Podiatry

Podiatry is a branch of medicine that provides care and treatment of the foot problems.  In this modern world we live in, we can spend a lot of time on our feet, so its important that we look after them. At the Specialist Medical Clinic, our dedicated podiatrists/foot specialists, Mr Kayron Pozo and Mr Joaquín Mir provide a complete foot care service for our patients. They manage a wide variety of common foot conditions such as:

General Problems

Corns & Callouses

These are areas of hard skin on which are formed in response to unnatural  pressure and/or friction to areas within the  foot.

A callous is the body’s way of protecting a traumatised area of the foot and can be quite painful, if left untreated it may develop into a corn.

A hard corn or callus often causes direct pressure on a nerve, which results in pain. Corns can usually be removed with little or no discomfort. The hard corn is the most common form of the lesion, although there are many types, each of which is  treated accordingly.

Warts and Verrucae

Warts and verrucae (plantar warts) are hard (sometimes painful) lesions caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).  Although common, they can be quite troublesome to cure and untreated can spread throughout a family or between friends (schools etc.) if untreated. Warts and verrucae are commonly treated using cryotherapy. This involves the use of a freezing agent (liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide gas).  The Specialist Medical Clinic’s team provides cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen gas in the form of the Cryopen®.

Ingrowing Toe Nails

Ingrown toenails most commonly occur on the big toe and are normally associated with the wearing of tight or narrow shoes together with incorrect nail trimming. Pressure onto the toenail forces it to grow into the flesh of the toe. Other causes of ingrown toenails include fungal infections, toe injuries, abnormalities in the structure of the foot, or repeated impact on the toenail from a sporting activity such as kicking a football or long distance running.

Gait Analysis

This enables our specialists to analyse the forces applied to the feet and lower limbs during movement. When there is malalignment of the bones and ligaments around the foot and knee, problems can develop most often resulting pain in the feet, legs knees and lower back. A full gait analysis assessment takes 30 to 40 minutes and involves the accurate measurement of all the metrics of the lower limbs and a functional assessment of how the lower limbs function during movement.

Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetes is a condition which affects the body’s ability to handle sugar.  Poorly treated the condition can result in  an array of unwanted and unpleasant effects on the feet which most often result from reduced sensation. Some diabetic patients develop reduced sensitivity in the nerves of the foot (neuropathy), or narrowing of the small blood vessels in the lower leg and foot (peripheral arterial disease).  Podiatrists play a very important role in maintaining foot health.  Regular attendance at our foot clinic can lead to the early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic complications which help reduce the development of complications.