FOOT CARE ADVICE AND COVID 19

The Covid 19 lockdown is increasingly being lifted and Clinics are now seeing all patients, albeit with Covid protocols in place. These protocols mean that appointment times have to be longer and consequently less patients can be seen each day as less appointments are available to book. So how do you look after your feet while you are waiting for your appointment for professional treatment?

There are two main aspects to foot health – footwear and footcare.

Firstly footwear. Just because a lot of us are spending extra time at home, does not mean one should be wearing slippers, mules or flip-flops all day. You may not feel that much is being demanded from your feet but think of what you are actually doing: more exercise and walking, new hobbies and activities with the kids, gardening, DIY etc. All involve lots of standing and movement, so require a good shoe to provide shock absorption and stability. A lightweight trainer or substantial strap shoe is ideal in the house for adults and children, with more robust trainers or boots worn outside – and inside if doing DIY where feet could be injured if something heavy dropped on them!

If working from home involves lots of sitting in front of the computer etc remember to flex your feet and legs and wriggle your toes regularly to keep the circulation moving and get up and move around at frequent intervals to stretch muscles.

Bare feet or just socks feel nice when worn during relaxation times with feet up reading or watching a film but remember that if you walk around bare foot or just in your socks, be aware of needles, nails, glass, staples and other items that could cause an unpleasant injury to your foot.

As for footcare – Daily care is very routine – having washed feet, gently pumice any dry areas or hard skin, rinse and dry thoroughly. If toes are close together &/or have a tendency to be moist inbetween, apply surgical spirit and use moisturiser on the rest of the foot. For people who find it difficult to reach their feet, use a long handled foot file or emery board instead of pumice and dry the feet with a hair dryer. Drip the spirit onto the toes or use a cotton bud and apply moisturiser with a long handled spatula/wooden spoon to the top of one foot, then rub the bottom of the other foot over it.

Nails should be cut straight across so that the corners are proud of the skin. They can then be gently filed to round off the shape without taking the corners lower. Thick nails can be filed over the surface, from the nail base towards the end of the toe. Use of a nail brush, or old tooth brush, will help to remove debris from the sides of the nails and so keep them more comfortable (remember to move from nail base towards top of toe). Do not dig down the sides of the nails with scissors or other ‘implements’!

Hard skin and corns that get beyond control by routine care, may start to become uncomfortable. Please DO NOT resort to pedicure blades or corn plasters etc they can cause more problems. Ring the Clinic for an appointment as soon as possible and in the meantime, use felt padding or double thickness corn PADS (NOT plasters with acid in) which you can purchase in the chemist. Cut a horseshoe shape so that the sore area sits in the centre, with the open ‘wings’ towards the front of the foot and the thickness of the pad behind the sore area.

If an area on the toe or foot becomes Very painful, it maybe you have an infected or ulcerated site. Pad the area as above and apply a dressing over the top,  then ring us for advice.

This particularly applies to Diabetic patients or those with poor circulation or other medical issues.

Ingrowing toe nails are another condition that is likely to cause a problem.  If you have very curved nails but cut your nails as advised above (ie NOT down the sides) the nail should not become uncomfortable, provided you are wearing adequate footwear (wide, deep, with fastening and of correct length). However, ingrown nails occur for a variety of reasons and although the majority are due to poor nail cutting or poorly fitting footwear, others are due to direct injury or other conditions.

Try bathing the toe in warm salt water for three minutes – dry with a hairdryer, then apply a sterile dressing to the toe. Repeat this daily. Do not use antiseptic cream as it will make the skin more moist and prone to penetration by the nail. If you have no dressings and have to use an Elastoplast, then remove it at bedtime and wear a clean sock in bed (preferably white cotton). Take great care with footwear so that there is no pressure on the toe. Ring the Clinic for an appointment as soon as possible.

Other irritating conditions such as athlete’s foot can be treated with antifungal cream (if under the foot) or dry spray (if between toes) available at the chemist. If you think you have a fungal infection of the nail, file it down as much as possible and apply Tea Tree oil until you can get a proper diagnosis (NB if the area around the nail becomes red or irritates, stop this treatment as you may be allergic to Tea Tree oil).

Verrucae can be treated with products such as Bazooka. Freeze sprays are not recommended.

For aching feet or suspected arch strain (planter fasciitis) – off the shelf orthotic insoles are available at most large chemists and may help. Also try massage of the foot from heel to toe (particularly before getting out of bed) and ‘rolling’ the arch over a frozen small water bottle. Again, good footwear is essential – trainers provide good shock absorption and will probably be most comfortable.

(April 7th 2020)

Contact us

Marlborough Podiatry Clinic
10 The Parade, Marlborough, SN8 1NE

Marlborough Podiatry Clinic

10 The Parade, Marlborough SN8 1NE

No referral is necessary to attend the Clinic.

For information regarding appointment availability, fees and claiming on your health insurance, please ring the Clinic.

Reception hours

8.30am - 6pm Monday to Friday

9am - 1pm on Saturdays.

Tel: 01672 514581

Mobile: 07910 525376

There are 3 steps up within the clinic entrance