Blog   All things feet 

Here at Activefeet we pride ourselves on providing professional, friendly and affordable footcare service to all our patients. All nine podiatrists at Activefeet are members of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and College of Podiatry (CoP)

The HCPC is a regulator to protect the public against unqualified practitioners and ensure all professions meet all standards of education, training and practice. You can check the HCPC at anytime to check if your practitioner is registered www.hcpc-uk.org

The College of Podiatry exists to ensure the public have access to high quality foot care delivered by qualified and regulated professionals. Podiatrists have BSc degree as a minimum qualification however most have a BSc(Hons) or go on to do further qualifications. All podiatrists are insured by the CoP.

Having a podiatry degree allows podiatrists to be fully trained in high risk or specialist conditions such as diabetes, vascular problems and wounds (including ingrown to-nails). It is very important your podiatrist is qualified and confident in treating high risk conditions otherwise serious consequences can occur.

Luckily here at Activefeet we have two (almost three) qualified prescribers who are trained, qualified and able to provide scripts directly to the patient for a range of medications including antibiotics.

Firstly apologies for the New Years post on the 31st January but it has been a very busy few weeks here. I (Nicola) got married on the 23rd December at Lough Eske Castle Hotel in Donegal and we are just back from our Honeymoon in Singapore and Thailand. I have plenty of photos to show you all of the wedding and the honeymoon.

Anna Kelly left for a year of traveling in Australia in November and we hope to have her home later this year. We miss her so much but we know she is having an amazing time!

Rachel George joined us in October and has been covering Anna's home visits and clinical days including a Tuesday evening until 8pm. Rachel is so lovely, you will all really like her!

Raymond is still available for appointments on Wednesday evening 5pm to 8pm and 1st and 3rd Saturdays. He is a wonderful biomechanical and surgical specialist.

I'm sure most of you by now have met our resident clinic pupper Pippa. Andrew and I adopted Pippa last August from my wonderuful long term patient Iris. Iris was struggling with looking after Pippa as Pippa does tend to get under your feet. Pippa comes to work with me everyday and sleeps all day in her snuggly bed, you would be more likely to hear her snoring than see her up and about. She is the best thing Andrew and I have done, we love her to absolute pieces and she is so well behaved. She doesn't bark and is wonderful with everyone , children and dogs. She loves nothing more than a good ear scratch. Pippa and I like to visit Iris every few weeks, its so lovely to see how strong their bond is even when Pippa isn't living with her.

The game plan for the clinic over the next few months is to have a second podiatrist working in the second room along side the main podiatrist which will allow more appointments to be available. At the moment we are booking out a week in advance which means we aren't able to offer same day or next day appointments, even emergencies!

We have a wonderful Valentine's Pamper treatment available for the month of February. You can book this through the website.

Perfect for a loved one or a relaxing pamper for yourself

A cosy room and relaxing music with a glass of fizz ( non-alcoholic) or hot chocolate

- Choose your essential oil for your foot soak

- Let the stresses melt away in a fragrant foot soak with rose petals

- Foot soak and exfoliation

- Full routine podiatry treatment

- Deluxe foot masque, wrapped and finished with warm towels

£30 30-45 minute appointment

Hope you all have an amazing year!

Nicola x

‘‘Tis the season of corns and no one is happy about that! Corns are concentrated areas of hard skin which are very painful. They are shaped like an upside down triangle with a flat top and a small needle like center.

Corns develop for a variety of reasons, usually found over a boney prominence, between toes, over a pressure point or in some cases anywhere in the bottom of the skin due to dry skin ( these little buggers are called seed corns- to which there is no rhyme or reason for).

During and appointment with us at Activefeet we like to explain to patients what corns are, their causes and finally how to prevent them. Corns are always fully removed very gently during a treatment but it is up to the patient to prevent them coming back. Not covering the corn, protecting it after the treatment and squeezing your feet into those itty bitty shoes will cause the corn to come back usually in 3 or 4 weeks.

If I was to give one piece of advise and I speak for every podiatrist out there; would be NEVER use corn removers ( pads with acid in them). They cause massive woulds especially if they are placed between toes. We usually have to spend a week treating the wound made by the corn before tackling the corn.

Once you feel that unforgettable pinching, burning, sharpe pain of a corn. Call us! 02890 369973

Here at Activefeet we pride ourselves on professional, affordable footcare with a smile.

