Ingrown toenails, toe fungus, and corns are amongst the many conditions that our medical foot care team can take care of for you. Too often, the feet are the most neglected part of our body, and problems might go undetected at first. Registered Chiropodists and Footcare Nurses provide medical care for skin and toenail foot concerns. However, Chiropodists offer an expanded scope of practice, such as biomechanical evaluations, so let’s review each profession in more detail.
When do you see a Chiropodist or a Footcare Nurse?
Footcare Nurses perform many of the treatments that Chiropodists do regarding skin and toenails. This will include the trimming of calluses, corns, amd thick or ingrown nails. They also treat warts.
As mentioned, between the two professions, only a Chiropodist can perform biomechanical exams. They will be required when you need orthotics. They can provide a prescription for the orthotics or for antibiotics. Thus, you’ll want to see a Chiropodist is you have an active infection, an open wound, or have a need for numbing with anesthesia. They also can perform a surgical procedure where necessary.
Below, we will discuss the specific conditions where these clinicians can help you!
Ingrown Toenails
A painful condition where the nail grows into the soft tissue, by the border or edge.
Having the nail pierce or puncture the skin can be considerably painful, and occurs when the nails are curved or spiked. This can usually be prevented with proper nail-trimming technique, appropriate footwear, and education. But sometimes genetics is an unavoidable risk factor.
Both Chiropodists and Footcare nurses can use the Onyfix technology to manage ingrown toenails. This treatment is non-invasive, safe, and long lasting. It works as a brace to alleviate pressure and helps the nails grow straighter. In dire measures, Chiropodists can perform nail surgery as well.
Fungal Toenails
An infection by fungus, causing the nail to be either thick, discoloured, crumbly, smelly, or all of the above.
Fungal toenails need intervention to be fully treated and cannot be resolved on their own. Treatment can include medication, light therapy, and debridement. BioPed clinicians are trained in ToeFX treatment, which is a novel light therapy treatment that has been shown to be very effective against tricky fungal toenails. BioPed nurses offer over-the-counter medication effective against nail fungus and Chiropodists can prescribe a pharmaceutical.
If a topical medicine is used, the nail must be thin enough for the treatments to penetrate through. Chiropodists and Footcare nurses can debride the toenails and allow the treatment to be successful.
Corns and Calluses
Thick skin that can appear anywhere on the foot – bottom, top, or even in between the toes.
Caused by high pressure or friction, the skin builds up in a local area as a defense mechanism at first, but it can quickly become pathological. This build up can be painful and change the way we walk, leading to other issues up the leg.
The medical footcare team can easily care for calluses and corns, and can offer solutions on how to prevent them from coming back. Moisturizing, offloading the pressure with orthotics and quality orthopedic footwear are all excellent solutions to do so.
Plantar Warts
A viral infection. Warts are found on the bottom of the foot and are contagious.
Warts will look different than a corn or callus with a blooming or cauliflower-like appearance, along with black dotting and pain along the sides of the lesion. The virus of interest is the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can take time to fully resolve.
Similarly to corns and calluses and fungus, they need to be debrided so that medication can penetrate and cure the infection. Chiropodists and Footcare Nurses can apply topical medications such as silver nitrate or Cantharidin. For surgical procedures, Chiropodists can perform an excision or needling procedure.
Diabetes and Foot Health
A systemic disease, associated with high blood sugar, that affects the whole body with a slew of complications, especially in the foot.
Due to these complications, people with diabetes are more likely to have cold feet, infection, and even loss of nerve sensation, known as neuropathy. 70% of non-traumatic foot amputations are a result of poorly controlled diabetes.
To maintain and ensure continued foot health, BioPed Chiropodists and Footcare Nurses will monitor feet with routine care and diabetic assessments. The education provided is invaluable to keep the feet healthy through life.
Biomechanical and Musculoskeletal Pain
Found in conditions such as plantar fasciitis, clawed digits, and gait abnormalities.
Being on your feet is a natural part of life, but can also cause damage to them over them. Physically, the stress can amount to findings of deformity and pain.
When dealing with a deformity like crowded digits or clawed toes, the medical footcare team can create custom toe props or use silicone sleeves to offload pressure.
With other painful conditions, Chiropodists are able to assess the gait to address the abnormality, and proceed with surgical intervention, such as injections where necessary,
How do I book an appointment?
BioPed Registered Chiropodists and Advanced Footcare Nurses can help improve your foot health, alleviate foot pain, and get you back to doing more of what you love in life.
Contact your local BioPed and schedule an appointment to find out how a Registered Chiropodist or Advanced Footcare Nurse can help you today!
