A general tidy up of those bits and pieces of hard skin, corns, cracked heels and thick toenails can make all the difference to the look and feel of your feet.

As podiatrists we can use a variety of methods to help you, including expert use of the scalpel and the podiatry drill. A podiatrist will also be able to assess whether your minor skin and nail problems are being caused by an underlying structural/ biomechanical problem, or footwear problem. Fungal infections are common in the feet, both in the toes and on the skin. A Podiatrist can diagnose these problems and recommend a suitable treatment. (Podiatrists fully sterilize all instruments in an autoclave).

You may have a mild case of ingrowing toenails if you experience discomfort when pressure is put on the toes from shoes, or even from bed clothes at night. Quite often there is a build up of hard skin under the nail that you can't see or get at. This condition can easily be treated by a podiatrist with an expert cut of the nails and clearance of the hard skin.

A more severe case of ingrowing toenails can lead to acute inflammation and /or infection. This is usually caused by a perforation of the skin, in the nail-fold by the nail. You may be prescribed antibiotics by your GP, however it is a good idea to see a Podiatrist to try and correct the underlying problem with the nail. Podiatrists are qualified to give local anaesthetic, which means that even the most severe cases of ingrowing toenails can be treated with the minimum of discomfort. A small operation removing a piece of the nail can be performed to permanently solve the problems of recurring ingrowing toenails.

Verrucae are warts on the feet; they are caused by a virus. There are several different strains of the virus that cause different kinds of warts. Some are painless and appear as a single wart and don't spread, others are very painful and some spread very quickly.

When they occur in very young children there is a good chance that they will disappear on their own in 6 months to a year. If you have had verrucae for longer than 2 years then the chances of them just going without any treatment are very slim.

Podiatrists in general would prefer to see and start treating verrucae in adults as soon as possible. There is a much better chance of a quick resolution. Once verrucae have spread, or have got very large in size, they can be very time consuming to treat.

Even the most experienced podiatrist cannot tell by looking at a verruca how long it will take to get rid of. Not only do the warts vary in themselves but also every person reacts differently to treatment. At the Oakridge Practice we treat verrucae with caustics (a special paste that is strapped onto the foot and has to be kept dry for 2-3 days) and/or with liquid nitrogen (freezing treatment). We can treat weekly, 2 weekly or 3 weekly. Quite often we will ask you to do a home treatment as well.

Getting rid of verrucae can take perseverance and dedication.

Forefoot pain, heel pain, ankle pain, leg pain, knee pain, even back pain and jaw ache can all be caused by biomechanical problems in the feet. This means that there is some misalignment in the structures of the foot. These problems can occur at any age. Podiatrists treat many of these types of problems with functional foot orthoses - these are inserts that go into the shoes and act by supporting the foot in a more efficient functional position. Once the foot is held in this improved position by the orthoses, they will help reduce muscle strain, prevent torsion and the added stresses being put on the muscles and ligaments of the feet, knees, hips and lower back. Your body will not have to try and control the poor mechanics, and shock absorption will be improved.