A good number of Americans spend a great deal of time on their feet. As a result the importance of foot care has gained an increasing significance. Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a field of health care that is concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, knee, leg and the hip. Podiatry is also popularly known as chiropody.
A podiatrist who practices this field of medicine is more commonly called the foot doctor is a podiatric professional who is devoted to the study and medical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, knee, leg and hip.
Although the term Podiatry has originated in the United States, it has now become the accepted term in the English speaking countries of the world. There are some podiatrists who limit their practices to the non-surgical treatment of patients. These podiatrists are experts in handling arthritic, diabetic and such other medical problems associated with the feet and lower extremities.
Podiatrists also state about the use of some devices that can be fitted in shoes. The shoe itself can also be modified to make for a better walking. Podiatry or podiatric medicine is also concerned with sports medicine and likewise treat many runners, dancers, soccer players and other athletes.
With regard to surgical practice, podiatrists are experts in foot, ankle and other leg structures surgery. Most of the podiatrists use medical, orthopedic, biomechanical and surgical practices to heal a patient.
Thus podiatrists deal with the complex structure of foot and its bones and try to diagnose and treat disorders, diseases and injuries related to foot and lower leg.