podiatry

COMING SOON

What is Chiropody/Podiatry?

A Podiatrist is a trained healthcare professional specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal conditions of the lower limbs and feet.

We tend to take our feet for granted but the foot is a highly complex structure that can develop problems that can affect a person’s overall health and well-being. There are 26 bones in each foot - a quarter of all the bones in the body! That’s something worth paying attention to in terms of foot health and wellbeing.

Podiatrists deal with the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of foot and lower limb disorders. Podiatrists work with people of all ages including athletes, children and the elderly.

Treatments ranges from simple nail care to nail surgery, from the mechanical correction of gait and posture to more complex surgical techniques. Effective practice requires a strong combination of practical skills and academic ability. They can also assist with cracked heels, painful feet, warts, verrucas or other growths, thickened or discoloured toenails, or any other foot problems.

Treatments offered

Conservative and surgical management of in-growing toenails
Diabetic assessments
Management of heel and forefoot pain
Verrucae advice and treatments: Needling, Salycilic acid, Silver nitrate, Cryo therapy
Athletes foot and fungal nails
Nail pathology
Corns, callus, skin fissures and podiatric dermatology
Care of high risk patients including diabetics
Relief of pain caused by deformities and dysfunction and leg length discrepancies
Gait analysis
Bio-mechanical assessments with semi-custom or custom made orthotics
Steroid injection therapy
Vionic and Strive shoes, specialist foot creams and foot files can also be purchased at the clinic

The importance of choosing a State Registered Chiropodist/Podiatrist

Presently, the term podiatry (and chiropody) are not protected and therefore anyone can set up in private practice calling themselves a Podiatrist with little or no training, so it is important to take the following into account:

State registration is the standard set by the Government through the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.
Anyone who claims to be a Podiatrist or chiropodist must register with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). (You can check on their website if a practitioner is registered.)
To become state registered a 3-year BSc degree course in Podiatry must be completed at a recognised training centre.
State registration is the only standard acceptable to the NHS.
Only state registered Chiropodists/Podiatrists can be employed by the NHS.