He or she can offer the patient alternative treatments, be they medical, orthopedic, or surgical. Podiatrists can treat most cases of leg discomfort. This may arise because abnormal foot motion forces the muscles of the leg to work too hard or at a mechanical disadvantage. In fact abnormal feet can case knee, hip, and back discomfort as well. Podiatric sports medicine is a growing field.
Most podiatrists count many athletes and dancers amongst their patients.
Some practitioners specialize in this field. Both involve excessive production of dead skin cells. This is the uppermost layer of the skin which protects it from external injury. For corns and calluses, this production is the result of intermittent pressure, from shoes or weight bearing. The skin responds to this pressure by thickening.