SKIN PROBLEMS
Corns and callouses are painful to walk on because they are so hard, but no painful to remove - they are an accumulation dead skin cells that have no nerve endings in them.
It seems simple, but this is one of the most rewarding things to be able to help someone with - seeing someone walk into the office in pain and walk out pain free is fabulous. Seriously. Other issues aren't so quickly fixed and may take a bit more treatment, but are always working to have you leave pain free.
CORNS AND CALLOUSES
Corns and callouses are dead skin that builds up with pressure from joint changes (such as arthritis) and pressure from footwear. Callouses tend to be across large areas like the heel and sole of the foot, and corns are generally at bony prominences like the top or sides of toes. Firstly, the hard skin that's causing the pain needs to be removed. Corns and callouses can be really painful to stand on but virtually painless to treat - there are no nerves in dead skin so no pain to remove them. They're sore when you stand on them because they're hard and causes inflammation and pain in the underlying tissues. So it means that you will feel considerably better as soon as you leave the practice. Secondly, the cause of the corn or callous need to be addressed to minimise the re-occurrence.
WARTS
Warts are not necessarily painful and are often mistaken for corns. But rather than being caused by pressure, they are a virus similar to the cold sore virus. Warts are common in children and adolescents and become less common as we age. Unlike a corn, they are very tricky to surgically remove so this is not advised as a first line treatment. The potential scarring as a result of surgically removing a wart can cause long term pressure point and pain. So the first aim of treatment is to make the immune system realise that the virus is in that area and to attack it. Like when you have the flu there is no treatment for it, the Doctor will send you home with bed rest to let your body fight it. So the "bed rest" for wart is trying to try and create a local reaction at the site of the lesion to stimulate your immune system. To do this we can apply topical acids, freezing them or even use whacky things like garlic and banana skins! They can be with you for some time or go relatively quickly. It will all depend on how quickly your immune system attacks the lesion.
PSORIASIS, DERMATITIS AND SKIN IRRITATIONS
Whether you have an allergy or issue with a skin irritation, having this on your foot can be painful to walk on. We can advise on what is best to do as a first line treatment to reduce the pain or suggest local Dermatologists (skin specialists).