What have been our top 5-foot complaints so far this year?
At Regan Gillespie Podiatry, we see a range of foot complaints; however, we thought it would be interesting to see which problems are most common and share with you what treatments you can expect. We hope you find this helpful.
1. Assistance with general foot and nail care is our number one service.
Often patients who find it hard to reach their toenails due to reduced mobility or Osteoarthritis in the hands can find this prevents them from cutting toenails. Poor vision can also cause difficulties with accidents causing nicks in the skin.
Thickened Toenails
What are they? -Thickened toenails are when any part of the nail becomes thicker than normal, and it can affect any of the toes.
What causes them? Trauma to nails over the years, such as tight footwear, knocking the toenail repeatedly, kicking the whole toenail off and therefore damaging the nail matrix (base of the nail) from where it grows. Fungal infections and conditions such as psoriasis of the nail can also create thickened toenails.
✔️What can we do about them? -We use strong stainless-steel clippers that can get through the thickest of nails. And small devices called “burrs” which file the nail down.
Corns
What are they? -Small yet painful lesions on the feet. Often confused with plantar warts, they are entirely different ailments with different treatment options. We can distinguish between the two and determine what treatment is appropriate.
What causes them? -Corns arise from excessive pressure and friction and force on that area of skin – for example, in-between toes (know as “soft corns”) caused by tight shoes/arthritis in the joints leading to malalignment of the toes. Corns on top of toes (usually “hard corns”) typically from shoe rubbing. Plantar (on the soles of the foot) corns (usually “seed corns”) from biomechanical issues – excessive loading/pressure on certain areas
✔️What can we do about them? Treatment consists of enucleating/debriding the corn, offloading the corn, toe separators, and orthotics if needed.
Callouses
What are they? - Larger areas of hardened skin on the feet, they are like corns in that they arise from excess pressure; however, they cover a larger area and are generally less painful. They are often unsightly and can result in cracks “cracked heels”, which can become infected/painful.
✔️What can we do about them? We debride and sand callouses to return skin to its normal state.
We happily offer home visits to the neighbouring suburbs of our 3 clinics - Toombul, Bracken Ridge and Morayfield.
2. Ingrown toenails
What are they? -They can range from mildly annoying to very painful. Some can appear red, swollen, inflamed, infected, however some ingrown toenails do not necessarily present with visual changes, but the pain is there?
What causes them? -Ill-fitting shoes, ripping the toenails instead of cutting them, inappropriate nail cutting, genetics, excessively pronated (rolled in) foot, and involuted (excessive curved) nails
✔️What can we do about them? For mild cases, often footwear advice, nail cutting advice and demonstration and removing the ingrown portion gently using special tools that minimise discomfort can often be enough. A local anaesthetic injection is available to numb the toe if required. In severe and/or persistent cases, a partial nail avulsion can be performed – surgically removing the corner of the nail and applying phenol to prevent the regrowth; this is performed in our rooms under local anaesthetic.
3. Heel pain
What is it? The number one injury we see, which causes tender areas in the heel.
What Causes it? There are several causes, including heel fracture, cracked heels, fat pad syndrome, bursitis, and Achilles’ tendinitis. Most times, heel pain is caused by plantar fasciitis and/or heel spurs. Heel spurs/plantar fasciitis are interrelated – the same mechanism of injury and treatment are required.
✔️What can we do about it? Treatment consists of strapping the foot, exercises, massage, footwear changes and orthotics to correct biomechanical issues.
4. Bunions
What are they? -A prominent bone growth at the base of the big toe. Some are unsightly yet painless, while other bunions can cause a lot of pain. More common in women, but men are still very affected and commonly presents from approx. 50 years onwards, however, can present in children albeit rarely.
What causes them? -Ill-fitting shoes, genetics, excessive pronation, flat feet, arthritis.
✔️What can we do about them? Footwear changes, orthotics, and strapping can be effective; however, surgery can be an option in severe cases.
5. Flat feet
What is it? -Where the arches are significantly dropped, causing the entire (or most of) sole of your foot to touch the ground when you stand
What causes it? -It is generally hereditary, but it can arise from injury of a bone fusion in some rare cases. As we age, our arches can tend to drop, and during pregnancy, women experience relaxing of the ligaments, which can also result in lower arches. Sometimes flat feet can cause no issues, however more times than not, pain or injury will arise at some point in your life.
Common problems associated with flat feet:
Plantar fasciitis/heel spurs/heel pain
Posterior tibial tendinitis
Bunions
Ingrown toenails
Knee, hip, and back pain/arthritis
Ankle pain/arthritis, mainly if there is excessive heel pronation.
✔️What can we do about it? For most people with flat feet, the only treatment is supportive shoes and/or orthotics. In very severe cases, surgery is sometimes required.
So that’s a round-up of our most common complaints so far this year. If you are experiencing a foot complaint and are looking for a podiatrist who offers friendly services for the whole family on Brisbane's Northside, we are here for you.
We look forward to helping you get back on your feet.
