Podiatry is both the study of the normal and pathological foot.
Pedicure is a component of this and concerns the skin and nails as well as foot hygiene. Pedicuring relieves painful foot symptoms.
The chiropodist's specialty is to make foot orthoses and orthopedic insoles. His or her role is also to ensure that they fit properly in the patient's shoes.
The podiatrist's specialty is to make foot orthotics and orthopedic insoles.
Some examples of orthoses made by the chiropodist:
- Orthoplasties, which serve to protect the toes.
- Orthonyxies, which serve to combat nail curvatures.
- Onychoplasties, which are nail prostheses.
- Night restraints, which help prevent joint deformities from worsening.
The podiatrist's main specializations:
- Posturology
- Sports podiatry
- Podiatry for children
- Podogeriatry
- Pododiabetology
There are different families of orthopedic insoles, classic insoles and thermoformed insoles.
- Classical insoles are used in particular to relieve pressure on certain joints, support an arch or correct static disorders.
- Thermoformed insoles optimize the support surface by means of a thermoformed resin on the plantar surface, the aim of which is to provide greater stability.
They can be adapted to street shoes, or designed exclusively for sports. In this case, they will take into account the constraints and specificities of each practice.
