Most people simply refer to this type of physician as a foot doctor. While that may be fine for some, there is a correct term for this type of medical practitioner. They are a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine or better known as a Podiatrist.
The name Podiatrist finds its roots with the original form of the word foot. While the word originated in the United States, it is now used virtually worldwide. For a short time the term Chiropodist was used in reference to a doctor that focused solely on the ankle and foot area of the body. This term never truly caught on and wherever it is used now it simply is interchangeable with Podiatrist. The entire area of the body that is covered by a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine is the ankle, foot and other lower extremities.
In America, this specialty is regulated by the APMA, or American Podiatric Medical Association. They require someone to obtain the same type of training as an MD, or Medical Doctor in order to become a Podiatrist. The difference being that the Podiatrist focuses on the ankle, foot and lower extremities.
Recent surveys relate that there are only 17,000-18,000 practicing Podiatrists. This makes this particular type of medicine a very promising field. The drawback for some potential students is that the emphasis and glamour of Surgical or Internal medicine calls to them.
The field of Podiatry is not unique to modern culture. There are ancient Egyptian drawings of practitioners attending to people’s feet. This proves that there were foot doctors from almost the beginning of civilization. The problem in the modern world is that with the average life-expectancy of humans becoming longer and longer, foot problems become more noticeable and in greater numbers than in past history. This creates a bit of a problem when paired with the overall shortage of foot doctors available. So this creates a bit of an overwhelm for the Podiatrists, foot doctors, that are practicing.
Knowing that what keeps the human race apart from the animals is being able to walk on “our two feet”, it is essential to keep feet healthy. This is where a Podiatrist can come into play. Those that suffer from arthritis, corns, cysts, or bunions know the kind of relief that their foot doctor can bring to thing and often refer to them as their “hero”. There is no doubt that Podiatrists help to keep people moving in this fast-paced world.