and “chiropodist” are interchangeable, with the term “podiatrist” becoming more favored within the profession. However, a member of this profession they may not call themselves a “podiatrist” or “chiropodist” until they register with the Health Professions Council (HPC) as these are protected titles.
Generally, they only treat through non-invasive procedures however minor surgical procedures such as nail surgery using local anaesthetics are also performed.
Foot disorders affect most of the general population at some time in their lives.
What Does a Podiatrist Do?
Most of the care a Podiatrist provides for a patient involves one or more the following:
· Relief of pain from foot deformities, injuries and wounds (e.g. bunions, toe deformities and fallen arches).
· Biomechanics/Orthopaedics – treating mechanical problems of the foot and lower limb.
· Prescription and provision of orthoses (specialist insoles) to re-align foot or leg imbalances. This often involves treating specific patient groups such as athletes with sports injuries or children.
· Use of techniques including minor surgery using local anaesthetics (including nail surgery for ingrowing toenails).
· Preventative care for people with specific conditions which may affect their foot health such as patients with diabetes, poor circulation and various forms of arthritis including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis and gout. Patients with diabetes require special care as they are at an increased risk of developing problems such as skin infections and circulatory disorders. Rheumatology – Patients with various joint diseases may have foot problems which require the specialist input from a Podiatrist.
· Recognition of systemic medical conditions which may first manifest themselves within the foot and alleviation of the effects of these disorders such as inflammation or ulceration
· Treatment of verrucae, fungal infections such as athletes foot, sweaty feet, heel pain, callus, chilblains and aging feet.
· Podiatrists also provide foot health education – and Robin is always available to come along to a social evening to check out your feet and give a short talk plus advise
Take a moment to consider the excessive pressure your feet are subjected to everyday. If you had to carry your weight around in your arms all the time you’d be complaining… and your arms would be aching! This pressure can lead to corns, hard skin, bunions and hammer toes. Fungal infections such as athlete’s foot can cause pain and irritation and make nails become discoloured.
Spring and summer months bring with them problems such as hot sweaty feet which may lead to athlete’s foot. Many people (especially women) will wear flip flops or sandals and these can cause hard cracked skin on the heels.
Heel pain and heel spurs are probably one of the most common foot problems after corns and callous (hard skin). It is often referred to as heel spurs, policeman’s heel and plantar fasciitis and usually occurs when getting out of bed and also after resting.
By having regular podiatry / chiropody checkups, many of these problems can be prevented; all can be relieved by having treatment.
Robin Crawley BSc (Hons) FSSCh DipPodMed MBChA is now working from The Complementary Health Care Clinic (34 Exchange Street).
Robin qualified as a chiropodist in 1988 and has worked continuously in this field ever since. In 2003, he was awarded fellowship of his school – the school of Surgical Chiropody and Podiatry in Maidenhead. Robin specializes in the treatment of verrucae using cryosurgery with nitrous oxide – a less painful treatment than the liquid nitrogen used by the NHS. He is very experienced with the use of orthotics (arch supports) and interested in the use of biomechanics. Robin has helped many people ease their foot, leg and back pain with the use of bespoke prescription orthotics – these are made specifically for the individual and are far superior to the off-the-shelf varieties.
Basic hygiene and nail cutting may be all that’s needed to keep your feet in good health. But when normal feet turn into problem feet, it’s best to seek professional help.
To book an appointment, or for more information please call the clinic on 01603 665173 – or pop into your local independent health food store, The Natural Food Store (opposite Jarrolds) for a leaflet.
