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PODIATRY TREATMENTS
Athletes Foot
Tinea Pedis (more commonly known as Athlete’s foot) is a type of fungal infection that will usually begin between the toes. It will occur most commonly in feet that have become very sweaty whilst confined within tightfitting shoes.
Signs and symptoms of athlete's foot include a scaly rash that can cause cases of itching, stinging and burning. Athlete's foot is contagious and can be spread via contaminated surfaces such as floors, towels or clothing.
Athlete's foot is closely related to other fungal infections such as ringworm and jock itch. It can be treated with over-the-counter antifungal medications, but infections can often recur.
Bunion Treatment
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. It forms when your big toe pushes against your next toe, forcing the joint of your big toe to get bigger and stick out. The skin over the bunion might be red and sore.
Bunions can develop as a result of an inherited structural defect, stress on your foot or a medical condition, such as arthritis. Smaller bunions (bunionettes) can develop on the joint of your little toe.
Wearing tight, narrow shoes can also be the cause for bunions forming and can also make any existing worse.
Calluses Treatment
Corns and calluses are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop when your skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure. They most often develop on the feet, but can also form on the toes, hands or fingers.
If you're healthy, you need treatment for corns and calluses only if they cause discomfort. For most people, simply eliminating the source of friction or pressure makes corns and calluses disappear.
If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet, you're at greater risk of complications from corns and calluses. It is best to seek medical advice from your local podiatrist on proper care for corns and calluses if you have such a condition.
Corn Treatment
Corns and calluses are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop when your skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure. They most often develop on the feet, but can also form on the toes, hands or fingers.
If you're healthy, you need treatment for corns and calluses only if they cause discomfort. For most people, simply eliminating the source of friction or pressure makes corns and calluses disappear.
If you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet, you're at greater risk of complications from corns and calluses. It is best to seek medical advice from your local podiatrist on proper care for corns and calluses if you have such a condition.
Foot Health
Podiatrists are health care professionals who have been trained to prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs. They also prevent and correct deformities, keeping people mobile and active whilst relieving their pain and treating infections.
They can give you advice on how to look after your feet and what type of shoes to wear. If you find that you need some consultation, contact your local podiatrist for a check up, as you wouldn’t wish for your possible condition to worsen.
Foot Massage
The practice of foot massage is used to improve health and relax the body. Applying pressure to the 7000 nerves within your foot can help to relieve pain to help alleviate stress and even to speed up injury recovery.
Traditionally, foot massages are performed using the hands, although treatments may sometimes include the use of sticks or rollers to more effectively stimulate the reflex areas in the foot.
Whether you’re giving yourself a foot rub, making a day of it at a spa with treatment from a reflexology practitioner or going to your local podiatrist, a foot massage can be a rewarding complimentary massage treatment that impacts positively on your entire body.
Foot Pain Treatment
The best way to treat foot pain is to know what the problem is so you receive the correct treatment. Determine first where the pain is located and contact your podiatrist for a check-up.
Foot Surgery
Not all feet will benefit from surgery, but this should be something you decide on along with the podiatric surgeon who will discuss your options with you prior to making any firm plans.
Patients complaining of pain in a single joint or pain originating from the soft tissue (such as muscular pain) can usually be treated successfully with cortisone injections. These injections may only have a temporary beneficial effect, but they pose less risk to you and your foot than surgery. When combined with the right foot orthosis (specialised insoles usually made by a podiatrist) and the right type of shoe, some injections can be very successful in reducing pain from painful arthritic joints or soft tissue.
Hard Skin Removal
Hard skin builds as a form of protection against too much pressure being put on one specific area of the foot.
Hard skin removal is achieved using a scalpel blade and smoothed with a top range industry standard machine and burr. This is a painless treatment with remarkable results leaving your feet feeling clean and smooth. Your podiatrist will provide you with foot files and creams to use at home to prevent build up recurring. Follow-up appointments are recommended every six to eight weeks if you are particularly prone to the build-up of hard skin.
Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, can predispose to areas of increased pressure on the skin surrounding the foot. It is important to remove areas of hard skin and focal areas of pressure to prevent skin breakdown and ulceration. Your podiatrist will provide you with detailed information and a personal treatment plan regarding your foot health.
Heel Pain Treatment
Heel pain is a common foot problem. Pain usually occurs under the heel or just behind it, where the Achilles tendon connects to the heel bone. Sometimes it can affect the side of the heel. Pain that occurs under the heel is known as plantar fasciitis. This is the most common cause of heel pain.
