Treatments

Ageing feet

As we age we naturally develop more problems with our feet, partly through normal daily wear and tear of the joints, and partly because the skin becomes thinner, drier and much more fragile as it loses its elasticity.

Foot pain can be truly debilitating, so we recognise the importance of maintaining your comfort and mobility.

General foot care and protection carried out by our podiatrists includes:

• Keeping toenails cut and under control
• Checking feet to identify problems early
• Providing advice on treating any foot concerns

We recommend seeing a podiatrist regularly to treat and prevent problems with your feet, and to maintain your mobility.

Ingrown toenails

What are they?

A toenail that has pierced the flesh of a toe. It can feel similar to having a splinter and can be very painful. Left untreated, an ingrown toenail can become very inflamed and infected. They most commonly affect the big toe, but can appear on any toe.

What causes them?

Certain genetic factors can make you more prone to ingrown toenails, including:

• Posture
• Gait, meaning the way you walk
• Foot deformities including bunions, hammer toes or excessive pronation

Other contributing factors include:

• Tight socks or shoes
• Excessive foot sweating
• Tearing off nails instead of cutting them
• Cutting nails too short

Treatment

If you are experiencing foot pain, or suspect you have an ingrown toenail, book an appointment with us. We will offer a full assessment and aim to relieve you of any long-term pain. Where the problem keeps coming back, nail surgery may be the answer.

Corns and callus

What are they?

An area of thickened skin formed as a protective response to friction, where skin rubs against a bone, a shoe or the ground.

Callus is an extended area of hard skin on the soles of the feet. It is usually a sign of an underlying problem such as a bone deformity, a particular style of walking, or inappropriate footwear. Older people are more prone to developing callus because they have less fatty tissue in their skin.

Corns are caused by pressure or friction over bony areas. They have a central core which can cause pain if it presses on a nerve. There are several types:

• Hard corns — the most common type, a small area of concentrated hard skin no larger than a pea
• Soft corns — usually between the toes where the skin is moist, white and rubbery in texture
• Seed corns — tiny, usually painless corns occurring singly or in clusters on the bottom of the foot
• Vascular corns — can be very painful and bleed when cut
• Fibrous corns — corns that have been present a long time and have become attached to deeper fibres

Treatment

Make an appointment and we will fully assess your feet and carry out treatment for long-term relief.

Blisters

What are they?

Painful, fluid-filled lesions produced by friction and pressure.

What causes them?

• Ill-fitting footwear
• Stiff shoes
• Wrinkled socks against the skin
• Excessive moisture
• Foot deformities

How can I prevent them?

• Keep your feet dry and your toenails short
• Always wear socks of the right size to prevent wrinkling
• Wear comfortable, well-fitting footwear
• Control excessive moisture with a foot deodorant if necessary
• Check your feet regularly and treat a blister as soon as it forms

Treatment

Act immediately on any pain or friction, applying padding or a waterproof plaster to cover the area.

If a blister does form, do not pop it. Most foot blisters clear up within three to seven days if further friction is avoided. If yours has not cleared within three weeks, make an appointment with a podiatrist.

Verrucae

What are they?

Verrucae are benign types of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) group.

We offer two approaches. Swift microwave therapy is our most effective option for stubborn verrucae. We also offer needling, described below.

Needling

The needling procedure is an innovative and effective treatment for verrucae. It is a form of soft tissue therapy intended to break down the verruca and create a controlled inflammatory response, which in turn stimulates the body's immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it.

The treatment has been in use for over 45 years, first described in an American medical journal in 1969, and is used routinely with great success by practitioners internationally.

Needling differs from most other treatments, such as caustics which can require dozens of applications. It only needs one, or occasionally two, applications, making it ideal for busy people. Twenty-four hours after treatment you can shower as normal without keeping bulky dressings dry. No dressings at all are required after two days, so you can continue with daily activities as normal.

How does it work?

By puncturing the verruca many times with an empty sterile needle, the viral particles are directly exposed to the fatty tissue beneath the skin, where the body is rich in immune regulators. There, the immune system can recognise and destroy the virus. As this immune response is often systemic, only one verruca needs treating even where there are many lesions, because remission usually occurs in all of them at the same time.

The procedure is carried out painlessly under local anaesthetic. A few patients report mild soreness the following day, although the majority feel no discomfort at all.

Treatment

We are pleased to offer this treatment to patients following an assessment appointment.