International Podiatry Day Date in the current year: October 8, 2024

A lot of people underestimate the importance of foot health. An average person walks about five to six times around the globe during their lifetime; imagine the strain you put your feet under! Foot problems, even seemingly insignificant ones, can affect your whole body, causing posture and balance problems, back or joint pain, and other issues.

Medical specialists that diagnose and treat foot problems are called podiatrists. Podiatry is a branch of medicine that focuses on the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower leg (the part of the leg between the ankle and the knee). It is practiced as a distinct medical specialty in many countries.

The term “podiatry” originated in the United States in the early 20th century and has since been adopted in many countries. Some English-speaking podiatrists prefer to use the older term “chiropodist” when referring to their specialization; it should not be confused with the term “chiropractor”, which refers to practitioners of a form of alternative medicine that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Podiatric medicine deals with a wide range of foot and lower extremity conditions, ranging from corns and calluses to complications from diabetes. Some podiatrists specialize in narrow fields of podiatric medicine, such as foot and ankle surgery, podiatric orthopedics, podiatric sports medicine, podiatric neurology, podiatric oncology, podiatric rheumatology, podiatric dermatology, and even forensic podiatry.

International Podiatry Day was created by the International Federation of Podiatrists (Fédération Internationale des Podologues, FIP), founded by national podiatry organizations from Belgium, France, and Switzerland in 1947. The main goal of the organization is to enhance the profession by facilitating the sharing of knowledge and research among its members.

The FIP launched International Podiatry Day in 2018 to replace its annual World Foot Health Awareness Month, which used to be held earlier in the year. The main goal of this awareness campaign is to raise global awareness about the importance of foot health, access to quality care, and the value of the podiatrists, as well as to promote international cooperation between podiatry organizations from across the globe.

On the occasion of International Podiatry Day, the FIP organizes various professional and educational events aimed both at foot health professionals and healthcare organizations and at the general public. You can participate in the celebration by learning more about the importance of foot health, committing to take better care of your feet, finally scheduling an appointment with a podiatrist if you’ve been experiencing foot problems, and raising awareness on social media with the hashtags #InternationalPodiatryDay, #PodiatryDay and #IPD.