Pain behind the heel is Achilles tendinitis. Pain can also affect the inner or outer side of the heel and foot.
In most cases, pain is not caused by an injury. At first, it is usually mild, but it can become severe and sometimes disabling. It usually disappears without treatment, but sometimes it can persist and become chronic.
Ingrown Toenail Treatment
Ingrown toenail (onychocryptosis) is a fairly frequent problem resulting from either growth of nail fold inwards into the nail bed or abnormal embedding of the nail plate into the nail groove, causing significant discomfort. Although often thought to be synonymous, the terms ingrown nail and paronychia refer to different conditions. Both can cause significant discomfort. Ingrown toenails may cause pain with ambulation.
Insole Fitting
The insole is the inside part of the shoe that runs underneath and supports the bottom of the foot. Insoles are also referred to as footbeds and inner soles. They are usually easily removed. People often replace the original insoles with a pair of specialty insoles they've purchased separately for a more comfortable and supportive fit. These are called aftermarket insoles.
The insole attaches to the upper part of the shoe and is often made of cellulose paperboard or a synthetic insole board.
Specialty insoles can be added to make the shoe more comfortable, control odour and moisture, and absorb shock. For health-related reasons, orthotic insoles can better position and support the foot.
Orthotics
Podiatric bio-mechanical orthotic devices, also called foot appliances, shoe inserts, foot beds or arch supports, are semi-permanent devices which are placed either on the foot or in the shoe to improve foot function in much the same way that spectacles improve imperfect eyesight. An orthotic may be designed to carry out any one or a combination of different functions.
Made-to-measure devices include cushioned insoles, heel raises and various types of removable pads and with competent measuring give very good value. The more sophisticated custom moulded variety require specialist knowledge in order to manipulate the foot into the ideal position for mould taking and various techniques are used. The end result of this process is a plaster cast of your foot which is held in the ideal position for walking and standing. From this the technician will fabricate a suitably corrective device from materials which vary from rigid plastic to soft foam. Often a combination of materials used. Most people who consider using orthotics are suffering some form of pain, or at least discomfort, and will often be experiencing the first symptoms of some structural or functional abnormality of their feet or legs.
Usually these minor abnormalities can be revealed by a simple examination which involves no more than making about 50 precise measurements and observations. Such conditions as knock knees and bow legs are well known but even more common is a similar sort of mis-alignment at the ankle joint which causes the foot to tilt while it is off the ground. On ground contact it is forced to tilt back in order to realign with the ground. Walking or running on such a foot is like riding a bike with a bent pedal.
Pedicures
A pedicure is a therapeutic treatment for your feet that removes dead skin, softens hard skin and shapes and treats your toenails. A good foot treatment is heaven, but pedicure techniques can vary from type of polish to massage so it’s important to find the right pedicure for you.
What is a pedicure good for?
Pedicures are a great way to ensure you look after your feet!
A regular pedicure can support chiropody if you suffer from foot problems. This may prevent you from needing further treatment.
A pedicure can also help your posture -- you naturally walk more comfortably on cared-for feet.
Pedicures can also soothe and relax you when combined with other treatments. Once your pedicurist has massaged several softening and soothing creams into your feet, you may feel you are walking on air!
Toenail Cutting
Here are some basics on how to trim your toenails the right way:
Never cut at a curve: When you cut your toenails make sure that they are trimmed straight across and never at a curve, which can lead to ingrown toenails. You also don’t need to dig down along the sides of the toenails to trim them.
Disinfect your tools: Make sure that the clippers you use are always cleaned before and after with rubbing alcohol to kill any bacteria that might be on it.
Don’t cut nails too short: Ingrown toenails are also more likely to occur if you trim your nails too short. While you don’t need to keep your nails long, per se, a good rule of thumb is to trim nails to about the same level as the tip of your toes.
Don’t cut wet nails: It might seem easier to trim your nails after getting out of the shower but wet nails are more susceptible to tearing or breaking. Trim your nails when they are dry so cutting goes a bit smoother.
Don’t remove cuticles: Cuticles can be unsightly but it doesn’t mean you should cut them. You can easily purchase a cuticle stick from a local beauty store, which can push the cuticles back. Cutting them may only lead to infection.
Verruca
Verrucae are plantar warts that commonly occur on the soles of the feet or around the toe area. They are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is contagious through direct person-to-person contact. There are various forms of HPV, which all relate to various parts of the human body.
