Chiropodists are health care professionals that assess, treat and prevent foot and ankle disorders. They use their knowledge of foot function, structure and movement to help people regain normal foot function. Chiropodists provide a variety of foot-related medical treatments, including orthotics, foot therapy, pain relief and minor surgery. Chiropodists treat many different foot disorders caused by athletics, disease, overuse, age and genetics. Some of these disorders include:
Chiropodists provide a wide variety of foot-related services in hospitals and specialty clinics. However, unlike podiatrists, chiropodists can not diagnose foot disorders, perform surgery on the bony tissues of the foot and ankle or perform x-rays. Some podiatric services include:
In Ontario, “Chiropodist” is a regulated profession subject to the Standards of Practice , Policies and guidelines and Code of Ethics defined by the College of Chiropodists of Ontario. For more information on regulatory colleges, view our What is a Regulatory College page.