A chiropodist is a medical professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle problems. Some chiropodists specialize in treating pediatric, adult, or geriatric foot problems. Others may be chiropodic surgeons that specialize in performing foot and ankle surgeries. Chiropodists practice in a wide range of settings including their own offices, hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities.

A chiropodist can treat most ailments that affect the feet and ankles. These include injuries, such as broken toes and sprained ankles, deformities like bunions or hammertoes, and systemic conditions that affect the lower limbs, such as diabetes and arthritis. A chiropodist can also treat foot warts, athlete’s foot, ingrown toenails and toenail fungus, among many other conditions.

You should seek the care of a chiropodist if you experience any foot or ankle pain, have injured your lower limbs, have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, or poor circulation, or notice any irregularities in your feet or ankles, such as swelling, bruising, discoloration, rashes, cuts, scrapes, sores, wounds, or strange sensations such as tingling, burning, itchiness, or numbness.

If you have any foot or ankle problems, please see a chiropodist near you.