Andrew Hayward
Chiropodist

Andrew qualified as a member of the Institute of Chiropodists in 1996, and has worked, in various parts of the country since. He has had links with the Borders for many years and finally managed to move here in 2007.

He explains that the Human Foot is a hard working and much put upon part of the body. It supports the entire weight of the body for a minimum of 8-10,000 steps per day, (often more). Whilst very strong as a unit, this complex structure contains a large number of comparatively fragile components, including a quarter of all the bones in the body, three layers of muscles, and various associated ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels etcetera. If any of these are damaged, or simply wear out, it affects the whole load bearing structure.

The foot is also effected by systemic conditions such as Diabetes, and various foot specific conditions such as allergies and infections.

Basically, if the feet are not healthy and pain free, the patient will be unable to walk and stand comfortably. This will lead to excessive wear and pain in load bearing areas, such as knees, hips and the back, reducing mobility. 

The Chiropodists role seeks to prevent or at least control this by regular treatments and the use of various orthotic devices. Chiropodists can do much more than simply cut toenails, so if in doubt, please ask!