To keep our costs down we don't have a receptionist but make all our bookings, rebookings, questions, and walk in ourselves along side treating our wonderful patients.

To keep things on time and to make sure our lovely patients feel important, the time they have booked with us is only theirs. We do not leave appointments to answer a knock at the door but we ask our walk ins and people stopping by to leave their name and number at the desk or use the IPad provided in the reception to make an online booking. You are more than welcome to wait a little as we may be finished in a few minutes.

Please be patient with us if we don't answer a knock to the door or window as we are busy with patients. Trust me, when it comes to your time with us you will appreciate our full uninterrupted attention.

We will always treat walk-in appointments if we have the space and time. This is a very busy time of year and last minute spaces are very few and far between. Booking early is advised.

A big thank you to all our fantastic loyal patients who make everyday fly by!

Nicola and the Activefeet Team

We have just launched our new 'Podiatry affinity programme' with local businesses.

We are aware that some medical and health schemes do not include podiatry as a claim back and we wish to provide podiatry care for all who need it.

This scheme allows employers to partner with the clinic and offer their employees discount on treatments.

Once we have confirmation of the partnership we can set up a booking code for your employees to use when booking online through the website or when calling.

We have contacted local businesses via post and email and if you wish to invite your employer to this programme please contact the clinic and we will provide you with the invitation.

We are looking forward to growing our corporate image among local businesses.

Nicola

nicola@activefeetpodiatry.co.uk

Some of our tiny humans are a little bit afraid of coming to our clinic. We see alot of little people with verrucas or ingrown toenails. It is very very common!

It is very important that your little family members are comfortable in our clinic which is why we have our Kids Korner with Ipads, colouring books, reading book etc. We also have an endless supply of cookies, biscuits, juice and sweeties to keep them happy.

Any clinic can be a scary place with sharp instruments and big big nail clippers but we take things very slowly and give the child time to get used to get to know us.

Verrucas can be very stubborn and a few visits to us is usually necessary, which is why it it important the child feels happy enough to come back to us for further treatment.

When a child comes in to the clinic with a verruca, they take the shoes and socks off, then we have a look at the sore bit on their foot and then discuss with them and Mum/Dad the treatment plan. Sometimes we let the girls know (sometimes boys.. I cant be sexist!) that when the verruca has completely gone their final appointment/check up will be a pamper session with nail painting. That usually perks them right up!!

Today I had my very brave 4-year old patient in for a pamper session after a few verruca sessions. She was very happy with her pink sparkly nails!!

We always try to please all our patients, big or small!!

Nicola :)

Well things have been hotting up here at the new premises, we have seen a record number of patients this week 108 to be exact!!

Due to the increased footfall we have added an extra late night on a Wednesday with Anna.

We have also created another clinic room within our practice which will be available when our main list podiatrist is full.

We always try to accommodate our patients with a day and time that suits them, with the extra space we hope to have more 'walk in' and same day appointments.

Remember booking online is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year!

Thats all folks,

Nicola

Most of our patients come to us for advice on painful or uncomfortable conditions. We are always giving patients verbal advice and tips on how to carry out tasks to improve their foot health in the most effective and simplest way.

Alot of patients suffer from mobility problems and have issues with bending, so we set out to develop ways to carry out simple tasks without putting yourself into compromising and painful positions.

However we have found most people forget these or lose the help sheets we give out. So Anna and I spent an afternoon filming these videos, we had so much fun!

If we haven't covered something you would like us to, please send us an email or facebook message and we can do this for you.

We will updating the video section with strapping sessions with Raymond.

Hope you enjoy the videos!

Nic

Video section is along the top section beside Gift vouchers

We understand that wearing high heels has become part of most uniforms, we are here to help with the consequences from this fashionable foot straitjacket.

As a result we have found a number of patients develop painful corns between the toes (mostly between the baby toe and one next to it) this is due to squishing the foot into a shoe that is too narrow at the toe area.

What we advise our patients to do is select a high heel that fits you perfectly. I spent many money working in a podiatry clinic in San Francisco providing shoe evaluation and fittings. Sticking felt and gels to the inside of a Prada or Louis Vuitton high heel shoe costing more than 2 months mortgage is very VERY nerve wracking.

By selecting a shoe that has a strap across the ankle or the mid foot you create a barrier to shop the shoe from slipping off your feet which is turns stops the toes from curling to keep your shoe on. This is the same advice for anyone wearing ballerina pumps, always select a shoe with a strap as it stops the toes from having to work harder to keep your shoes on.

