Hard to cut nails
are probably the biggest single service that we provide. They may be painful, ingrown, deformed, pressing into your shoe, thick, discoloured, brittle or may even have a corn underneath them which can cause further problems. Sometimes people are just not able to cut their own nails due to mobility problems or vision problems don't allow them to make a safe cut. They are cut and filed making them as functional and as pain free as they can be.

Corns
Come in a number of shapes and forms but without doubt they are all painful They are caused by pressure on a particular point of the foot and this pressure causes a tiny piece of skin to die then dry and then harden leaving you feeling like there is a small piece of glass in there. To add to the pain, the body then tries to cushion the corn by developing callus around it but instead of cushioning and relieving pain it just leaves a larger mass under the skin which causes more pain. Treatment consists of removing any overlying callus then removing the corn/s. Relief is usually immediate.

Callus
can build up on many areas of the foot. It is caused by friction and is the body's natural attempt at cushioning and protecting itself. Callus can be a good thing for example a guitar players fingers will produce callus to protect themselves from the hard guitar strings. But when that callus is on the bottom of the foot it is painful to walk on and the body reacts to this pain by making even more callus. By carefully removing these layers and bringing the hard skin into line with the surrounding good, supple, flexible healthy skin then pain free walking is possible again.

Ingrowing toe nails
cause misery and every step is painful leading to the altering of the natural gait and creating further problems which can be in the foot, leg or even further up the body. Early treatment is highly recommended before the ingrown nail leads to infection and further complications. Often a nails hasn't started to grow into the skin but causes pain as a sharp nail edge presses into the skin at the side of the toe. Treatment is to reduce the the width of the nail by cutting or filing then shaping and training the nail to grow in a pain free direction.

Verrucas
Are simply warts that are located on the bottom of the foot. Apart from being unsightly, warts don't really cause us any harm or problems. But when the warts are located on the bottom of the foot then they are painful to walk on. The pain then gets greater as the body tries to protect itself with callus which creates a larger mass and then becomes even more painful. Treatments vary and if you ask 10 different Chiropodists, Podiatrists, Foot health practitioners or GP's what is the best treatment then you will probably get different answers. Each case is unique and after taking into account the general health and the lifestyle of each patient then a unique treatment is recommended Regardless of the treatment method the first step is to remove any overlying callus to make walking pain free again.

Thick Cracked Heels
not only don't look good but are more and more painful as the skin thickens. When there is enough callus on the heels to lose the skins natural suppleness and flexibility then they crack and further problems can develop. Again it is the body's natural defence against friction that is to blame for the build up of hard skin which only worsens over time. Treatment is to simply remove the overlying callus and then use an electric file to smooth off the heel so that the surrounding soft, supple, flexible skin blends in with the previously callused area. A moisturising campaign is recommended after treatment to try and keep this callus build up as slow as possible.

Fungal infections
Are very common due to shoes being dark, warm and moist which provide the perfect environment for fungus to breed. It can create itching, excessive sweating, redness, cracked skin which can bleed and provide entry into the body for bacteria and other invading micro organisms. If the fungal infection gets underneath the nail then it can be very hard to remove it but if left can create disfigured and discoloured nails. Treatment is based on each individual case and good foot care routines.

There are a whole host of foot problems that can affect our daily lives. Above are just a selection of the most common complaints that are dealt with on a daily basis. Call for a chat about your particular needs.