One of the most common questions is what is the difference between a pedicurist and a podiatrist? A pedicurist is a cosmetologist and a podiatrist is a doctor of the feet.
Podiatrists are fully licensed physicians and surgeons who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and lower extremity. Their education, clinical training, and board certification closely parallel those of their allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) colleagues. Podiatrists are not allied health professionals or cosmetologists.
Pedicurists focus on procedures mentioned in this link, though some may have experience in sterilization and detection of disease.
A podiatrist does none of these procedures normally associated with a pedicure or foot spa service. When treating the feet, the doctor only makes sure nails and calluses are cut down to a safe length. The purpose, however, is not cosmetic.
Podiatrists debride the nails and pare the calluses often of at-risk patients, for example, those with poor circulation, poor nerve sensation and burning and tingling in the feet. Oftentimes, the elderly, diabetics or smokers fall into the at-risk category. For these populations it may be dangerous to trim one’s own nails, as it may lead to infections or gangrene. Those who nails and calluses are painful, such as with fungal nails, will also benefit from podiatric services, since oftentimes pedicurists cannot and will not cut these nails. Elongated nails may lacerate adjoining structures and toes, and if they are thickened, may cause ulcerations in the nail bed. Deep calluses or corns may cause ulcerations in the skin. These may lead to infections and gangrene.
As podiatrists are physicians and surgeons, they are able to treat infections when they occur, either with topical or oral antibiotics, debridement (or removing non-viable tissue) and surgical procedures such as amputation. Podiatrists are also not limited to working with nails and calluses. Their medical and surgical practice involves many organ systems in the foot, such as the blood vessels, nerves, skin, bones and muscles. They may, for example, perform reconstructive surgery to straighten a hammertoe which causes a corn to recur, or simply because the hammertoe is painful and interferes with one’s lifestyle.
A podiatrist is a medical specialist who treats feet through medical, orthopedic and surgical means.