Podiatry

Available in the clinic, the Swift microwave verruca treatment causes water molecules in the infected verruca cells to become excited and release harmless heat shock proteins into the body to stimulate the immune system. This has a much better efficacy rate than standard acid or freezing treatments, which are still used despite being not as effective. The microwave is applied to the verruca to be treated and then the dose is delivered, this needs to be repeated multiple times to allow the best chance of resolution. Your podiatrist will work with you to achieve the best possible outcome.

Nail Surgery is a minor operation, performed under local anaesthetic (LA), in which your podiatrist removes the painful in-growing toenail. This can involve the removal of the entire nail (TNA) or part of the nail (PNA).

A TNA is the complete and permanent removal of the entire nail. This can look quite unnatural and can be distressing for the patient after the nail surgery as another nail will not grow again. Your podiatrist will try not to remove the entire nail unless it is completely unsalvageable or on one of the lesser toes which is less visible.

A PNA is the removal of the offending in-growing side(s) only, therefore leaving some part of the nail to make it look as normal as possible post operatively. Generally, at Body consultancy the Podiatrist will try to perform a PNA, thus aiming to leave some nail intact.

During the procedure, the offending spicule of nail is removed under LA, and the nail cells from where that piece of nail grew from will be destroyed, preventing it from growing back. The result is a slightly thinner nail with straighter sides, which looks relatively pleasing to the eye and grows back looking normal once healed post-surgery.

Exercises are often prescribed in combination with other manual therapy helping to aid the patient to continue daily tasks pain-free. Exercises are tailored to each patient dependent upon their lifestyle factors, age and ability to perform. During the appointment you will be shown how to perform an exercise and have a chance to perform it whilst the podiatrist is watching enabling you to know that it is being performed correctly therefore increasing mobility and aiding the road to recovery. It is quite common at this stage for the sports therapist and podiatrist to work closely during the rehab stage of your condition.

Foot orthoses are devices that are put into the shoe to support your foot and ankle. They come in a range of different materials and styles. We have ‘off the shelf’ orthoses for a short-term or ‘quick fix’ and new for 2023 will have the ability to create custom made orthoses that are more beneficial for ongoing support.

Depending on your pain or problem one pair may be better suited to you than the other. Foot orthoses can be designed for a particular function, for example offloading an area of discomfort, supporting and stabilising the foot to aid mobility or to relieve pain in the foot, ankle, knee, hip or lower back.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by an injury near to the attachment of the plantar fascia band to the heel bone. At each step, all of the body weight rests on one heel of the foot. If the foot is properly aligned this causes no problems. However if the foot is excessively pronated, the arch flattens causing abnormal stretching of the relatively inflexible plantar fascia, causing pain and inflammation at the attachment at the heel. This can be treated by the podiatrist by prescribing exercises and often also orthotics.

Diabetics are much more likely to experience problems with their feet, which if left untreated/uncared for can lead to in more serious cases amputations. Therefore it is important to get them checked by a health professional (Podiatrist/Foot health Practitioner/Nurse/GP) at least once per year. Diabetes can affect the blood supply to the feet making it harder for a person to heal if they injure themselves, also nerve supply can be affected if the sugar levels in the body are not maintained at a sensible level. Diabetics need to make sure they are cutting their nails correctly to avoid ingrown nails and avoid infections. We provide a professional nail cutting service here at body consultancy to take your mind off doing those tasks. It is also imperative that diabetics check their feet at least once per day to ensure nothing goes wrong, and they should be applying a foot cream once a day to keep skin healthy.