How can we help ?

 

Many people don’t know when to visit a foot specialist, and we find that many of our patients wait longer than they need to before they come in to see us. Please  remember that Foot pain is not normal and not just to be expected - no matter how old we are. And putting up with painful  feet is very uncomfortable.

The following examples are instances where a visit to see a Supplefeet Podiatrist would be recommended.

1. Corns and Callus.

Thick skin in concentrated areas is known as Corns or Callus. It can be nothing to be concerned about  or the hard skin forming on your feet in either concentrated areas (corns) or more widespread (callus) can be very painful when it builds up. This then needs professional care to gently remove the hard skin and give advice and treatment to prevent recurrence or manage the problem conservatively. We call it "Debridement" where we use scalpel blades to painlessly remove the callus.

Book a General Foot Treatment at Supplefeet (current price £50 - first and subsequent appointments  £44)  and for a real foot transformation combine with  a pedicure; our renowned PodPed treatment.  The original "medical pedicure."

Investing in your feet is so very important for the great issues our  feet face every day! Take that first step to better feet.

General Footcare (Chiropody)  care to conservatively and effectively manage this common complaint is something your feet deserve and we can deliver.

Toenails trimmed, filed and corns and callus removed and hard skin attended to. Your feet will thank you for it.

Supple London The Mineral Foot Cream

2. Discomfort with Toenails - Nail Debridement 

A toe nail trim (TNT) at Supplefeet is £30 for a professional  clip, thinning down and sorting out of those toenails.

Our Podiatry assistants are very skilled at managing these difficult to reach, awkwardly shaped nails. Get the Professionals to do them!

Nail Debridements  are undertaken by either Supplefeet Podiatrists or under Podiatry guidance Supplefeet Podiatry assistants.  

3. Fungal Toenails

We see so many of these!  Thickened toenails can be painlessly sanded down and infected nail removed. Our treatment of choice is Diligence!

The nail takes ages to grow so being diligent makes all the difference. And - whilst the nail is being treated it can be painted with nail varnish, or for optimal cosmetic results add our Supplefeet nail treatment for complete nail coverage and  glamorous looking nails. (Available for hands and feet.)

Gel nails are per toe £15 each toenail in addition to TNT or Pedicure. 

Keep the fungal load low with regularly filing and clipping back of the nail.

Scrub the feet Every Day with Anti-Bacterial Soap and an old toothbrush or nail brush.

Apply 1% clotrimazole or terbinafine topical  to the base of the nail and slowly but surely the new nail will grow and the fungus infection will grow out. 

We also recommend Emtrix solution applied to the nail - every day in addition to the active anti-fungal management. The combination of 10% lactic acid and 20% Urea means that it does a lot of the hard work for us by softening up the nail plate and enabling the anti-fungal  to be more effective.

 Toe Nail Treatment (TNT) is £30 with one of our talented Assistants at Supplefeet; your feet will thank you for it!.  

4. Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails are caused when the nail, either by curvature or skin growth, actually grows into the skin, creating a very painful border to the toenail. It can occur on any toenail of the foot, and can get  infected very fast so its very important to see a doctor if you feel like the ingrown toenail is getting worse. The podiatrist can numb up your toe to remove it. There are many different solutions that are less invasive, but it is extremely important to see a foot specialist if you suspect you have an ingrown toenail.

At Supplefeet Enfield  we can often see you on the same day to provide instant relief from these acutely painful ingrowing toenails.

Management is either non-surgical ( we use cold spray) or surgical ( we use local anaesthetic). Whatever the choice of procedure rest assured we will look after you and make it as painless as we possibly can.  

If you would like to get more advice please view the video from the NHS which featured Miss Supple (we will find the link!) or if you consider Nail Surgery visit our FAQ section.

5. Heel Pain

This video has been watched nearly 50,000 times! Old but still relevant content. How young!

