A podiatrist and a chiropodist both treat problems of the feet and lower legs, and in everyday British usage the two words are largely interchangeable. Podiatrist is the term used more often now, while chiropodist is the older name for the same kind of practitioner.
The core difference
Both words name a foot specialist; podiatrist is simply the more current term.
- podiatrist — a doctor who diagnoses and treats problems of the feet and lower legs: the podiatrist recommended custom insoles for her flat feet.
- chiropodist — a practitioner of chiropody, treating the feet: her grandmother still called her foot specialist a chiropodist.
How to tell them apart
Both words come from Greek roots referring to the foot, and in Britain they have long been used for the same profession, with the qualification often described as podiatry or chiropody depending on where and when someone trained.
The confusion tends to be generational rather than a genuine difference in meaning: older patients and older signage tend to say chiropodist, while newer clinics and younger practitioners tend to say podiatrist. If in doubt, either word will be understood as someone who treats the feet.
