What Conditions Does a Chiropodist Treat?

A chiropodist is a regulated foot care professional in Ontario, registered with the College of Chiropodists of Ontario, who assesses and manages conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs. Chiropodists work with people of all ages, from children to older adults, and address both everyday foot concerns and more complex conditions.

The scope of chiropody is broad. It includes skin and nail concerns, biomechanical issues affecting how you walk, preventive care for people with health conditions that affect the feet, and the design of custom orthotics. This article gives a general overview of the main areas a chiropodist can help with.

The information here is educational. An individual assessment is always the appropriate way to understand your own situation and what may be suitable for you.

Heel pain is one of the most common reasons people seek foot care. It has many possible causes, including plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and biomechanical factors related to how the foot is loaded during walking and standing.

A chiropodist can carry out a biomechanical assessment to help identify what is contributing to the pain and discuss appropriate options, which may include custom orthotics, stretching programs, footwear guidance, or shockwave therapy in some cases.

Our detailed pages on heel pain and flat feet explain these concerns further.

Chiropodists frequently assess and manage nail concerns, including:

• Ingrown toenails, which can be painful and may be managed with conservative care or, when appropriate, minor nail surgery such as partial nail avulsion.
• Fungal nail infections, which can cause thickening and discolouration and are managed with professional nail care and treatment plans.
• Thickened or difficult-to-trim nails, which benefit from professional medical nail care.

Professional nail care is carried out with sterilised instruments and is particularly relevant for people who find nail care difficult to manage on their own.

The skin of the feet is subject to pressure, friction, and moisture, and several common concerns fall within a chiropodist’s scope:

• Corns and calluses, which develop from pressure and friction and can be professionally reduced.
• Plantar warts, which can be persistent and are managed with a range of treatment options.
• Cracked heels and dry skin, which can be assessed and managed as part of routine foot care.

A chiropodist can also look at the underlying cause of a recurring skin concern, for example, the footwear or biomechanical factors behind a callus, rather than only addressing the surface.

Certain health conditions, particularly diabetes, can affect circulation and sensation in the feet and make regular foot care especially relevant. Chiropodists provide diabetic foot assessments that may include neurological and vascular testing as part of a preventive care plan.

Preventive foot care is not only for people with diabetes. Older adults, people who are very active, and those with a history of foot concerns often find value in periodic assessments to keep on top of their foot health.

Our guide on caring for diabetic feet at home offers general information to complement professional care.

How your feet are structured and how you move affects the whole lower limb. A chiropodist can perform a biomechanical assessment and gait analysis to understand factors that may contribute to foot, knee, or lower back discomfort.

Where appropriate, custom orthotics may be recommended. These are made from a detailed assessment and 3D scan of your feet and are designed to support your specific needs during daily activity, sport, or work. Our complete guide to custom orthotics explains how they are made and when they may help.

It can be worth arranging a chiropody assessment if you have foot or heel pain that persists, a nail or skin concern that is not settling, difficulty managing routine foot care, or a health condition such as diabetes that affects your feet. Our article on signs it may be time to see a chiropodist covers this in more depth.

Foot Forward Clinic is a registered chiropody clinic in Vaughan, serving patients across York Region. You can contact us with questions or book an assessment online.