Swift – The Revolutionary Verucca Treatment
Most of us will have veruccas – also sometimes known as plantar warts – at some time in our lives. Veruccas are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), as are other types of warts. Warts and veruccas can be contagious and love nothing better than damp skin. Veruccas can be uncomfortable and painful, especially when on the soles of the feet. Eventually, the body will fight off the HPV virus and the veruccas will disappear, but this can take months.
Conventional Verucca Treatments
The problem with a lot of verucca treatments currently on the market is that they’ve been proven to be fairly ineffective. A 2014 American study looked at the three main methods used by doctors and parents to treat warts and veruccas – salicylic acid, duct tape and cryotherapy. Duct tape was found to be no more effective than doing nothing and leaving the veruccas to get better on their own. Cryotherapy – freezing the veruccas off using liquid nitrogen – is effective, but can produce a range of nasty side effects, especially in children. Treatments might have to be repeated several times to get rid of the verucca completely. Salicylic acid is effective when applied directly to the wart, but can take 12 weeks to get rid of veruccas completely and requires compliance from the patient.
How Swift Is Different?
Swift uses a different approach to treating veruccas. Swift uses the same microwave technology which has been used to treat cancer for 40 years or more, but which has only recently been applied to dermatology and podiatry. The microwaves penetrate into the tissue surrounding the verucca, destroying infected tissue quickly, painlessly and without smell or smoke. The technology has been fully tested to ensure that it conforms to the highest safety standards, and approved for use in the UK. Patients don’t need anaesthetic. It would be a lie to say that the treatment is totally painless, but it hurts no more than a quick scratch, and the pain subsides quickly. Each verucca is treated in a matter of seconds. Unlike more conventional treatments, the microwaves are concentrated in the verucca tissue only, and won’t affect the surrounding skin. The technology is safe and proven over several decades. Many patients find that they only need one treatment to see a huge improvement in their foot condition, unlike other treatments which take weeks or even months.
Is Swift suitable for me?
At Foot Medic we’ve linked up with the makers of Swift to deliver the treatment to our patients. Most people who come to us with problem veruccas can try the Swift treatment to see whether it helps. There are a few groups such as type 1 diabetics or people with cuts on their feet who might not be suitable for the treatment, but come along to the clinic, grab a coffee and we can talk through your treatment options. We’re very excited about the results which our patients are already seeing from the Swift treatment – why not give it a try?
