What is podiatry/ podiatric medicine?

Podiatry is a branch of western medicine that mostly concentrates on the foot and lower limb. It is not a complementary medicine. Until approx 1990 podiatry was known as chiropody and was a diploma course in university. After this time the university courses were upgraded into Degree course and the name changed in Podiatry to reflect global trends. A foot specialist is known mostly as a podiatrist in the rest of the world outside Ireland and Britain.

Unfortunately anyone may set up a podiatry or chiropody clinic in Ireland, even if they have limited or no recognised training in Podiatric medicine. The same is true for many medical professions. It is therefore very difficult for a member of the public to know if their Podiatrist is University trained or not. There was no university based qualification in the Irish Republic in Podiatry or its Previous name/chiropody before 2007. To be sure that your podiatrist is university trained you should ask where they qualified in Podiatric Medicine. Courses are normally 3 or 4 year full time degree courses.

A university trained Podiatrist will be able to carry out routine Chiropody, give local anaesthetic injections, complete nail, verrucae and neuro-vascular lesion surgeries and be capable of treating diabetic related symptoms amongst other conditions. They should be also proficient in Biomechanics, which is the application of the Laws of Physics the human Body. This includes Gait analysis, motion assessment and treatment of conditions related to gait. An example of this may be the treatment of pain due to flat feet or knee or back pain when running or playing sports. A Podiatrist will often prescribe orthoses(insoles) and or give advice on footwear, exercise regimes or refer patients to other health professionals such as Chartered Physiotherapists as part of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.

Achilles Foot Clinics’ podiatrist, Lorcan O'Donaile BSc(Hons) Podiatric Medicine, MISCP has received an honours degree from University College London (1998) and has continued professional development since with an emphasis on Biomechanics