Therapeutic pedicure in Coimbra
Podiatry in Coimbra: what it is, and how it differs from therapeutic pedicure
Podiatry and therapeutic pedicure care for the same feet, but they are not the same profession and do not have the same competences. This page explains the difference, and says plainly what is and is not done here.
What podiatry is
Podiatry is the health field devoted to the foot: preventing, diagnosing and treating its diseases and alterations. In Portugal, “podologista” is a protected professional title: Law no. 65/2014 of 28 August sets out how the profession is entered and practised, requiring a degree in Podiatry and a professional licence issued by the ACSS, the central health administration.
The podiatrist works with autonomy of diagnosis and treatment. They do what nobody outside medicine does to the foot: nail surgery under local anaesthesia, gait assessment and the prescription of insoles and plantar orthoses, treatment of the high-risk foot.
What therapeutic pedicure is
Therapeutic pedicure — also called medical pedicure — is technical foot care with a clinical purpose rather than a cosmetic one: debriding corns and calluses, trimming and thinning thick or misshapen nails, conservative removal of the ingrown nail spicule, fitting nail braces, moisturising, and advice to stop the problem coming back.
It is a vocational qualification, not a title protected by law. Those who hold it do not diagnose disease and do not operate: they treat what is theirs to treat, recognise what is not, and refer.
What nursing adds
“Nurse”, on the other hand, is a protected title, with compulsory registration in the Ordem dos Enfermeiros. It is what allows wounds to be treated and dressings changed, the diabetic foot to be assessed and monitored — sensation, pressure areas, skin integrity —, health to be taught, and what needs a doctor to be recognised in time.
It is the sum that makes the difference in this practice: the hand of therapeutic pedicure for what can be seen on the nail and the skin, and the eye of nursing for what lies behind it — the diabetes, the circulation, the wound that will not close.
Who may do what
A summary, so there is no doubt. The last column is what is done here.
| Podiatrist | Therapeutic pedicure | Nurse (here) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title protected by law | Yes — Law no. 65/2014, with an ACSS licence | Not a protected title | Yes — Ordem dos Enfermeiros |
| Training | Degree in Podiatry | Vocational course | Nursing degree, plus training in therapeutic pedicure |
| Diagnosing foot disease | Yes, autonomously | No | Nursing assessment and referral; medical diagnosis belongs to the doctor |
| Nail surgery under local anaesthesia | Yes | No | No |
| Insoles and plantar orthoses | Yes | No | No |
| Debriding corns and calluses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thick nails and nail braces | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wounds, dressings and diabetic foot monitoring | Yes | No — refers | Yes, it is a nursing competence |
A table like this is always a summary: what can be done in each case also depends on the state of the foot, on the health of the person it belongs to, and on what has been done before.
What is done here — and what is not
Care is given by Priscila Arantes, a nurse registered with the Ordem dos Enfermeiros under no. 117508, trained in Therapeutic Pedicure in Portugal and in Podology in Brazil, qualified in clinical podiatry there, with more than 20 years devoted to foot care.
I am not a podologista in Portugal, and I do not use that title: it is reserved for those holding a degree in Podiatry and an ACSS professional licence. What I do here is therapeutic pedicure and nursing care of the foot — and I will tell you when your case belongs to someone else.
When I refer you to a podiatrist or a doctor
Some situations fall outside what can be done here. In those, what I do for you is say so:
- Pain on walking from an altered gait or foot shape, needing biomechanical assessment and insoles.
- An ingrown toenail that keeps coming back, where the answer is nail surgery under local anaesthesia.
- A skin or nail lesion of uncertain cause, needing a dermatologist and sometimes a laboratory test.
- An infected wound, with pus, fever or redness spreading up the foot — that is for a doctor, the same day.
- A diabetic foot with loss of sensation and an open wound, needing a diabetic foot clinic.
What is treated here
Therapeutic pedicure, laser therapy and nursing care of the foot, with the price and duration of each.
This information is general and meant to help you understand the problem. It does not replace an individual assessment or medical follow-up. If in doubt, book an appointment.
Content reviewed by Priscila Arantes, registered nurse (Ordem dos Enfermeiros no. 117508).