Podiatrists are health care professionals that diagnose, treat, and prevent foot and ankle problems. Podiatrists use their knowledge of foot function, structure, and movement to provide people the ability to retain normal foot health. Podiatrists provide a variety of foot-related medical treatments, including orthotics, foot therapy, pain relief, and surgery. Podiatrists can treat all foot disorders caused by athletics, genetics, obesity, overuse, and disease. Some of these disorders include:
Unlike chiropodists, podiatrists can diagnose foot disorders, perform surgery on the bony tissues of the foot and ankle, and perform x-rays. Podiatrists provide these services in private podiatry clinics and in hospitals. Podiatric services include:
In Ontario, “Podiatrist” is a regulated profession subject to the Standards of Practice, Policies, Guidelines and Code of Ethics defined by the College of Podiatrists of Ontario. For more information on regulatory colleges, view our What is a Regulatory College page.