What Podiatrists Do

Podiatrists provide medical and surgical care for people suffering foot, ankle, and lower leg problems. They diagnose illnesses, treat injuries, and perform surgery. For example, podiatrists treat calluses, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, and arch problems. They also treat foot and leg problems associated with diabetes and other diseases; they may set fractures.

Duties

Podiatrists typically do the following:      

• Listen to a patient’s concerns about their feet, ankles, or lower legs
• Diagnose foot, ankle, and lower-leg problems, through physical exams, x rays, medical laboratory tests, and other methods
• Provide treatment for foot, ankle, and lower-leg ailments, such as prescribing special shoe inserts (orthotics) to improve a patient’s mobility
• Perform foot and ankle surgeries, such as removing bone spurs
• Offer advice and instruction on foot and ankle care
• Prescribe medications
• Refer patients to physicians or specialists if they detect larger health problems, such as diabetes
• Read journals and attend conferences to keep up with advances in podiatric medicine

Podiatrists who own their practice may also spend time on business related activities, such as hiring employees and managing inventory.

The following are examples of types of podiatrists:

Podiatric sports medicine focuses on treating and preventing foot and ankle injuries commonly encountered by athletes.

Pediatric care podiatrists provide treatment to children with foot and lower-leg health problems.

Advanced surgical podiatrists spend most of their time performing advanced surgeries, such as foot and ankle reconstruction.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition