FAQ’s

Podiatry is a field of medicine devoted to the study of the lower limb.

Podiatrists can assess, diagnose and treat a range of foot problems and work closely with other health care professionals to achieve the best possible patient care.

Upon graduation and through their training, Podiatrists complete approximately 1,000 supervised clinical hours. Their specific training enables them to recognise several systemic disease manifestations in the foot

The scope of practice of a podiatrist is varied ranging from simple skin care to invasive bone and joint surgery depending on education and training.

Podiatrists can treat a number of foot problems and see patients of any age and medical status, such as:

– Dermatological problems – callous (hard skin), cracked heels, athletes foot, nail fungus and warts (verrucae).
– Disease manifestations to the foot – Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, neurological disease etc.
– Foot pain – heel pain, neuromas, plantar fasciitis, ankle pain etc.
– Ingrowing toenails – minor toenail surgery for partial or total nail avulsion.
– Sports injuries – gait analysis and prescription of orthotics (insoles).
– General foot care for people with no health or foot problems.

The podiatrist will assess your problem and provide you with a treatment plan to suit your needs.

Ask to see their Ministry of Health Certificate of Registration.

Be careful – being advertised as “Fully trained and Registered” does not necessarily mean one is.

All practicing Podiatrists in Cyprus are required by law to be registered with the Cyprus Association of Registered Podiatrists (CARP) and hold a Certificate of Registration provided by the Ministry of Health. The current form of registration with the state is given by the Ministry of Health.

You can contact the CARP and make sure your Podiatrist is registered.

The term “Podiatrist” and all other similar terms are protected by Law in Cyprus. It is a criminal offense for one to falsely claim being a podiatrist or to use the term “Podiatrist” or a similar term, or to provide medical treatments as those offered by Podiatrists and  not be registered with the CARP.

Our Podiatrist Georgia Liopetriti is a University of Brighton graduate and registered with both the Cyprus Association of Registered Podiatrists and the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

In the UK, Podiatry is simply the new term for Chiropody. The name was changed to Podiatry in 1993 as it is the internationally recognised name for a foot specialist.

It is not just the name that has changed though. Podiatry is a constantly evolving profession and the extensive training given to students over the 3 or 4 years of their full time course and the continuing education after graduation, enable Podiatrists to treat a vast array of foot and lower limb problems and makes Podiatry a more medically centred profession.

Many of those previously using the titles Chiropodist or Podiatrist who have not gained Ministry of Health professional registration, either through choice or because they were not eligible, have now adopted the title “Foot Health Practitioner” to replace Chiropodist/Podiatrist which they can no longer use.

The title “Foot Health Practitioner” is not protected in law which effectively means anyone can use it regardless of training levels. You may have seen advertisements offering training that offer a total of only a few days practical tuition and the rest by correspondence and distance learning. After completing the course – which can last around 6 months – students will call themselves “Fully trained and qualified Foot Health Practitioners”.

They advertise the same medical treatments as those offered by Podiatrists in places like Yellow Pages, and offer chiropody services; this is actually an offence and may incur a heavy fine.

Clearly a Foot Health Practitioner course is not to be confused with the 3 years of full time training needed to become a Podiatrist. Don’t forget to ask for professional registration either with the Cyprus Association of Registered Podiatrists and the Ministry of Health, or the British Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. A practising member of this society is assured of having professional indemnity insurance cover.

In order to provide safe and effective treatment for both yourself and the practitioner, your Podiatrist will need to know your detailed medical history.

Please remember that you need to state everything in your medical history – even things you didn’t think have anything to do with your feet.

Your Podiatrist will inform you if you need to bring another garment with you on your appointment (i.e. shorts). Patients that require leg examination should be prepared to remove the outer garments of the lower extremity if necessary. Complete privacy is assured.

Patient images of the affected area(s) may be taken following the patient’s consent, to be added in the medical record and aid in monitoring the patient’s status.

Photographs and any information you share with your Podiatrist will remain confidential and will only be used when required (i.e. referral to other medical professional) and following your permission.

Yes, you do.

Having Diabetes puts your feet at very high risk. Foot check in Diabetes is as important as eye check.

Diabetes can cause nerve damage (loss of sensation) and insufficient blood flow to the feet, which can lead to very serious foot problems, such as infection and amputation.

Your Podiatrist will undertake a Diabetic Foot Assessment to see how Diabetes has affected you and monitor any changes in your feet so that any problems are caught early.

The Diabetic Foot Assessment is a painless and simple examination that needs to be undertaken at least once a year or more often, depending on your feet’s health status.

Your Podiatrist will also advise you on how to take care of your feet if you have Diabetes.

Yes, a Podiatrist can examine a child’s feet and walking and will take a thorough medical history.

As with all other patients, the child’s feet and walking will be assessed as to determine the cause of problem, if one is present.

Make sure you let the office know you are booking an appointment for your child – we like to give children their time to acclimatise to our environment prior to examining them.

There are several reasons why your feet might hurt and a thorough clinical examination and medical history need to be taken in mind before understanding why they do.

Sometimes, foot posture alone may cause back, hip or knee pain before causing foot pain.

That is why your Podiatrist might need to undertake a biomechanical assessment and gait analysis prior to deciding if you need insoles.

If you do need insoles – sometimes called orthotics – a prescription for custom-made ones will be disposed by the Podiatrist, who will order or manufacture the insoles for you and fit them.

Insoles are a great tool to support the feet and reduce pain and discomfort. They also help with stabilizing the foot and supporting the foot’s structure, even if you don’t have foot pain.

Yes, you can.

Athletes should be assessed for need of custom-made insoles as they tend to put a large amount of stress on their feet and are more prone to injuries.

Clinical biomechanical assessment and gait analysis are needed to assess the way your feet function. Your Podiatrist might need to watch you while you practice your sport in order to create a more complete image of how your feet function while you’re exercising.

Depending on your assessment results and the type of the sport you do, your Podiatrist will design and prescribe the appropriate insoles for your needs.

Orthotics, or insoles, provide support to the feet and may reduce chances of injuries, pain and discomfort.

No, you don’t need to be referred to see a Podiatrist, but your doctor may advise you to see one if he or she thinks you would benefit from it.

Podiatrists can work independently and you can refer yourself to one if you have a foot related problem we can help you with.

For more information regarding what Podiatrists treat, see top FAQs page.

Our Podiatry Centre maintains a high level of collaboration with other medical professionals, such as physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians – nutritionists, psychologists etc, and share the common purpose of providing high quality health care to our patients.

If you require us to, we can refer you to a GP, dermatologist, orthopaedic surgeon, general surgeon, endocrinologist, diabetologist, vascular surgeon, rheumatologist, radiologist, nephrologist or any other medical professional we feel you would benefit from consulting.