What Is A Podiatrist

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Podiatrists typically treat patients of all ages and backgrounds. They often see people who have conditions such as:

What Is a Podiatrist?

A podiatrist is a foot doctor. They are also called a doctor of podiatric medicine or DPM. A podiatrist will have the letters DPM after their name.

This kind of physician or surgeon treats the foot, ankle, and connecting parts of the leg. An older name for a podiatrist is chiropodist, which is sometimes still used.

Like other types of physicians and surgeons, podiatrists complete four years of study and training in podiatric medical school. Then they gain experience in at least three years of residency training in hospitals and clinics.

Finally, after passing all the required exams, podiatrists are certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. Some podiatrists may also complete more specialized fellowship training that focuses on a certain area. This makes a podiatrist a specialist in foot health.

Podiatric surgeons

A podiatrist who specializes in foot surgery is called a podiatric surgeon. They are certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. A podiatric surgeon has passed special exams in both general foot health and surgery for foot conditions and injuries.

Podiatrists must also be licensed to practice in the state that they work in. They cannot practice without a license. Like all doctors, podiatrists must renew their licenses every few years. They may also need to keep up to date with their training by attending special yearly seminars.

Podiatrists treat people of all ages. Most treat a range of general foot conditions. This is similar to a family doctor or general care physician.

Some podiatrists are specialized in different areas of foot medicine. They may be specialists in:

surgery
wound care
sports medicine
diabetes
pediatric (children)
other kinds of foot care

If your feet hurt you might need to see a podiatrist. Even if you don’t have foot pain, it’s a good idea to get your feet checked. A podiatrist can safely remove hard skin on your feet and clip your toenails correctly. They can also tell you what kinds of shoes are best for your feet.

Common foot problems

The most common foot problems include:

ingrown toenails
blisters
warts
corns
calluses
bunions
nail infections
foot infections
smelly feet
heel pain
heel spurs
dry or cracked heel skin
flat feet
hammer toes
neuromas
sprains
arthritis
foot injuries
foot ligament or muscle pain

Other podiatrists focus on specific feet issues, such as:

bunion removal
fractures or broken bones
tumors
skin or nail diseases
wound care
ulcers
artery (blood flow) disease
walking patterns
corrective orthotics (foot braces and insoles)
flexible casts
amputations
foot prosthetics

Having certain health conditions can trigger foot issues in some people. Those include:

obesity
diabetes
arthritis
high cholesterol
poor blood circulation
heart disease and stroke

People with diabetes are at higher risk of foot problems. Pay close attention to any change in how your feet feel. Keep a journal of all signs and symptoms relating to your feet. Treating an underlying condition can help ease foot pain.

Let your podiatrist know if you have any symptoms of diabetic foot complications, like:

dry or cracked skin
calluses or hard skin
cracked or dry toenails
discolored toenails
a bad foot smell
sharp or burning pain
tenderness
numbness or tingling
sore or ulcer
pain in your calves (lower legs) when walking

You might need to see both your family doctor and a podiatrist if you have pain or an injury in any part of the foot. You may also see other kinds of specialist doctors. Physical therapy may also help your symptoms.

What Is a Podiatrist?

A podiatrist — officially known as a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) — is trained to treat issues in the foot, ankle, and lower leg. They can help your limb work the way it should, reduce pain, and speed healing after an injury or surgery.

What Does a Podiatrist Do?

Podiatrists treat problems with a patient’s foot or lower leg. They can set fractures, write prescriptions, recommend physical therapy, and do surgery as needed. They may assist other doctors in treating a health issue.

Podiatrists may also:

Diagnose foot problems like skin and nail diseases, congenital (at-birth) deformities, tumors, and ulcers
Treat conditions like corns, arch problems, heel spurs, shortened tendons, bone disorders, and cysts
Make flexible casts to hold foot and ankle injuries like sprains or fractures steady
Talk with patients about preventive foot care
Refer patients to other doctors when they feel that symptoms of the foot are related to different disorders in other body systems

Podiatrists can choose to use their skills in a specific subset of medicine, such as:

Sports medicine. Podiatrists who focus on sports medicine help people who get hurt playing sports or taking part in other physical activities.

Pediatrics. Some podiatrists focus on younger patients. If your child complains about pain in their foot or legs, their primary care doctor may recommend that you take them to a pediatric podiatrist. Common issues treated by pediatric podiatrists include:

Ingrown toenails
Plantar warts (lumps of skin on the bottom of your feet)
Tineaa pedis(athlete’s foot)
Crossover toes (one toe threatening to cross over the big toe)
Bunions
Flat feet
Intoed gait (turned-in toes)
Growth plate injuries in the ankle and foot

Radiology. Podiactric Radiologists specialize in using imaging tests and equipment to help in diagnosing injuries, diseases, and illnesses of the lower limbs. They use methods like:

Pediatric podiatric radiologists interpret the results of imaging tests and diagnose your condition.

Diabetic foot care. Diabetes often causes damage to different parts of your body, including your feet. In severe cases, your doctor may need to cut off (amputate) toes, other parts of your foot, or even an entire lower leg. But podiatrists can help people with diabetes keep their feet healthy and possibly prevent this damage.

Education and Training

A podiatrist’s education doesn’t include a traditional medical school. They typically take part in a 4-year program at a podiatric medical school. After graduation, they do a residency that meets the requirements of their state. Residency offers experiences in different medical specialties. Graduates of podiatric medicine must complete a podiatric medicine and surgery residency (PMSR). Podiatrists must have a minimum of 2 years of residency to become board certified.

To become licensed, podiatrists must graduate from one of the nine accredited (approved) podiatric schools and colleges and pass the National Board Exams. Podiatrists can also choose to earn certification in specialty areas like orthopedics, primary care, or surgery.

Reasons to See a Podiatrist

Our feet act as shock absorbers for all the things we do every day. You may want to visit a podiatrist if you notice any pain or discomfort in or around your feet and ankles.

Podiatrists typically treat patients of all ages and backgrounds. They often see people who have conditions such as:

Bunions (bump or bulge on big toe joint)
Hammertoes (middle joint of toe is stuck in one position)
Ingrown toenails
Sprains
Fractures
Infections

You might also see a podiatrist if you’re planning to ramp up your physical activity. They can check that your legs and feet can handle the extra stress.

A podiatrist may be able to treat issues through:

Cryotherapy (freezing the problem area)
Steroid injections
Surgery

Show Sources

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine: “Becoming a Podiatric Physician.”

American Podiatric Medical Association: “Diabetes.”

The Collegian: “3 Signs It’s Time to See a Podiatrist.”

Des Moines University Medicine & Health Sciences: “WHAT IS PODIATRIC MEDICINE?”

Podiatry Today: “Top Ten Lower Extremity Conditions in Pediatric Patients.”

Stanford Children’s Hospital: “What Is Sports Medicine?”

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What Is A Podiatrist