Treatments
We offer a range of treatments. These will be discussed with you when you come for your first visit. Some treatments will in included at the initial assessment and some may have to be booked in following the assessment. Some conditions will require a number of treatments to be used to gain maximum effect. We have treatments for your presenting symptoms and some to enable longer term effects to be maintained. Please see below for more information and contact us to discuss if you need more information.
Routine Podiatry
Nail Cutting
For some people cutting their toenails is a simple task that can be carried out at home. However, for others it can become necessary to get this done by a professional. Regular visits to the podiatrist can keep your toenails at a healthy length, plus the podiatrist will spot any other foot issues you may develop.
Callus and Corns
Calluses are hard, rough areas of skin that are often yellowish in colour.
They can develop on the feet, usually around the heel area or on the skin under the ball of the foot.
Calluses are larger than corns and don’t have such a well-defined edge. As callused skin is thick, it’s often less sensitive to touch than the surrounding skin.
Calluses develop when the skin rubs against something, such as a bone, a shoe or the ground. They often form over the ball of your foot because this area takes most of your weight when you walk.
Corns are small circles of thick skin that usually develop on the tops and sides of toes or on the sole of the foot. However, they can occur anywhere.
Corns often occur on bony feet as there’s a lack of natural cushioning
Corns are often caused by:
- wearing shoes that fit poorly – shoes that are too loose can allow your foot to slide and rub
- certain shoe designs that place excessive pressure on an area of the foot – for example, high-heeled shoes can squeeze the toes
Verrucas
A verruca (plantar wart) is a wart on the foot caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They commonly occur on the soles of the feet and toes. Verrucas can be contagious and spread to other people through direct person-to-person contact.
Causes of verrucas
When the skin gets very wet it loses its suppleness and flexibility, which can cause tiny cracks and splits to occur. These breaks in the skin make it easier for the verruca virus to penetrate the skin. This happens through direct skin-to-skin contact, or indirect contact with contaminated surfaces. The verruca virus thrives in warm, moist environments such as swimming pools, changing rooms and bathrooms.
Are verrucas harmful?
Verrucas are harmless but can be uncomfortable and painful if they develop on weight bearing areas, such as the feet. In addition, hard skin (callus) can form over the top of the verruca which can increase discomfort to the area.
What’s the best way to get rid of a verruca?
This is a question we get asked almost every day. So, let me introduce you to Swift Microwave Verruca Treatments, offered here at Colpod Podiatry & Therapies.
Verrucae are caused by some strains of the HPV virus. The way that almost all verruca treatments work is not to kill the virus directly, but to create inflammation in the infected tissues which helps the body to recognise that the virus is there. Verrucae can last for many years without treatment because the virus hides itself from the body’s defences.
So what is Swift Verruca Treatment?
Well, Swift was developed here in the UK. The way that Swift works is to create heat in the affected skin, which helps to trigger the inflammation that we want.
The microwaves are applied to the skin via a small probe, which has a disposable tip, single use for each treatment. The treatment itself lasts for only seconds, then we leave the verruca alone for a month for the body to do its thing to get rid of the virus. We review after a month, and if a second treatment is needed, we would do this then. We carry out up to 3 treatments a month apart, then review after a further 12 weeks if needed. Within 3 treatments Swift has been shown to be up to 80% effective.
The only drawback to Swift treatments is that they can hurt, but only for a few seconds. We will always talk you through the treatment options to decide what is right for you.
So if you are ready to be rid of your verrucae, then give us a call.
What is Verruca Needling?
Verruca needling is a minor surgical procedure carried under local anaesthetic for the treatment of stubborn verrucae. It has a reported success rate of 60% however, as with all verruca treatments results cannot be guaranteed.
What does Verrucae Dry Needling Involve?
The procedure involves the use of a fine needle to puncture the verruca lesion multiple times. The goal is to implant infected cells into the dermis thus stimulating an immune response and, therefore, destruction of the human papilloma virus responsible for the development of verrucae. Please use the photo in this section.
The Benefits of Verruca Needling
One huge advantage over other treatments such as cryosurgery and caustics is that only one session of treatment is usually needed. If you have multiple lesions, then still only the “mother lesion” needs to be treated as a systemic immune response is initiated.
There is no evidence that suggests using this technique can spread the virus further.
If you need any further information, please call the clinic.
Ingrowing Toe Nails
Ingrowing toenails are an extremely painful condition where the skin around the toenail becomes red and swollen and can easily become infected as the nail grows into the skin. This is normally due to ill-fitting shoes or incorrect cutting of the nail.
Treatment can include trimming the nail to make it more comfortable and providing a dressing to relieve the pressure on the area, or partial or full removal of the nail.
