I have toenail fungus. Can I ever wear sandals again?

You can feel summer approaching and normally you would embrace its warmth and start the hunt for great sandals, except this year you are dreading it. You know you can’t show your toenails in public.  Surely people don’t want to look at your thick, discoloured, ugly nails?  This thought leaves you feeling embarrassed.  You decide the only way to deal with it is to suffer through the heat of summer in your too-hot shoes, or perhaps you decide to wear socks with your sandals.  You close away your toes so no one can see what you are hiding. 

I want you to know that you are not alone.  Toenail fungus affects thousands of people and is the most common foot problem our Chiropodists (foot health experts) treat.  Moira was just like you.  She hid her toes for YEARS because she didn’t think anything could be done to fix them.  She tried everything - medication from her doctor and various home remedies to kill the nasty toenail infection.  Moira had given up hope that anything could be done.  And then she gave it one last effort and came to our clinic.  Our experts explained the cause of toenail fungus and why it is difficult to get rid of.  They also discussed our most successful treatment method, which includes our new LASER technology. Although skeptical, Moira decided that she didn’t have anything to lose.  She really wanted her toenails to look “normal” again.  She was tired of hiding them, and she wanted people to stop staring at her feet (!) when she dared to wear sandals. She wanted to show of her healthy nails.  And guess what?  That is EXACTLY what Moira gets to do this summer.

If you want to get the same great results as Moira, call us now to schedule your toenail fungus assessment.  It’s not too late to buy those great sandals.

Do you have a Plantar Wart?

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If you notice a thick and discolored lesion on your foot, it could be a plantar wart. Plantar warts are caused by a virus that is most commonly found in warm, moist environments like pools and public change rooms, but can be found in carpets and other communal areas. 

The virus causes a hard growth that can be painful to walk on and plantar warts are often confused with corns. Warts on the bottom of your feet can take on several appearances, but most commonly look like cauliflower with tiny black dots. There is usually a layer of callus overlying the wart, making it difficult to see. Warts are often painful (but not always), feeling like a piece of rock in your shoe.  Sometimes a single wart forms, but often it can spread, forming multiple warts clumped together, or several single warts spread over your foot. In our clinics we have seen patients with over one hundred warts on a foot!

  So how do you get rid of a wart? Warts can be very stubborn and difficult to treat. There are many over-the-counter remedies available in the foot care isle of pharmacies.  The problem is that these products are often not strong enough to get rid of most warts.  Our Chiropodists (foot health specialists) use many treatments in our clinics to more completely eliminate warts, including a new state-of-the-art laser. If you think you may have a wart, it is better to come in as soon as possible to be treated, before they spread and get out of control, and to ensure that your wart is being treated in the most complete and effective way.

 

 

I want to wear sandals but my toenails are thick, yellow, brittle and ugly! What can I do

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For many of us summer means replacing our bulky winter boots for freedom in cute and airy sandals.  However there are many people who are too embarrassed to wear sandals, all because of a nasty little culprit called toenail fungus. The fungus will cause changes in your nails and the nail beds where the nails grow from.  Over time, things will deteriorate if you do not start some form of treatment.

Lasers are starting to become more mainstream for the treatment of fungal nails.  The lasers use specific wavelengths of light to effectively and efficiently destroy the fungus in your nails and nail beds.  The result – you get rid of those ugly, unsightly toenails. This can often be achieved in 2 treatments, depending on the severity of the condition.

During your visit, you may feel a gentle warming or tingling as the laser works, but no real discomfort.   The laser is so sophisticated that it can detect and reach the proper target temperature leading to elimination of the toenail infection.  You walk into the office and you walk out – there is no downtime from your regular activities.  Lasers are proven to be a very safe alternative to oral prescription medication.

Give us a call to start your freedom from wearing socks with sandals!

 

 

Can Ingrown Toenails be Permanently Corrected?

Ingrown toenails - OUCH! That is probably your first response if you have ever had an ingrown toenail.  Who would have thought that such a seemingly small thing could be so painful?  First, the side of your toe starts with a bit of redness and slight discomfort.  Then it becomes more painful with redness and swelling.  Then you notice something greenish- yellow draining from your toe, accompanied occasionally by blood.  What happens next?  I’ll tell you what most people do…they try to become experts at “bathroom surgery”.  Knee bent up and foot placed on the counter as you try to “dig out” the piece of nail that is piercing your skin, all while trying to maintain your balance.  This is what I say “OUCH” to!  Why do you do this???  Usually it is because you are too scared to have it treated professionally, or if “you can just get this one piece out, it will get better on its own”.  An ingrown toenail does not have to be a scary proposition.  In fact, you performing acts of cruelty on yourself in your unsterilized bathroom is scary to me (!).  Well guess what?  Performing self-surgery usually causes the ingrown toenail to become worse!  The only way to properly and permanently treat an ingrown toenail is to visit our team of chiropodists (foot specialist) at We-Fix-U Physiotherapy and Foot Health Centres.  Sometimes our foot health experts will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection; however the ingrown toenail does not improve with antibiotics alone.  In order to resolve the infection, the offending nail must be safely and professionally removed from the skin and measures taken to prevent the ingrown toenail from returning.  I can promise you this:  Our team is better at it than you!

