: Why does Podiatry exist as a separate specialty? Are the feet really so different from the rest of the body?

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Somehow podiatry came up ( I have no background in medicine) and I was wondering why in the world are feet doctors a specialty compared to a general surgeon or someone that might fix a broken arm or hand issues?

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78 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

As an orthopedic surgeon, my pops does surgeries from the shoulder down, and from the hips down. However most of his work involves wrist surgeries and injuries of the hand.

It doesn’t surprise me that docs specialize in this way

Anonymous 0 Comments

Why is dentistry and orthopedics two separate fields? Your mouth is comprised of teeth bones, jaw bones, ligaments and muscles in your mouth, etc. but it’s a completely different field. I assume there’s some rhyme and reason to it. Same goes for podiatry.

Anonymous 0 Comments

As an orthopedic surgeon, my pops does surgeries from the shoulder down, and from the hips down. However most of his work involves wrist surgeries and injuries of the hand.

It doesn’t surprise me that docs specialize in this way

Anonymous 0 Comments

As an orthopedic surgeon, my pops does surgeries from the shoulder down, and from the hips down. However most of his work involves wrist surgeries and injuries of the hand.

It doesn’t surprise me that docs specialize in this way

Anonymous 0 Comments

Why is dentistry and orthopedics two separate fields? Your mouth is comprised of teeth bones, jaw bones, ligaments and muscles in your mouth, etc. but it’s a completely different field. I assume there’s some rhyme and reason to it. Same goes for podiatry.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Why is dentistry and orthopedics two separate fields? Your mouth is comprised of teeth bones, jaw bones, ligaments and muscles in your mouth, etc. but it’s a completely different field. I assume there’s some rhyme and reason to it. Same goes for podiatry.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’ve been to a podiatrist, who mostly listened to my complaints, watched how I walked and took some impressions. The custom made insoles I got helped me learn to walk differently and correct my posture, leading to a reduction of complaints in more than just my feet.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’ve been to a podiatrist, who mostly listened to my complaints, watched how I walked and took some impressions. The custom made insoles I got helped me learn to walk differently and correct my posture, leading to a reduction of complaints in more than just my feet.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’ve been to a podiatrist, who mostly listened to my complaints, watched how I walked and took some impressions. The custom made insoles I got helped me learn to walk differently and correct my posture, leading to a reduction of complaints in more than just my feet.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Same reason dentists go through a separate school system and aren’t considered “real” doctors–because that’s how it evolved and has been that way for hundreds of years. Medical doctors will treat oral issues, although bony issues and soft tissue issues are generally treated by different fields (orthopedics vs ENT) , and still tooth issues are addressed by dentists (and some dentists so subspecialty training in oral surgery, still sometimes operating out of hospitals). Likewise, more complex bone issues are often treated by orthopedic surgeons specializing in foot/ankle care, but some podiatrists will still do bone issues–they tend to focus more of skin and nail issues, though, as well as less complex bone issues such as bone spurs.