Common foot, leg and nail conditions and treatments
Your feet take a great deal of strain over the course of your life. It is important to take good care of them now in order to prevent worse problems in the long term.
Give us a call to book an appointment, and we'll carry out an examination to diagnose the problem. You will then be provided with expert advice and any necessary treatment. We are happy to advise you on all aspects of leg and foot care, whether it's just sweaty feet or a fungal nail disease.
A number of the conditions that can be treated are outlined below. In addition, we can help treat a wide range of nail conditions, including nail fragility, warts, bruised nails, hangnails, claw nail, white spots, green nails, spoon nails, corrugations, fungal infection and many others.
We can help to treat / alleviate / prevent:
- Corns
- Calluses
- Bunions
- Warts & verrucae
- Ingrown nails
- Involuted nails
- Thickened nails
- Fungal nail diseases
- Venous ulceration
- Muscular injuries
- Cryosurgery
- Orthotics
- Biochemical & vascular assessment
Good foot care procedures in early childhood will help your child to have healthy feet not only in the short term, but for the rest of his or her life. Below are some practical tips to help you look after your baby's feet.
Children's foot care
General advice
- Ensure that they're not restricted by tight sleeping suits or stretch hosiery
- Kicking exercises help the muscles to develop. Make sure that your baby does this whilst lying uncovered.
- Bedclothes should be light and loose fitting, without restricting foot movement
- Do not pressurise your baby into starting walking earlier than is natural
- Allow your child to walk barefoot around the house initially - this will enable the foot to develop and muscles to grow
- Do not allow your child to walk outside in bare feet or in dirty areas
- When your child has started walking steadily with his/her heels in contact with the ground, he/she is ready for shoes.
Measuring baby's feet
You are strongly advised to buy your children's shoes from a reputable shop. Measure feet when your child is standing, allowing the foot to slightly alter shape when full weight is applied. Cut two strips of paper 15mm wide and length of feet when standing. After marking papers left and right, slip into relevant shoes until toe-cap is reached. Aim for a 20mm gap between end of paper and shoe heel. A child's feet must be measured before purchase of shoes, and children must be present when shoes are bought.
Other tips for children's foot care:
- 'Sunday best' shoes are a waste of money. They will be out-grown before being out-worn due to infrequent use.
- Do not allow your child to borrow another child's shoes. Shoes mould themselves to the wearer's foot, so they will not fit properly.
- Be firm in rejecting fashion elements such as high heels which will affect the development of the foot.
- They should wear cotton and woollen socks from well known brands. Throw socks away as soon as they press the toes and shrink. Make sure they're neither too short in length nor made of stretch nylon, which will compress the foot.
- If you are worried about the way your child walks, get in touch as soon as possible. The sooner the problems are identified, the quicker professional action can be taken. After the age of seven, the foot is well advanced and structural problems will be difficult to correct.
- Feet should be washed daily in warm, soapy water. Dry thoroughly and use a proprietary foot powder.
- Do not cut the toe nails too short. Trim them regularly straight across without cutting down the sides, as this can produce ingrowing nails.
- Check and inspect their feet every day, perhaps during bath time. Children are often unable to feel damage being done so never assume that no complaint means no problem.
Verrucae (warts) are a common problem for children. Make sure you check the areas of pressure carefully. Another common complaint is athlete's foot, a fungal infection between the toes. If these problems persist, get in touch for advice.
To discuss your condition with an expert, call Foot Health Chiropodist & Podiatrist on 020 3376 0111