One point to remember is every shoe by any shoe maker is made on a different last (the wooden block that shapes the shoe) so you may be a size 6 in Next but a size 5.5 in Marks and Spencers. So do try on shoes if you are shopping in a different shop to what you are used to.

One way we can prevent corns coming back (apart from selecting better shoes) is to protect the area with a cushion. This can be as low maintenance as a plaster on the toe beside your troubled area.

Beside this blog there is photos of a corn cushion and also tubefoa which can be slid over the toe beside the offending corn and protect it.

In the clinic we take away the hard and irritated skin and apply a soothing medicated dressing, after this the hard work is up to you. It is your job to either change your footwear or protect the toe against rubbing. I can almost guarantee that if you do nothing, it will most certainly come back with a vengeance.

NEVER EVER USE CORN PLASTERS WITH SALICYLIC ACID IN THEM. this will burn the skin and we have seen countless burning injuries with these plasters. Seek podiatric help with getting rid of the corn and use corn cushions ( without acid) to protect the delicate area!

I hope this helps, please just pop in or give us a call if you do have any questions regarding shoe choice or corn treatment.

Nic

I'm sure as most of you know (probably hard to miss the texts, emails, facebook and twitter newsfeed) we have moved!

Our new place is in Monkstown Village Centre but most of you will know it as being where the tesco express, mauds icecream, ashers bakery and ToTo chinese is.

It has a ground floor location,disabled access with disabled toilet and most importantly FREE car parking spaces!!!. Inside we have a large reception with beverages and snacks while you wait with a comfortable seating area and ambient music. Our clinic room is spacious, bright and comfortable.

I am so pleased with the move and so far all our patients have been very impressed with the change of venue.

New place brings new people! We have a new podiatrist Raymond Robinson who has joined us part time as a clinical podiatrist. He works full time as a podiatry lecturer at UUJ with a keen interest in nail surgery, biomechanics and steriod injections. He is a fantastic addition to our growing Activefeet team. I even asked him to do my in-grown toenail surgery on myself in November and I'm very pleased and painfree with the outcome (I wouldn't hire someone who I wouldn't let touch my feet!).

We are now open 6 days a week including 2 late nights.

Monday 9am to 5pm (Nicola)

Tuesday 9am to 8pm (Nicola and Raymond evening)

Wednesday 9am to 5pm (Nicola)

Thursday 9am to 8pm (Anna and Nicola evening)

Friday 9am to 1pm (Nicola)

Saturday 9am to 1pm (Raymond or Anna)

Erena provides reflexology on the last Saturday of every month between 9am and 4pm which can be booked through our clinical appointments by phone or through a separate online booking service through our website.

Looking forward to the up-coming year,

Thanks, Nic!

I've had a few lovely new patients attending the clinic lately who have been very worried about coming to see a podiatrist and have put off coming for a long time.

I assure every new patient that comes through our doors, we really aren't as scary as you think we are.

Yes we do have big nail clippers but they only seem big to you in comparison to what you have previously used at home.

Yes we do use scalpel blades but I promise you, we are well trained and know what we are doing.

We try to make every procedure as comfortable and pain-free as we physically can, we do not rush and will explain everything we are planning to do for you during your appointment.

Alot of my nervous patients at the end of the treatment say, "Oh, that didnt hurt one bit. I have no idea why I haven't come sooner".

Whether your 5 years old or 75 years old, everyone is treated with the same care, respect and professionalism. We will do our very best to make you more comfortable.

If you are nervous about coming, do tell us and we will do everything we can do assure you are in safe hands.

Podiatrists know when we ask our lovely patients certain questions they are going to give us the answer they think is right and what we want to hear but the truth is,we know you're fibbing.

'How often do you apply moisturiser to your feet' I ask.

'Oh everyday, twice a day.. I do it every morning and night' they say sheepishly.

' Hmm.. ok' I always reply and leave it at that but really I'm thinking ' If you were doing that your feet would be in better condition, someone is telling little white lies'.

So I finish the session off with positive reinforcement and relaying the importance of applying moisturiser everyday.

Everyone tells little white lies sometimes, it's ok. I tell all my patients to make sure they try to rub moisturiser on their feet at least once a day, whenever you get out of the bath or shower. This is to keep the skin in healthy condition. On some occasions this information goes through one ear and out the other.

