Our feet go through a lot. It’s important to care for them from birth and throughout each phase of your life, whether you are a fitness fanatic, a busy professional or enjoying retirement.
It’s just as important to make sure that your foot healthcare or treatment is undertaken by a registered practitioner who you can trust to care for and treat your feet safely.
Who should treat me?
Imagine foot healthcare as a range of treatments on a spectrum. Simple tasks like corn removals sit at one end, while something more complex and invasive, such as the treatment of an infected wound would sit at the other end.
Similarly, the professionals who work in foot healthcare will be qualified to perform different tasks on this spectrum.
Podiatrists and chiropodists can diagnose conditions and prescribe medication. They are also trained to deliver specialist treatment when it is needed.
Foot health practitioners work on a wide range of less specialist and invasive procedures, as well as observe general foot health.
They will refer you to a podiatrist or chiropodist where necessary.
How do I know I am in safe hands?
That’s where the Professional Standards Authority can help. We oversee the work of the regulators which register professionals regulated by law, such as chiropodists and podiatrists.
We also run a Government-backed programme called Accredited Registers which lists professionals not regulated by law, such as foot health practitioners.
The most important thing to remember is to check that whoever is treating you is regulated or on an Accredited Register.
If anyone else offers you treatment, be aware that they may not be adequately trained.