Partial nail avulsion
Partial nail avulsion is a very effective and commonly used operation for treating ingrown toenails.
A local anaesthetic is used to numb your toe and the edges of your toenail are cut away. A chemical called phenol is applied to the affected area to prevent the nail growing back and becoming ingrown in the future.
A course of antibiotics may be prescribed if your nail is infected, and any pus will be drained away.
Total nail avulsion
Total nail avulsion may be necessary if your nail is thick and pressing into the skin surrounding your toe. After your toenail has been removed, you’ll have an indentation where your nail used to be. However, it’s perfectly safe for you not to have a toenail.
Foot and Ankle Mobilisations
During the assessment we often find that some joints may be restricted in the amount of movement that they have. We may need to address these to ensure that things are going to work correctly. This involves moving the joints in certain ways to restore good movement. This can be a stand alone treatment or part of a treatment package.
Soft Tissue Mobilisations - Fascia Mobilisations
This is where we treat the soft tissues and can be focused on the muscles, tendons, ligaments or fascia. To ensure we give you the best chance of restoring good function we need to make sure the soft tissues can adapt to the new loading and will not be restricting function
Shockwave
Shockwave is becoming increasing well known for treating longstanding problems of either tendons or where the tendon attaches to bone. It can be very effective in many chronic injuries that are slow to heal such as Plantar fasciitis or Achilles’ tendon problems. It is very effective at turning on the body’s own healing systems and we use it in a variety of ways to do this. The machine delivers a high energy shock wave deep into the tissue, this stimulates tissue damage, without causing damage, and encourages your own healing system to repair the damage.
Here is a link to our machines manufacturers website for more in-depth information
Orthoses
We have a variety of orthoses to offer as part of the treatment plan. They should work with how you are moving and aim to make your movement more efficient. They could be for long term or short term use. Not everyone is going to need orthoses and this will be discussed after the assessment. I prescribe my orthoses to do a particular job as part of the treatment plan. This means that they will be custom made for you and the way you move and will impact on the movement that we think is the issue. We have pre made, customised and fully bespoke orthoses.
Premade Orthoses
These are a great range of products and can be fitted whilst you are with me in the clinic. I find the best fit for your foot shape and also the way your foot moves. We can adjust these to a certain extent to make sure that they do have an influence on both your symptoms and the way you move.
Natural Step 3D Custom Made
These are made using a filament printer and use TPU material. This device can be made soft or firmer and different parts of the orthoses can be made to difference densities. This allows us to finely tune where the support, padding or specific modifications can be applied. Using a scan of your foot for the design process also ensures you are getting a truly custom device that is made specifically for your feet and the way you move.
Phits Custom Made
These orthoses are designed from the software with the RSScan gait scan information. These 3D printed devices allow for localised distribution of areas of support and flexibility. They support your feet where needed without affecting the function of the rest of your foot. We can be extremely accurate with our prescription of your orthoses and ensure that they help with improving the way you move and not just provide arch support. The combination of the scan and devices give you the best combination of being able to make changes to the way you move.
Podfo Custom Made
Podfo orthoses are truly custom made to your foot shape and prescribed to help your function. They are made using a laser sintered process from a 3D scan of your foot shape. These are a very modern design and we can do so much more with these than traditional foot orthoses. They also come in a great selection of colours.
Injection Therapy
Steroid Injections
Steroid injections are used as a powerful, anti-inflammatory treatment for a specific area of the body including the foot and ankle. Common reasons for this are:
- painful joints, such as hallux rigidus or metatarsalgia secondary to hallux valgus
- painful bursitis, often associated with other deformity
- painful nerve conditions, in particular Morton’s neuroma
- painful trigger points such as nerve pain following an ankle sprain
- painful post-operative scars
How do steroids work?
Steroids have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that can help to break the pain/inflammation cycle. They also work by reducing the bulk of soft tissue in the treated area.
The steroid may be given along with a local anaesthetic to block pain from the injected area, giving immediate relief while the slower acting steroid takes effect.
Normally a course of up to three injections can be given, at intervals of 6-8 weeks or up to 3 on an annual basis.
The steroid usually starts to take effect in approximately 24-36 hours, however it can take 6 weeks for the full benefit to be felt.
Are there any risks?
These may occur but are extremely uncommon and generally resolve within a few weeks – they include:
- Short term increase in pain – this effect is short lived and can be relieved with an ice pack or simple pain killers.
- Possible raised blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Diabetic patients should monitor their blood sugar after the injection. Adjustment of diet or medication may be necessary for a few days.
- Facial flushing – for a short time only.
- Skin dimpling, or skin discolouration at the site of injection.
- Soft tissue rupture.
- Very rarely bleeding and/or bruising in the injected area may occur which may cause increased pain for a few days