# Podiatrist = quack? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245 "2018-07-03T17:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/21 "2018-07-04T13:41:43Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How many feet? Excellent! ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/22 "2018-07-04T14:04:08Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Possibly the coworker in the OP was thinking of a refelxologist and not a podiatrist? > I’ve seen a podiatrist recently for foot pain and he seems legit enough but someone recommended a reflexologist and reading about them seemed like a lot of woo non-sense. A friend of mine, one of the smartest guys I ever knew, became a reflexologist and married a chiropractor. I don’t spend a lot of time with him anymore. ☹ > [@gnoitall](#): > > Only if you have webbed feet. 😉 ::golf clap:: > [@running\_coach](#): > > How many feet? ::golf clap:: ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/23 "2018-07-04T18:10:53Z")
I’m sure the foot massage feels good, but doing this for, say, your liver? Gah. Not long after Viagra was launched, the president of said chiropractic college was found dead in his home from a heart attack, and a report said that he did have some in his house. One of my co-workers said, “You mean, they don’t have an adjustment for that?” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/24 "2018-07-04T18:35:30Z")
I saw a podiatrist for plantar fasciitis maybe 15 years ago and he prescribed shoe inserts which I still wear and the problem has not returned. He has moved, but following the advice of my doctor (who sent me to him in the first place) I went to a second one a few years ago who examined my feet and the inserts and said they still fit. No charge! Of course, she’d have been happy to prescribe and sell me new ones, but was a professional and did not. I would never call it quackery. Many, but not all chiropracters are quacks. I was told this by my own chiropracter who cannot recommend a replacement for him when he finally dies of cancer. I gather he is CTD. Too bad, he kept my back healthy and never went into treating anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/25 "2018-07-04T19:57:00Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > I went to a podiatrist. He has a medical degree, just a specialist in feet and ankles. He removed a bunion…nothing I would ever recommend! Do you mean you wouldn’t recommend having a bunion removed, or you wouldn’t recommend having a bunion? ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/26 "2018-07-05T03:19:45Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I think the difference is that they don’t go to regular medical school and therefore are not MDs or DOs, but rather DPMs. That does NOT mean that they are not doctors. I put them on a level with dentists. Rather than do 4 years of medical school after college, they do 4 years of podiatry school followed by a residency. My uncle has been a podiatrist for over 50 years. He’s an MD. He works on the leg from just below the knee to the tips of the toes; surgery, skin conditions, and everything in between. Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/27 "2018-07-05T12:44:33Z")
I’ve never been to a podiatrist, but I know a podiatrist. I once asked him, “what, other than plantar warts, ingrown toenails, bunions, and athletes foot do you deal with?” He replied, “fuck you”. For what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/28 "2018-07-05T13:31:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’ve never been to a podiatrist, but I know a podiatrist. > > I once asked him, “what, other than plantar warts, ingrown toenails, bunions, and athletes foot do you deal with?” > > He replied, “fuck you”. > > For what it’s worth. It’s not worth much. They also diagnose and treat skin, soft tissue and bone infections, including osteomyelitis and gangrene. They do surgical interventions and repair, including amputations and corrective procedures like bunionectomies, fascial releases, open reduction and internal fixation of bone fractures, and a lot more. They prescribe specific orthotics for a wide variety of foot disorders and malformations. Their care is often critical in preventing amputations, especially in diabetic patients. I send my patients to podiatry far more often than I send them to hand surgeons. I rely on our local podiatrists a LOT. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/29 "2018-07-05T13:35:35Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It’s not worth much. > > They also diagnose and treat skin, soft tissue and bone infections, including osteomyelitis and gangrene. They do surgical interventions and repair, including amputations and corrective procedures like bunionectomies, fascial releases, open reduction and internal fixation of bone fractures, and a lot more. They prescribe specific orthotics for a wide variety of foot disorders and malformations. Their care is often critical in preventing amputations, especially in diabetic patients. > > I send my patients to podiatry far more often than I send them to hand surgeons. I rely on our local podiatrists a LOT. Cool! I had no idea, and that was the kind of answer I was expecting, I guess. Still, I’m guessing the things I mentioned are their bread and butter. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/30 "2018-07-05T14:03:52Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I’m sure the foot massage feels good, but doing this for, say, your liver? Gah. Just to clarify, a [podiatrist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podiatrist) wouldn’t massage your foot to fix your liver, but a [reflexologist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflexology) would. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/31 "2018-07-05T14:30:58Z")
