A Podiatrist is a health professional who deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical and surgical conditions of the feet and lower limbs.

How can a Podiatrist help you?

Podiatrists can be thought of as a type of foot doctor. They can give you and your family advice on how to look after your feet and what type of shoes to wear.

You may want to see a Podiatrist for advice and treatment if you have painful feet, thickened, discoloured or ingrown toenails, cracks or cuts in the skin, growths such as warts, scaling or peeling on the soles, or any other foot-related problem.

Podiatrists can also supply orthotics, which are custom-made insoles for your shoes, with padding and arch supports to relieve arch or heel pain. You put the orthotic device into your shoe to re-align your foot, take pressure off vulnerable areas of your foot or simply to make your shoes more comfortable.

Even if your feet are generally in good condition, you might consider having a single session of podiatry to have the hard skin on your feet removed, toenails clipped, to find out if you’re wearing the right shoes (take your shoes with you for specific advice on footwear) or just to check that you’re looking after your feet properly.

Podiatry services may include:

• Treatment for thickened, discolored or ingrown toenails including routine nail care.
• Treatment for corns, callouses and cracks to the skin of the foot.
• Treatment of painful feet and foot deformities including bunions.
• Footwear advice and orthotic prescription.
• Wound management for the foot and lower leg.
• Management of the high risk foot including diabetic foot assessments.