podiatry (chiropody)

Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a field of medicine devoted to the study and treatment of disorders of the foot and ankle. It is practiced by podiatrists (pronounced /pəˈdaɪətrɪsts/, "poh-DYE-eh-trist"), chiropodists (pronounced /kɪˈrɑːpədɪsts/) and podiatric surgeons. Podiatry address a range of medical issues depending on the scope of practice permitted in the relevant jurisdiction.

The professional care of feet was in existence in ancient Egypt as evidenced by bas-relief carvings at the entrance to Ankmahor's tomb where work on hands and feet is depicted. Many Egyptologists believe tending feet probably spanned the whole of Egyptian civilization. The placement of carvings at the entrance of a tomb typically signified the profession of the buried individual and The Tomb of the Physician dates from 2400 BC.

Corns and calluses were described by Hippocrates who recognised the need to physically reduce hard skin, followed by removal of the cause. He invented skin scrapers for this purpose and these were the original scalpels. Aulus Cornelius Celsus, a Roman scientist and philosopher, was probably responsible for giving corns their name.[citation needed] Later Paul of Aegina (AD 615-690) defined a corn as "a white circular body like the head of a nail, forming in all parts of the body, but more especially on the soles of the feet and the toes. It may be removed in the course of some time by paring away the prominent part of it constantly with a scalpel or rubbing it down with pumice. The same thing can be done with a callus."

Until the turn of the 20th century, chiropodists - now known as podiatrists - were separate from organized medicine. They were independently licensed physicians who treated the feet, ankle and related leg structures. Lewis Durlacher was one of the first people to recognize the need for a protected profession. He tried to establish the first association of practitioners in 1854, although it would take another century to come to pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wirral is a Metropolitan Borough of the County of Merseyside, bordered by Cheshire. It lies between Liverpool and Chester.

Podiatry in Wirral

 

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