Every piece of advice a health practitioner has a medical evidence base so it is worth listening too. The reason why we advise moisturising your feet and lower legs especially giving attention to your heels is to keep our skin healthy, well nourished and elastic.

Dry scaly skin can crack and cause fissures which increase the chances of bacterial entry into the foot. We place our feet in socks and shoes everyday which creates a warm, sweaty and dark environment which is perfect for infection to grow and spread. Fungal infections can spread easily in warm dark places, so keeping your feet as healthy and as clean as possible can dramatically reduce the likelihood of infection.

Your dentist knows when your lying about flossing, so your podiatrist knows when you're fibbing too.....

We recommending using CCS cream for your footcare routine.

I can assure everyone out there, that there is no such thing as ‘Ugly feet’.

In the past I have harassed all my friends and family to take part in various photo-shoots for work. I was looking for a foot model for website and artwork photos but always came up short of willing volunteers. This is only due to the embarrassment people have of their own feet. The almost instantaneous response I get is, ‘Oh no.. your not looking at my feet.. they are so ugly’.

I really don’t understand this expression at all when it comes to feet. Podiatrists have literally seen it all but I will spare you the details about septic ulcers and gangrene.

If you are lucky enough to have pain-free feet you really must learn to love your feet. After all they keep you moving…

Nic

They appear from no- where but you soon realise they are there. They throb, pinch and become very very painful, but what are these little ninja like problems and how do we get rid of them?

Verrucae/warts are derived from the human papilloma virus (HPV’s). This virus generally affects children of school age due to communal, barefoot environments of changing rooms and the non-exposure to other virus’. This communal changing area is the common spread of the virus in all age groups due to swimming and sports etc.

Symptoms

Verrucaes can be mistaken for corns but have a cauliflower like appearance with black dots in the center. They are sharp when pinched at the sides and have a throbbing pain when weight-bearing.

Treatment

•Keep the verrucae covered to prevent spreading. . Your partner and kids may love you but that may diminish if you spread your verruca to them.

• Bleach your shower and clean your floors regularly

• Use over the counter verrucae treatment and a pumice stone to remove the hard skin covering the verrucae.

• These over the counter salicylic acid treatments are good and cheaper than visiting a podiatrist every week but diabetic patients or people with compromised circulation should NOT use these products.

• A podiatrist can treat the verrucae with stronger % acids which may help you get rid of the virus quicker but regular treatments to the podiatrist can add up and become expensive.

Verrucaes are such a nusiance, we can not tell our patients when the virus will go. They go when they go I’m afraid to say. I have suffered from them alot as a child and as an adult also, I understand how frustrating it is for patients when they have a stubborn verrucae.

If your fed up with constant treatments which add up, my advice would be to keep treating them yourself.Visit a podiatrist for an initial diagnosis and also to check in with them again for an update if it is getting bigger/smaller or fingers crossed.. GONE!

I qualified in 2009 as a HCPC Podiatrist and graduated from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh July 2010. I have had experience working in both Northern Ireland, Scotland and San Francisco, CA. In my honors year in university, I specialised in biomechanics and nail surgery with a special interest in sports injuries and therapy. I am currently undertaking my Masters in Podiatry through Queen Margaret University with my topic of discussion Dermatology, which I am finding very interesting.

In 2009 I spent 4 months in a podiatry clinic in the financial district of San Francisco working with an amazing DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine). During this time in San francisco I learnt many different types of therapies and patient care. The clinic where I worked was very focused on biomechanics and minor lower limb trauma. It was great to work with different types of athletes from hacky-sack players to Ironman runners. The types of trauma that came through the doors was varied and unexpected. From metatarsal fractures from military personel, fractured sesamoids from professional dancers, spiral fractures from a man falling off a toilet, to a 11 year old with a fractured heel bone. It was wonderful to learn about the different types of injuries people suffer from and how to treat them. The Doctor I worked with was very passionate about recommending the perfect shoe for runners and making sure that any shoe you wear fits well, this philosophy has certainly rubbed off on me as I now share this passion.

The reason why I have started this blog is that I found that every one of my patients is different in many ways, from the shape of their feet to their lifestyle and medical history.

So I have decided to blog about the different advice I give to my patients,keeping it confidential of course. Just advice…. Including alternative thearpies such as acupuncture and reflexology, critic of newspaper articles I find interesting, general podiatry problems and treatments.

Hope you enjoy!

Nicola