Pain in the Heel is so common many people have heard its Latin name of Plantar fasciitus. We have heard all the ways to pronounce that!  With heel pain it is important to take note of what kind of pain is occurring and when.

Classically heel pain is called plantar fasciitus and treatment includes assessment, diagnosis, insoles,  Suppletherapist Osteopathy advice, injections if needed. If appropriate an x ray may be required to rule out the possibility of other injuries or pathologies.

One important thing to note is that in children Heel Pain is usually ( there are always exceptions but not common) caused not by plantar fasciitus but by a condition known as Severs.  Better described as osteochondrosis dissecans.

Evidence shows us that Heel pain of less than 6 months duration is readily treated in 85% of cases with our Easy Step Heel pain programme.

Stretch out the Calf muscles ("the Heel Cords") Call 0208 367 9292 for a Supplefeet leaflet!

The 3:2:1 Rule 

Three  muscles 

Two  exercises

One Tendon

  1. Wear a heel - honestly it works just by elevating the heel.
  2. Get some expert Supplefeet taping and strapping.
  3. Anti-inflammatories. Consult with your GP or Supplefeet Podiatrist
  4. An insole eg Powersteps (£42)  with the deep heel cup feature which we think really helps; Or Interpods (£45 three quarter length and £50 for full length)  for wider feet can be very helpful. Both available to order online or in clinic .  These are the Temporary measure whilst the heel inflammation subsides. 
  5. We also recommend booking an appointment (generally a one off) with our Suppletherapist Osteopath who is able to really deep massage and treat these painful heels.  He will check for Hamstring Hypertonicity,  Tendon issues,  Load Bearing,  Functionality and Functional Training. All very useful in managing this chronic condition. 
  6. Wear Yoga Sandals - before, during and afterwards. they help by gently stretching out the Plantar Fascia tendon, A real help in managing this painful often chronic condition.     
  7. We now have Plantar Fascia orthotic insoles in stock as first line treatment for £25 
  8. And we have  kits for managing Heel pain all in one box! These "Heel Pain boxes"  for £45 which include an orthotic insole, spiky ball, strapping and information leaflets.

Call 0208 367 9292 to speak to a Supplefeet clinician for further advice or watch this video clip with Miss Supple.

Supplefeet Summary for Heel Pain 

  • Stretch Calf muscle complex. The  3:2:1 rule
  • Temporary /permanent support with an Orthotic Insole 
  • Supportive shoes, trainers or shoes with a small heel
  • Taping of the plantar fascia
  • Yoga sandals for at Home and out about  to stretch out the plantar fascia 
  • Anti-inflammatory medication either oral or topical (but not both)
  • Spiky ball exercises to the plantar fascia 
  • Cold water footbaths 
  • Foot exercises to strengthen up the deep muscles of the arches
  • EMS treatments 

6. Numbness or Swelling

If you have pain and swelling (oedema) in one foot and not the other you should see a podiatrist or family doctor. There are many problems that need to be investigated which could be causing the pain and swelling for example a broken bone, infection, tendonitis or tendon rupture. Swelling in both feet and ankles could be due to lymphedema. Whatever the cause it is always a good idea to come in to see the podiatrist to diagnose and treat a problem before it gets worse. At Supplefeet we liase with your family doctor and other specialists with your permission for best care. 

7. Soreness in Toes

Soreness in the toes can be due to any number of injuries or conditions that our podiatrists would need to evaluate at Supplefeet clinic. Pads, arch supports, and insoles can be fitted to your shoes to alleviate your foot pain. 

We highly recommend the use of Yoga sandals to spread out metatarsals and strengthen the deep small muscles to the toes to alleviate toe pressure and pain from painful trapped nerves shooting into the toes. (Mortons neuroma). 

8. Pain in the Pad of the Foot

With any type of pain in the foot, a podiatrist should be seen to evaluate what is causing the pain, and to review treatment options. Night splints, shoe pads, arch supports, and padded insoles can all alleviate types of pad pain, but it is necessary to have the podiatrist evaluate and fit you for them.

