Dr. Nicole Graf

Dr. Nicole Graf (Freels) is the founder and CEO of Lexington Podiatry, a comprehensive foot and ankle practice serving patients across Kentucky. Over the past 19 years, she has built Lexington Podiatry into a modern, multispecialty practice focused on conservative care, advanced treatment options, and helping patients stay active without unnecessary downtime.

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A Kentucky native and University of Kentucky alumna, Dr. Graf (Freels) grew up on a horse farm in South Portsmouth, Kentucky, where she learned early that hard work isn't optional. That background shapes how she relates to patients—especially the ones who tell her, "I can't just be off my feet."

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Podiatry runs in her family. As a teenager, she spent countless hours shadowing her grandfather, Dr. Arthur O. Kelly, a podiatrist in Portsmouth, Ohio. Those early lessons shaped the physician she became: practical, meticulous, and deeply committed to preserving mobility.

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Expertise & Approach

Dr. Graf (Freels) is quadruple board certified, with training that spans traditional podiatric medicine, biomechanics, orthotics, pedorthics, and regenerative medicine. This range lets her evaluate foot and ankle conditions from a whole-patient perspective rather than treating symptoms in isolation.

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Lexington Podiatry cares for the full spectrum of foot and ankle concerns, including heel pain and plantar fasciitis, sports injuries, arthritis, toenail fungus, wound care, chronic pain, custom orthotics, and regenerative treatments. Her philosophy is straightforward: start with the fundamentals, but don't be limited by them.

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As a certified pedorthist, she understands how foot structure, gait, and footwear work together—which has led to collaborations with PowerStep and Brooks Running Shoes. Her work in regenerative medicine gives patients additional options for chronic pain and injuries that haven't responded to traditional care alone, always integrated into a thoughtful, clinically grounded plan.

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Beyond the Exam Room

Dr. Graf (Freels) serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Kentucky and as Medical Director of Podiatry for MedBridge Global. Through Modern Podiatrist and ToeTactics, she works to make foot and ankle education clearer and more accessible, so patients don't have to decode medical jargon or guess their way through foot pain.

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Her Care Philosophy

Patients describe her as knowledgeable, honest, and refreshingly direct. She takes time to explain what's happening, why, and what can be done about it. The goal is never just to treat pain—it's to restore function, prevent future problems, and help patients get back to the lives they actually live.