US Gymnast McKayla Maroney Breaks Big Toe at Olympics: Should it be Treated?

Recently McKayla Maroney, US Olympic Gymnast competed and reinjured a previously broken big toe, and I heard the comentators mention that it is "just a toe", so no big deal.  While breaking a toe may not seem like a big deal compared to, say, a leg, it actually can be a big deal if not treated properly, especially if it is the big toe.

I am sure many of us have broken a toe or two in our past - usually by stubbing it, dropping something on it, falling or tripping. I am also sure that most of us have been told that nothing can be done for a broken toe. WRONG!

If a broken toe doesn't heal properly, it can heal in poor alignment.  The big toe joint is one of the most important joints in the foot.  A tremendous amount of force is placed through this joint with every step we take, so if the toe doesn't work properly this force will be placed on another body part, creating a viscious cycle of compensation and pain.

If you injure your toe, contact our Chiropodists or Physiotherapists at We-Fix-U to thoroughly assess your injury and get it treated, properly.

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Can Eating Gluten Cause Foot Problems?

You bet!  In a recent study, researchers identified a higher risk of developing peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) in people with a confirmed diagnosis of Celiac Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  Peripheral Neuropathy can create numerous problems within the foot, with the end and obviously most severe result, being lower-limb amputation.  If you have Celiac Disease, IBS or even a gluten intolerance our foot health experts (chiropodists) recommend a foot health evaluation to identify your risk of developing peripheral neuropathy.

To read more about this study:  http://www.celiac.com/articles/22974/1/Higher-Rates-of-Peripheral-Neuropathy-...

EWWWW, Toenail Fungus! We have a solution…

In my last post, you’ll remember me talking about nail salons and the ickiness of using the same nail polish on everyone.  Well, let’s just take this one step further.  Let’s talk about women who already have fungal nails (onychomycosis).

Let’s face it - nail fungus is ugly.  It’s gross.  It’s embarrassing.  So our first impulse is to cover it up with nail polish. The darker the better, right ladies?  You know who you are…

Well, unless you’re using a nail polish that contains antifungal ingredients and is designed to treat nail fungus, as a chiropodist, I always suggest to my patients that this isn’t a good idea.  In fact, if they want to continue to receive treatment by me, I forbid it.   If you’re wearing nail polish and not treating the nail fungus, the harsh chemicals in the polish will work with the nail fungus to further weaken your nail enamel. Plus, you run the risk of developing athletes foot (a fungal infection of the skin) since the same fungus is often to blame for both conditions. If you’re trying to treat the condition with a topical antifungal cream, ordinary nail polish will create a virtually impenetrable barrier, preventing the medicine from doing its job.  And, because the polish literally “seals” the nail, the fungus can proliferate. Remember my last post when I commented about “double dipping” into the nail polish?  You can spread your fungal infection to your beautiful, healthy (currently) non-infected nails.

For women who may not have a fungal nail infection, but wear nail polish regularly:  Have you ever noticed that after months of pedicures and continuous application of nail polish your toenails are getting dry and brittle?   Do you see those white spots on the top of the nail?  This damage to the nail is caused by the formaldehyde (AKA embalming fluid!) found in most commercial nail polishes. Not only does commercial nail polish contain formaldehyde (a cancer-causing chemical!), but also toluene (toxic to liver and kidneys) and DBP (causes birth defects).

Never fear…there is a solution, and we have it!

Two Podiatrists have together created a great product to just hit the market. Dr’s Remedy Nail Polish is the ONLY nail polish that is free from all formaldehyde, toluene and DBP.   Not only is it toxin free but it is also vitamin-enriched to give your nails the extra care to stay strong and healthy.

While I don’t recommend this product’s use to actually treat the fungus, Dr.’s Remedy Antifungal Nail Polish is a healthy way to conceal your fungal nails if you so choose during the medical treatment of your toenail fungus.  This wonderful invention contains tea tree oil and garlic bulb extract, two safe and natural antibacterial and antifungal disinfectants that are proven home remedies for toenail fungus. It is also enriched with vitamin C, vitamin E, and wheat germ; ingredients that actually help strengthen your nail enamel and restore its natural shine.  Also safe for pregnant women and children to use.

You can find these safe polishes (and removers) at our Cobourg location.  Stop in to check out the variety of beautiful colours we carry.  You’d better hurry though.  Our female staff members are very excited about this new product and are sure to buy it all themselves!

Visit us at http://www.we-fix-u.com/

Posted via email from Northumberland Physiotherapy and Foot Care Centre's posterous

Nail Salons BEWARE!

Well girlies, it’s that time of year again….our tender tootsies, spent hibernating in hot, sweaty shoes all winter long, are dying to be exposed. Freed to the sunshine.  Freed to gentle breezes.  There is nothing better than the first sandal-wearing day of summer. Mmmmmm, I relish the moment.

