A podiatrist is a health care practitioner who can assess, diagnose and treat disorders of the lower limb. The terms chiropodist and podiatrist are used by practitioners and although both podiatrist and chiropodist are currently interchangeable terms, there is a move by a lot of podiatrists to move away from the term chiropodist.

To become a podiatrist, you must have completed an honours degree level course which includes 1000 hours of clinical practice. Podiatry students study areas including anatomy, physiology, medicine, biomechanics, clinical practice and much more.

Once qualified, a podiatrist is an autonomous practitioner who can deliver the treatment required for many problems affecting the foot and lower limb. Common problems that podiatrists will see in private practice include, verrucae, ingrown toenails, skin conditions, heel pain and corns, however, there are many more problems that a podiatrist can deal with.

Podiatrists are currently regulated by the HCPC, you can check if any practitioner is registered through their website. http://www.hcpc-uk.co.uk/