CONDITIONS THAT CAN TREATED OR ADVICE PROVIDED
Corns are carefully removed at the clinic using a tiny sterile scalpel blade. The removal of corns is painless in over 98% of cases. Unfortunately most corns slowly grow back over time. However corns on the toes can sometimes improve and resolve when wider, deeper shoes are worn. Please do not apply a corn plaster to the corn because it macerates the skin so the corn is obscured. This makes removal of the corn very difficult. Also corn plasters can cause serious problems.
Hard skin can be gently removed, filed and smoothed. Heels can be filed, smoothed and feel soft again. I am happy to provide a medical pedicure but, I am unable to push back the cuticles and apply varnish.
Thickened nails are a common problem and are mainly caused by direct trauma to the nail bed, micro-trauma from shoes, fungus or skin problems. The nails can be thinned and carefully shaped using a sterile electric bur.
Ingrown nails are gently trimmed and the ingrown spike removed. Sometimes the ingrown nail has grown too deep and cannot be reached using standard chiropody treatment. In this case a referral for nail surgery is needed. Indeed, the longer an ingrown nail is left, the harder it is to treat. Also the nail can can pierce the skin and cause an infection. Ingrown nails can be exacerbated and caused by tight shoes, socks or stockings and by stubbing your toe.
Fungal nail occurs when fungi enter under the nail, often from the front edge and colonise under the nail. The most common pathogenic nail fungus is Trichophyton rubrum. Sometimes a fungus called Trichophyton mentagrophytes will grow on top of the nail. Nail thickening, nail varnish globules or nail - nail bed separation can sometimes be mistaken for fungal nail. For treatment to be successful, the fungal nail should be thinned using a sterile electric bur and the fungal nail elements should be burred and if possible removed. A course of anti-fungal nail lacquer is applied.
Nail cutting is available to anyone particularly where the nails are too hard or thick to cut at home.
Heel pain is treated depending on its cause. Plantar fasciitis may be helped using heel cups, orthotics, insoles and stretches. Achilles tendinosis can be treated using orthotics, heel raises and stretches. Heel pad contusion may respond to heel cups and insoles. Other causes of heel pain and ankle pain might be tendinitis of posterior tibial and flexor hallucis longus tendon: Tendinitis of the peroneal tendons or ankle sprain.
Forefoot pain is managed depending on its cause. Forefoot pain can have many causes and be can be associated with a forefoot deformity, a high arch foot or even a Mortons neuroma. Insoles, orthotics and padding may help.
Bunions occur when the big toe deviates towards the second toe. This can be exacerbated or caused by flat feet but, can have other causes and is sometimes inherited from parents or grandparents. There is no cure for bunion apart from surgery but, correction of low arches using orthotic insoles may slow its progression. A bunion can be measured to establish the extent of deviation of toe called hallux valgus.
Verrucae are caused by the human papilloma virus and are usually easy to diagnose but, can resemble other lesions. Verrucae can often be resistant to treatments and no treatment is 100% successful. At the clinic salicylic acid and freezing are applied weekly for about 5 to 10 weeks depending on size and number of verrucae. Success of treatment is often determined by size, depth and number of verrucae and the perseverance of the patient. On average, I would say there is a 70 to 80% chance of successful treatment with this treatment. (Acids and freezing are not suitable for people with poor healing, reduced immunity, poor circulation and diabetes).
Other conditions that I may be able to help with include:
Athletes foot, cracked heels, sweaty feet, foot odour, big toe pain (hallux limitus), dry skin
Diabetic foot assessment and advice.
Sterile single use instruments are used at this practice. These are sterilised by a special company and packed into sterile packs. These are then, delivered to the practice. All instruments are sterile when treatments are started. After treatment the instruments are never used again.