At Beauchamp Foot Care Clinic, we’re not that surprised at the number of people who suffer from foot and heel pain. Whether it’s from ill-fitting shoes, blisters, ingrowing toenails, callouses or cracked skin, there’s no doubt that our feet take a lot of pounding.

It is surprising, however, that many of us simply put up with our pain and don’t even have a simple foot care regime in place.

Here are just some of the common foot and heel problems that cause pain:

Bursitis:

This happens when the fluid filled sacks at the joints around the heel become inflamed and look red and swollen. The best thing you can do if this happens is take the weight off your feet. Plenty of rest should relieve the problem but many of us soldier on through the pain and actually make things worse.

Plantar fasciitis:

This is perhaps one of the biggest causes of heel pain and involves the thick band that runs from the front of your foot to the base of the heel. People who run a lot are at risk of this kind of injury and it can also be more acute for those who have mechanical issues such as flat feet.

Verrucae:

Not all pain is down to internal, mechanical issues with your feet. Infections like a verruca can make it difficult to walk without wincing. This is an infection involving the human papilloma virus and is all too common. Treatment can involve freezing the wart, removing it surgically or using specialist topical applications such as Spirularin VS.

Corns and Calluses:

If you wear ill-fitting shoes or just walk a lot, chances are you’ll start to develop corns and callouses; that’s hard skin where your feet are exposed to excessive friction over time. These and other conditions like bunions and hammer toe can all make it painful to walk normally.

There are topical treatments for some of these in your local pharmacist but paying a visit to a podiatrist such as those at Beauchamp Foot Care is usually more effective as they can properly remove the corn or callused area and advise you on how to avoid reoccurrence.

Ingrowing Toenails:

Another problem that many people suffer from is the very painful ingrowing toenail. These most commonly affect the big toe and can be excruciating if something isn’t done to stop your nail growing into the flesh. This usually involves undertaking a little minor surgery, carried out by a qualified foot care practitioner like a podiatrist.

Why Visit a Foot Care Clinic?

Our feet are one of the most important, and most used, parts of the body. They’re also much mistreated and practically always covered up, often with ill-fitting footwear. We pound the streets running, stand around for hours on end and abuse our feet endlessly without even thinking about it.

That is, until we start to experience just a little foot pain.

We should all spend at least some time being good to our feet. It’s a great way to make sure they stay in good health and we don’t end up feeling like we’re walking on glass. A foot care clinic will be able to give you everything from a medical pedicure and verruca removal to advice about the best footwear to choose and how to avoid common foot problems.

Whether it’s once a year or once a month, giving your feet a quick service improves your chance of staying pain free. If you’d like to find out more, contact the Beauchamp Foot Care Clinic in Knightsbridge, London, to find out more or book an appointment.