Using Salicylic Acid to treat Veruccae - get the most from your treatment

Application of salicylic acid will leave the site white and macerated

Salicylic applications are widely available from shops and pharmacies. It has been used as a traditional treatment for veruccae for years. The packs which are available to buy are typically about 12% in strength. This includes brands like bazooka etc.

Podiatrists use formulations which are much more potent that this, sometimes more than 5 times stronger. These preparations are not available to buy and can only be given to you by a suitably qualified person such as a podiatrist in this instance.

Before applying any acid or caustic based treatment the podiatrist will remove the thick layer of skin which covers the actual verucca using a scalpel. This is called sharp debridment. It is common for the verucca to bleed during sharp debridment so you shouldn’t be alarmed if this is the case. By debriding the verucca the podiatrist can treat the seat of the growth, at the capillary bed level.

All verucca treatments will, in one way or another, destroy tissue locally. There is no single treatment which has shown to be more effective over another. That's why we will explain each of the available treatments to you and elect the one most suitable for your lifestyle.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most from your salicylic acid treatment.

• Keep the site dry. If you get the site or the dressing wet you will not get the desired effect from the treatment. Use plastic shower seals if you need to but it is important to keep it dry. 

• Ensure to follow up with your podiatrist if they have asked you to, and if a review appointment has been made for you it is important that you attend. This is because we have applied acid to your foot, it’s important that we check to ensure you are not having any unexpected side effects or burn.
   
• If applying a home treatment on the advice of the podiatrist it is a good idea to review at 2 or 3 weekly intervals to check your progress.
   
• Remember, your veruccae are caused by a virus. Even if the podiatrist can get rid of your verucca this time doesn’t mean that you won’t get another in the future.
   
• If you experience pain associated with your treatment call us for an appointment.
   
• Lastly, remember veruccae are self limiting and harmless. They are annoying but you will not come to any harm as the result of a veruccae. They are not linked to hygiene but can be passed on from one person to another, so it’s a good idea to cover your veruccae with veruccae socks when swimming or using communal facilities.        

Shin Splints / Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

Shin splints are the runners curse. They can strike you down whether you’re a serious runner or an amateur trying to increase your mileage. Hopefully you can find some useful information in our latest blog on this common and painful problem.

Shin splints occur for a number of reasons which include, over use of the muscles, increasing an exercise program too quickly, not cooling down properly after exercise, and in some cases, excessive pronation. The pain is associated with inflammation of the interosseous membrane, the origin of the muscles between the tibia and fibula in the lower leg.

You can help heal shin splints by following this advice;  

     

1.          Rest your body.  It needs time to heal. Unless you provide the conditions and time for the structures to mend you could turn a small problem into a chronic one.

2.         Ice your shin to ease pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone. In addition to ice you can also alternate between hot and cold therapies. This way the heat will help the blood flow to the site and aid repair, while the cold therapies will reduce the inflammation. Never apply ice directly to your skin, always wrap it in something to prevent cold burns.

3.         Use Anti-inflammatory painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS like ibuprofen, will help with pain and swelling. These drugs can have side effect so if you have ever had a problem taking these before consult your doctor or podiatrist first. Ibuprofen is not recommended if you have asthma.  Do not use these for prolonged periods.

4.         Orthotic therapies and prescription devices. Orthotics can help support the structures within the foot and correct misalignment problems. Often with shin splints there may be a biomechanical cause. It is important to rule this out in order to provide the best management.

5.         Range-of-motion exercises. Your Podiatrist can advise you on exercises. Remember to do your achilles lengthening and heel raise exercises.

6.         Neoprene sleeve or compressional socks, like those used by runners to support and help keep the muscles around the lower limb warm.

Gout. A rich man's disease? Read on if you think this is still true.

                                                         GOUT

 

A rich man's disease? 

Afraid not..........

Gout affects around 1–2% of the Western population at some point in their life. Rates of gout have approximately doubled between 1990 and 2014. 

This rise is believed due to increasing life expectancy, changes in diet, and an increase in diseases associated with gout, such as metabolic syndrome and hypertension. A number of factors have been found to influence rates of gout, including age, race, and the season of the year. In men over the age of 30 and women over the age of 50. 

Gout is a disorder of purine metabolism, in english that means that uric acid crystallizes in the form of monosodium urate, precipitating in joints, on tendons, and in the surrounding tissues. 

The triggers for precipitation of uric acid are not well understood.  Other factors believed important in triggering an acute episode of arthritis include cool temperatures, rapid changes in uric acid levels proteins. 

The increased precipitation at low temperatures partly explains why the joints in the feet are most commonly affected. Rapid changes in uric acid may occur due to a number of factors, including trauma, surgery, chemotherapy, diuretics, and stopping or starting allopurinol. Calcium channel blockers  and Lorsartin are associated with a lower risk of gout as compared to other medications for Hypertension.

       Gout may be diagnosed and treated without further     investigations in someone with hyperuricemia (high uric acid    levels). This is normally determined by a simple blood test. Synovial fluid analysis can be carried out if the diagnosis is in doubt. 

Xrays can be useful for identifying chronic gout, but have little use in acute attacks. 

Treatment 

The initial aim of treatment is to settle the symptoms of an acute attack. Repeated attacks can be prevented by different drugs used to reduce the serum uric acid levels. Ice or cold compress applied for 20 to 30 minutes several times a day decreases pain. Options for acute treatment include (NSAIDs), colchicine and steroids. 

Options for prevention include allopurinol lowering uric acid levels which can cure the disease.

PSEUDO- GOUT is a joint problem is caused by pyrophosphate, a calcium salt which is different from uric acid. This may be one of the most misunderstood forms of arthritis. Joint problems seen with these crystals often are mistaken for gout and other conditions.