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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 13, 2016 | 2 May is FOOT HEALTH MONTH ASK A CHIROPODIST: What does a Chiropodist do? has received extensive training to meet the foot care needs of Canadians. · embers of the Oakville M tion ar are Foot Care Association dedicated to pr providing readers · · The Ontario government recognizes both timely with helpful tips and timel chiropody and podiatry as designations for foot · information on foot-related · topics for optimum foot health. care specialists. · The more you know, the How Can a Chiropodist Help Me? A Chiropodist · healthier your feet will be! · is a specialist trained to provide routine foot What is a Chiropodist? The term and nail care and treat a variety of specific · chiropodist [ker-rah-po-dist], foot problems and foot related health issues, · is used to define a primary health including: · care provider who treats foot · and ankle disorders. Only those · · Arthritis & Joint Pain registered by the College of · · Athlete's Foot Chiropodists of Ontario may call · · Bunions themselves Chiropodists. · Calluses · · · Claw/Hammer Toes A Chiropodist is the only · Corns licensed health care provider who · Custom Made Orthotics Diabetic Foot Care & Education Flat Feet Foot Ulcers & Wounds Fungal Nails Heel Fissures Heel/Arch/Knee/Foot Pain High Arches Hyperhidrosis/Sweaty Feet Ingrown Toenails Nail Restoration Nail Surgery Plantar Warts Routine Foot Care Shin Splints Sports Related Foot Problems Sprains & Strains Thick Nails Skin and Nail Care One condition that is frequently encountered by foot specialists is thickened, discolored and misshapen toe nails. This condition is often a sign of fungal nail infection, similar to what causes Athlete's Foot. A fungal nail infection is chronic in nature, and will not typically resolve on its own. In fact, the longer the infection goes without treatment, the worse the nail becomes. If the infection is ignored, the nail will NEVER return to normal! Prompt treatment is the best defense against chronic nail infections! Plantar Warts (Verruca) A plantar wart is a small lesion that appears on the sole of the foot and typically resembles a cauliflower, with tiny black spots in the center. Pinpoint bleeding may occur when these are scratched, and they may be painful when standing or walking. Plantar warts are often similar to calluses or corns, but can be differentiated by close observation of skin striations. Plantar warts tend to be painful on application of pressure from either side rather than direct pressure, unlike calluses which tend to be painful on direct pressure. Diabetic Foot Care and Wound Management To date, there is no cure for diabetes and its complications, such as neuropathy (numbness) and poor blood circulation to the hands and feet. The end result can be ulceration, as illustrated in the photo, infection or possibly amputation. In fact, 50% of all lower extremity amputations are a result of diabetic related complications. To avoid these tragic consequences, it is imperative that diabetic patients receive proper foot care. We do not want you to become the next statistic! Custom Made Orthotics An orthotic is a prescribed medical device used to reduce complication associated with poor foot function. Typically this includes: heel pain, shin splints and ankle, knee or low back pain. An orthotic is custom made and is uniquely designed for a specific foot and no one else's. An orthotic is not the same as an over-the-counter arch support. Though many health care practitioners prescribe orthotics, only a Chiropodist has the training and expertise to evaluate the type of orthotic, if any, that is required. Surgical management (ingrown toenails, chronic infections) A variety of surgical options are available. Nail surgery is a common procedure, typically used for chronically infected, ingrown or excessively thickened toenails. The procedure is done in-office and typically takes 40-45 minutes. The patient is able to immediately walk after the procedure, with minimal post-surgery discomfort. Healing times vary depending on the individual patient as well as the procedure, but typically the nail bed is completely healed in 4 weeks Footwear Buying and wearing proper shoes is the best thing you can do for your feet. A good pair of shoes can relieve many foot related symptoms, such as heel pain, shin splints, corns, callouses and even low back pain. However, choosing the right shoe can be frustrating. Here are some quick facts to keep in mind: a) no shoes will make you run faster or jump further; b) an expensive shoe is not necessarily a good shoe, and; c) always buy your shoes at the end of the day when your feet may be slightly swollen. Chiropodists MeMbers of oakville foot Care assoCiation Elisabeth Hibbert B.Sc., D.Ch. 208-435 Reynolds Street (at Cornwall Road) Oakville L6J 3M4 oakvillefootclinic@bellnet.ca Vanessa Pontet B.Sc(Hon) D.Ch. 15-250 Wyecroft Road (at Dorval Drive) Oakville L6K 3T7 J. Richard Werkman D.Ch., B.Sc., Podiatric Medicine 33-1495 Cornwall Road (at Maple Grove Road) Oakville L6J 0B2 905.815.0971 905.844.9355 info@acornhealth.ca 905.845.4817 oakville@werkman.ca Talk To A Registered Chiropodist About Maintaining Healthy Feet Today!