They are credentialed differently from other medical doctors mostly due to a quirk of history. In the UK, chiropodists (the predecessors to podiatrists) were not doctors, and were not required to obtain a post-secondary degree until relatively recently. Originally they were more like pedicurists than physicians. That hasn’t been true for at least 50 years, though. Podiatrists hold a doctorate in podiatric medicine, which is similar to a typical medical degree except as described by **psychobunny**. A significant part of my job is detecting quackery, and I’ve never had any reason to place podiatry in that category. The ABPM (American Board of Podiatric Medicine) board certification exam is generally held to be just as difficult as the ABFAS (American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery) exam (which is taken by orthopaedic foot/ankle specialists). I know a guy who took both, albeit 20 years apart, and said as much. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/32 "2018-07-05T14:35:32Z")
I visited a podiatrist for a while for a plantar wart, a bunion and some vague but sharp foot pain which turned out to be caused by calluses. They cut and froze the wart, sympathized about the bunion and filed off the calluses which really helped. But the wart kept returning and it wasn’t worth the cost for what amounted to buffing a callus. The copay alone was basically the price of a full pedicure. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/33 "2018-07-05T14:38:36Z")
No offense to your co-worker, but what a stupid thing to say. Perhaps they are not aware of how complex the inner workings of the feet and ankles are. Whom do they suppose tends to those when things go wrong? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/34 "2018-07-05T14:45:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **kayaker** : > > I once asked him, “what, other than plantar warts, ingrown toenails, bunions, and athletes foot do you deal with?” > > He replied, “fuck you”. > > For what it’s worth. Huh, I would have thought that that would be the purview of a urologist. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/35 "2018-07-05T18:52:13Z")
An older term for “podiatrist” is “chiropodist”. I wonder if someone confused “chiropodist” with “chiropractor” leading to the exchange heard by the OP. Although since the coworker actually mentioned the word “chiropractor” it’s hard to see how that could explain this. My father was a podiatrist BTW. As far as I know, he wasn’t a quack. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/36 "2018-07-05T19:05:14Z")
I have seen several. I was referred by my primary doctor. I had intense heel pain. One tried to correct with a shot. The other with a custom made shoe insert. The shot did not work. The insert did. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/37 "2018-07-05T20:34:53Z")
The podiatrist I went to to fix my ingrown toenail (painful but worth-it procedure!) spends a lot of his time working at the old folks home down the street. Like someone else said, one of the things they do is cut toenails which is important for people with bad circulation. I’m sure part of the deal is that he gives his patients’ feet a once-over as he trims. A foot infection - which can easily be caused by an ingrown or overgrown nail - can really run rampant on someone who has little to no feeling in their feet. Their services are also very important for diabetics. I just went to a different podiatrist last month (new insurance) for what I thought was a splinter in my foot. I’m not afraid to dig splinters out but now that I’m diabetic I didn’t want to mess around with possibly messing up my foot. The problem was actually a wart, which he removed, but I’m glad it was done professionally. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/38 "2018-07-06T04:28:09Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I have seen several. I was referred by my primary doctor. I had intense heel pain. One tried to correct with a shot. The other with a custom made shoe insert. > > The shot did not work. The insert did. I got orthotics from an “As Seen on TV” section of a Walgreens a long time ago. No more plantar fasciitis, and no huge cost for custom. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245/39 "2018-07-06T05:41:19Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Just to clarify, a [podiatrist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podiatrist) wouldn’t massage your foot to fix your liver, but a [reflexologist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflexology) would. Exactly. Sorry I didn’t clarify it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/podiatrist-quack/817245.md?page=1)