9. A Wound or Sore That Does Not Heal

You need to come and see our podiatrists if you have an open sore on your foot or ankle. This is particularly important if you have diabetes as it usually takes you longer to heal. A podiatrist can swab the sore to find out the type of bacteria, and advise on seeing your family doctor for further  care as required. Seeing a podiatrist quickly and starting treatment greatly improves your chances of healing. If you have had an open sore for a long time, your chance of getting a skin (or even a bone infection (osteomyelitis)) increases.

Do not delay on seeking help and treatment for this. 

10. A Pain While Walking

This could be due to either a number of tendon problems in the foot perhaps conditions in your muscular or skeletal structure. A podiatrist can help alleviate the pain with shoe advice, foot padding, and other treatments.

11. Bunions 

Bunions are a structural deformity of the bones in the foot and the joint that is between the foot and big toe. They can become swollen and irritated at the base of the big toe. They can be painful and may require surgical correction. Bunions should always be assessed as they are inherited and early advice can be very helpful in managing this condition over your lifetime. 

Supplefeet highly recommends the use of Yoga sandals (£39  currently available just in Small 3 -4 . We are waiting on a replenishment of stock for  Medium 5-6, Large 7-8 and X-Large 8-9  and we are getting XXL - they are on their way and will be with us end of April 2017 please do get your name on our waiting list.) to spread out metatarsals and strengthen the deep small muscles to the toes to alleviate toe pressure  on the bunion and actively engage the other toes in walking.

Getting Podiatry on the NHS?

We are a Private Clinic and not in anyway supported by the NHS. If you want to be seen on the NHS then you need to get your GP to refer you in. There is a strict criteria to be seen and you may not "qualify" even if you have a foot pain or a genuine foot problem.  The NHS will only deliver general routine footcare to those who are "high risk " or "at risk". The definitions vary across the UK but essentially those with Diabetes and other complications, vascular and neurological. (Please note that just being Diabetic is not enough to qualify you for NHS footcare) .

They also as a general rule will not deliver routine care to those living  in Care Homes.  

The NHS Podiatry services also will not treat Verrucaes. 

Supplefeet often refers patients to the GP for further assessment and NHS intervention as required.

We recommend  getting a Podiatry assessment appointment and diagnosis privately and then being referred to the NHS as is required. 

Care Homes

We would be delighted to send in a HCPC registered Podiatrist to treat you or your loved one in a care home.

We have in the past treated care homes on a regular basis. However we made the decision that to treat individuals with the care and time requires a bespoke approach and  now turn down mass treatment sessions as we regard them as problematic. (When we did do them we sent in Podiatry plus assistants so always raised the bar on how we delivered footcare.)

When it comes to "just toenail care or just footcare " - Ask who is treating your loved one , are they HCPC registered? What are their qualifications,  and questions like - how many sterile sets of instruments have they taken to the premises? 

If in doubt please call and we would be happy to advise further. This is an important area as the NHS currently refuses to send in Podiatrists to Care Homes and care homes often want cheap and fast footcare. Not in the best interest of those who are in care homes because of their vulnerable status. Often in poor health,  multiple  medications and perhaps Diabetic. This is clearly an area of concern and further debate. 

And while we are here ...

Nail Bars - please take care here. All that dust, the acrylic, the inhalation of noxious substances, working environment.  A real area of concern for the future health of all the generally young women who work in these shops everywhere. If you have an infection eg fungal  you will spread it to others as the simple measures they take to sanitise nail products is often not sufficient.

We have been in practice long enough to see some horror stories of infections under nails and  have concerns over the semi permanent nail procedures available and very popular.

Our approach is to properly autoclave sterilise all the  pedicure instruments and have Podiatry back up to diagnose, treat, manage and refer as required.  

 

 

 

 

 

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