What is a Chiropodist?

Chiropody is the health care profession that assesses and treats foot conditions. Physicians as well as other health care professionals often refer their patients for consultation. A referral to a Chiropody or a Podiatry clinic from a physician is not required.

Michael E. Turcotte B.Sc. Hons. D. Ch. Chiropodist / Foot Specialist is a Registered Chiropodist licensed under the Chiropody Act with the College of Chiropodists of Ontario and is a member of the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine (C.F.P.M.). His credentials include:

• University of Brighton Eastbourne, England --Degree of Bachelor of Science Honors (Podiatric medicine)
• Toronto Institute of Medical Technology ( Michener Institute of Applied Sciences) CHIROPODY PROGRAM
• First graduation class for soft tissue surgery and local anesthetics.

Training

Foot problems affect over half the population. Prevention, assessment, and treatment require expertise and practical skills. Podiatrists / Chiropodists undergo extensive training to meet these requirements. Many Podiatrists / Chiropodists have taken 7 or 8 years of post secondary school training before beginning to practice.

Credentials

A Bachelors Degree in Science, plus a 3-4 year Chiropody / Podiatry Program is generally undertaken in North America. Presently there are 7 American Podiatry schools and 1 Canadian Chiropody school. In Canada, Chiropodist and Podiatrist are interchangeable terms, are the only regulated Foot Professionals educated exclusively in the assessment and treatment of foot disorders.

The Chiropodist’s Work

The scope of practice varies from province to province, but generally practitioners will have several controlled acts. These include the treatment of:

Types of Treatments Offered

Treatments might include:

Foot physical therapy
Surgical procedures
Cutting into subcutaneous tissue
Administering by injection into the foot designated substances / drugs
Prescription of designated drugs

Did You Know?

Studies in North America and Europe have shown that with regular treatment from a Podiatrist / Chiropodist many elderly patients remain ambulatory, active and in their own homes for a longer period of time.

A Podiatrist/Chiropodist attends a single track Podiatric Medical School, where medicine, surgery, immunology, radiology and pathomechanics are among the subjects studied. The modern Podiatrist/Chiropodist is uniquely placed to provide comprehensive footcare.

Podiatrist/Chiropodists are primary care providers and are therefore qualified to assess, diagnose, prescribe and carry out treatments including minor surgical procedures, therapeutic treatments including: laser, ultrasound, iontophoresis, extracorporeal shock wave therapy and electrical treatments.

Podiatric training involves extensive didactic and clinical aspects of normal and pathological mechanics of the lower limb. Additionally Podiatrist/Chiropodists are trained in the casting and "dressing" of orthoses and subsequent fabrication of functional and accommodative orthotic devices. Lower limb biomechanics is the domain of Podiatry, who originated the concept of orthoses and continues to lead the way in improving foot function through orthoses.