Blog   All things feet 

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