 Like most women, I spend every chance I get in my sandals, from the first warm day of spring, to the last in autumn.  BUT...these little piggies of ours, they don’t look so purrty after spending the winter all cramped up -  so what do we do?  We get pedicures.  We get pedicures, and more pedicures, and more pedicures.  Do I get pedicures?  NO.  Have I ever had a pedicure?  Yes.  ONCE.  Why once do you ask?  Because my one and only experience was awful.  A-W-F-U-L.

There was a fly in my foot bath.  A FLY!!!!!  And I had to ask the pedicure lady to take it out.  I HAD TO ASK!!!!!!!!    And, guess how she cleaned the (gulp, reusable) foot file?  She cleaned it in my stinky smelly footbath water.  YEP, she used the same water my sweaty feet had been soaking in, TO CLEAN THE FILE!  I cringe when I ponder how the nail instruments were cleaned and disinfected, ‘cause I’m pretty certain they weren’t sterilized.  Like most nail salons, the instruments may have only been rinsed off in the sink, or dipped in a “barbicide-like” substance, and reused again on another unsuspecting victim.  Ladies, this salon I went to is right here in COBOURG!!! And, it is a reputable salon.

Here is the problem.  Nail salons are not regulated. There is nobody to enforce how instruments should be cleaned, how footbaths should be cleaned.  Most salons don’t sterilize their instruments.  Most salons don’t properly disinfect their footbaths.  Most salons use the same file on everyone.  Most salons use the same nail polish on everyone. 

Did you know that sharing nail polish can lead to the spread of fungal nail infections?  It’s true!  When someone with nail fungus has their nails painted (and trust me, a lot of salons do not discriminate against nail fungus… they just ignore it and pamper the nail anyway), the fungus transfers from the toe, to the brush, and eventually into the paint.  It waits there, like a thief, waiting for the next unsuspecting victim to paint their nails, and then BAM!  A second person comes into contact with the fungus.
Admittedly, toenail fungus is not a life-or-death issue for most people.  But it is gross.  And it is contagious.  Who wants flakey, crusty, thick and discoloured toenails that resemble something that came from the crypt?  Especially when they are visible in sandals!!!

If you are going to have a foot pampering session, please do the following:

Ask how they STERILIZE (Not clean. Not disinfect. STERILIZE.) their instruments.  Are they placed in an autoclave (a machine which gets really hot and sterilizes under pressure – always seen in your dentist and chiropodist’s office)?  I certainly hope so.

If they don’t sterilize, do they use disposable tools?  Make sure you see the pedicurist remove the packaging from the tools.

Is the salon clean and tidy?  Or are toenails and toe jam lurking on the floors?  This should be your first observation.

Can you bring/buy your own nail polish?

To be even safer, can you bring your own tools?

Make sure they use a disposable liner if they soak your feet in a footbath. 

NEVER let your bare feet be dipped into the wax bath.   Your feet should be covered with some sort of plastic wrap.

Don’t let them cut your cuticles.  They are there for a reason - they stop the entrance of harmful bacteria. 
If you are doubting any of the above…..RUN AWAY!!!

By the way…Chiropodists/Podiatrists are the only regulated foot health specialists in Ontario.  We have standards set in place to ensure that we keep our instruments sterilized.  At Northumberland Physiotherapy and Foot Health Centres, we take the standards one step further.  We test our autoclaves regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly.  Just ask to see our proudly displayed test results.  You will never see a failed test.

Visit us at http://www.we-fix-u.com/

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FLIP-FLOPS: A major....FLOP!

After spending hours walking at this years' Cobourg Waterfront Festival (we never tire of it!), I was absolutely amazed at how many people were wearing flip-flops. There is some serious walking at this festival folks!

In recent years, flip-flops have become the new "norm" for people of all ages, not just teenagers. What used to be a shoe designed for use around the pool or at the beach, has now become a shoe worn for all activities, just like regular shoes. Sure, they are inexpensive, they let your feet air out, and some even find them comfortable, but they have NO SUPPORT! If you wear these shoes for every day use, you are risking serious injury to your feet, legs and back - injuries that can create a lifetime of painful problems.

Think about it - how does an extremely flat piece of rubber, held together by another strip of rubber, provide support? Your feet have to work really hard to keep these shoes on.

Now, I don't have an issue with the shoes themselves - they are great if used for their intended purpose - but I do take issue with people who wear them for long jaunts, or allow their kids to wear them at the playground (what would happen if the child's flip-flop got caught on the monkey bars???....CRASH!). This little flat rubber shoe is fantastic at the pool or at the beach, providing protection from the hot sand, slippery pool surround, and to protect the foot from viral (plantar warts) and fungal (athlete's foot and fungal toenails) infections. So, why not use them for just that?

If, after reading this post, you decide to continue to wear flip-flops because you are making an "informed decision", lol, please consider wearing ones with good arch support...and wear your running/walking shoes when you plan to be on your feet for long periods.

If you are a die hard flip-flop wearer and need some help getting your feet back to good health, our chiropodists would love to help you (and no, we won't lecture you...you already know better). Give us a call.....Northumberland Physiotherapy and Foot Care Centre, in Cobourg, Port Hope and Brighton...905-373-7045. Visit us at our website too: http://www.we-fix-u.com/