The difference between a Podiatrist and Orthopaedist significant.
A Podiatrist is an allied health professional who is an expert in the lower limb. A podiatrist focuses on all aspects of your foot; including musculoskeletal, neurovascular and skin. Our approach with injuries or ailments is often to try and fix them without the need for surgery. We can do this through many types of therapies that podiatrists offer including exercises, shoe prescription, orthotic prescription, physical podiatry (removing corns, calluses, ingrown toenails etc)
If foot and ankle surgery is required, we would refer to a local Podiatric Surgeon, or an Orthopaedic Surgeon to provide surgical intervention. After surgery, you would return to your podiatrist for follow up visits and further management.