For treatment, in the first instance, avoid touching or scratching a verruca as it may spread into a cluster of warts. Instead, cover it up with a plaster. In many cases, evidence suggests that verrucae will disappear of their own accord within six months for children but longer for adults (up to two years). This is because the body’s immune system recognises the presence of the virus and fights the infection naturally but it can take many months for this to happen. If it is painless, no treatment may be required as some treatments can be painful especially for children and can cause side-effects.
For painful and/or unsightly verrucae or ones that are spreading, you can self-treat using ointments and gels from your local pharmacist following the instructions carefully. Sometimes, merely by rubbing away the dry skin over a verruca and applying a plaster helps to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the infection. However, if your verruca becomes unusually painful or the surrounding skin area goes red, stop treatment immediately and see a podiatrist. This is because if the healthy tissue around a verruca is damaged, you could hamper further treatment.
Treatments provided by a podiatrist involve an assessment of your general well-being and foot health before deciding on a treatment plan. This may include:
Acid-based treatments, which are stronger than regular ‘over the counter’ (OTC) treatments from your local pharmacy
Cryotherapy, which involves freezing the verruca with liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide gas
Electrosurgery, which requires a local anaesthetic to be given
Excisional surgery, which is similar to the above
Laser surgery, particularly for larger areas of verrucae
Gait Scan
Gait-scan is an assessment of the way you walk or run, which may have an impact on aches and pains in the rest of your body. Your feet have a direct impact on the rest of your body. Like the foundation of a house, your feet support the weight of everything above them. When a small problem develops in your feet, the subtle change in the way you walk will cause a chain reaction of adjustments in your posture and walking mechanics. This may lead to pain in the feet, knees hips and back or other problems such as bunions and hammer toes.
Nail Surgery
Nail surgery is the removal of all of the toenail or part of the nail. A local anaesthetic is used so that you will feel no pain during the procedure. After the removal of the nail, a chemical may be applied to the exposed nail bed to prevent regrowth by destroying the nail cells. (However, it is possible that some nail regrowth may occur). Healing takes between four to eight weeks.
The procedure
The procedure will be performed in a podiatry clinic by a podiatrist and normally takes less than 1 hour.
A local anaesthetic will be injected into both sides of the base of the toe. The sensation of both touch and pressure are not affected, this is normal. The local anaesthetic may cause some discomfort when being injected into the toe.
Once the toe has been fully anaesthetised, a tourniquet (tight band) will be applied to the toe to prevent bleeding during the procedure.
After the surgery, the tourniquet will be removed, the toe will be checked for return of your blood supply to the toe and a sterile dressing will be applied.
You will then remain for a short period of time in the clinic with your foot up and the dressing will be checked to make sure there is not too much bleeding before you leave the clinic.
Diabetic Foot Care
It's especially important to look after your feet if you have diabetes. Here's how to take care of your feet and advice on when to get professional help.
Diabetes can reduce the blood supply to your feet and cause a loss of feeling known as peripheral neuropathy. This can mean foot injuries don't heal well, and you may not notice if your foot is sore or injured.
Routine Foot Care
Routine foot care includes, but is not limited to, the treatment of bunions (except capsular or bone surgery thereof), calluses, clavus, corns, hyperkeratosis and keratotic lesions, keratoderma, nails (except surgery for ingrown nails), plantar keratosis, tyloma or tylomata, and tylosis. The reduction of nails, including the trimming of nails, is also considered routine foot care.
Treatment of these conditions may pose a hazard when performed by a non-professional person on individuals with a systemic condition that has resulted in severe circulatory embarrassment or areas of desensitization in the legs or feet. Some of the underlying conditions that may justify coverage of foot care that would otherwise be considered routine include arteriosclerosis, chronic thrombophlebitis, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathies.
Biomechanics
The biomechanics of the foot and ankle are important to the normal function of the lower extremity. The foot is the terminal joint in the lower kinetic chain that opposes external resistance. Proper arthrokinematic movement within the foot and ankle influences the ability of the lower limb to attenuate the forces of weightbearing. It is important for the lower extremity to distribute and dissipate compressive, tensile, shearing, and rotatory forces during the stance phase of gait. Inadequate distribution of these forces could lead to abnormal stress and the eventual breakdown of connective tissue and muscle. The combined effect of muscle, bone, ligaments, and normal foot biomechanics will result in the most efficient force attenuation in the lower limb.
New Visitors Welcome
If you are in need of assistance or wish to make an enquiry about any of the treatments and services provided, please contact us either by phone or through the contact form.
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Contact Us
Coalisland Foot Clinic
9 Annagher Road, Dungannon,
County Tyrone, BT71 4NE
T: (0) 28 8774 6300
E: estellegervin@hotmail.com