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A Podiatrist is involved with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of feet and lower limbs. Podiatrists can specialize in diabetes, biomechanical problems, pediatrics, surgery and sports medicine. Foot and Hand Care on the other hand is a profession that provides for a combination of foot and hand care in a way that is currently not available. It is not the duty of a Podiatrist to cut or trim fingernails.
Nurses have limited knowledge in treating nails and they also require the assistance of a Podiatrist to reduce corns and calluses.
In some cases, the skin and nail condition maybe beyond the skill level of the pedicurist or manicurist. In all these situations it can be found that two clinicians are required to attend to the client's requirements. To avoid this duplication, treatment by the Foot and Hand Carer will be more convenient, less time consuming, and less expensive for both the client and health care industry.
Foot and Hand Carers range from those that just do basic foot care, for instance, providing routine care of non-pathological feet which includes washing and drying, nail trimming and filing, as well as applying softening and anti-fungal agents, to those that 'Trims nails, reduce corns and calluses, massages, maintains and monitors the general hygiene of hands and feet'.
Foot and Hand Carers do not diagnose, they simply maintain foot and hand health. Foot and Hand Carers will work independently, often referring to Podiatrists and General practitioners should there be any complications.
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