Warm Feet Matter

If you know anyone who have the tendency to get cold feet during the cold winter weather, then the problem may lie in the shoes and even the socks. In addition to that, some medical conditions may be affecting the circulation and peripheral nerves, which may also lead to feelings of coldness. Whatever the reason may be, quality shoes, socks, and inserts can help tackle this common problem

chiblain

During winter we tend to keep our feet in shoes more often to stay warm. Unintentionally, improper fitting shoes and tight socks increase the effects of common things that some of us already have (such as bunions and calluses).

Taking care of your feet by having the right shoes and general maintenance is important in the cooler weather. A combination of poor circulation and ill-fitted footwear can cause conditions such as Chilblains (photos above). Other underlying medical conditions in combination with cold weather can cause toes turning white and blue from the arteries (in areas like the toes) to get triggered by the cold, this is known as Raynaud’s syndrome.

How can a Podiatrist help?

Foot care is especially important for people with diabetes, people which feet tend to swell and for those who already have drier skin. This loss of moisture can lead to skin peeling and skin cracking. Those living with chronic paincan be more sensitive to stiffer joints, inflammation and neuropathy.

To manage feet in the colder months, a podiatrist can help you out with footwear advice and general foot care.

How do we treat heel pain?

Heel pain is the most common condition we see at Pioneer Podiatry, with at least 5 to 10 cases per day. In our clinic, we specialise in diagnosing and treating this condition and have a special focus on cases that have been chronic and difficult to fix. 

How do we treat heel pain?

There are several treatment options that can be used to resolve heel pain conditions and each one is carefully considered when treating each patient. What’s right for one person might not be right for another. A physical examination will be conducted in order to diagnose which heel pain condition you have and a biomechanical assessment will be carried out to help determine which treatment path to take.

The main treatment options are:

You may require one or a combination of the above treatments. Stretch techniques and footwear selection are also important. In addition to the treatments that we put in place for you, it is extremely important that we educate you and clear up the confusion surrounding things that you should and shouldn’t do. Commonly, patients are engaging in home remedies that a practitioner or a friend may have informed them of, or that they have learned about online. Some of these common remedies add stress to the heel and irritate the condition, even if they provide short-term relief, meaning the condition persists.

 

When should you see a Podiatrist for your ingrown toenail?

Ingrown nails may cause pain at the end of the toe or all along the edge. Pain is often worse in shoes. The edge that is in the skin may cause infection or inflammation. The toe may be red, swollen, or have pus or drainage.

How can it be prevented?

Because of nail shape and other factors, not all ingrown nails can be prevented. However, cutting nails too short may leave a rough edge or a corner that can pierce the skin as the nail grows outward. Cutting the toenails straight across allowing the sides of the nail to be smooth and just over the skin on the end of the toe can help prevent ingrowing toenails.

How is it treated?

At Pioneer Podiatry, our initial treatment goal is relieving pain and clearing infection or inflammation. If the toe is not infected, your podiatrist may be able to carefully trim the ingrown nail edge, without any discomfort. An infected toe usually requires removing the edge (a portion of the ingrown toenail) or, in some cases, the entire nail.

If your ingrown nail is reoccurring, we can perform a procedure called a partial nail avulsion with matrix phenolisation, which involves removing the whole edge of the offending nail and sterilising the nail bed for a permanent solution to your chronic ingrown nail. This procedure is painless as it is performed under local anaesthetic, and the recovery time is very fast. Most people can return to work the next day, as long as they are able to wear an open-toed shoe (eg sandals/ thongs) for a few days.