‘Want to cut your nails? Get an expert’

A Podiatrist, Dr Bodunrin Oluwa, has advised Nigerians to engage professionals in taking care of their nails.

According to him, many people do not take “proper care of their feet, and when they do, they do not get professionals to do it for them.”

“It is worrisome to see some people calling on some street boys to do nail-cutting and cleaning for them. This can cause infections for them. And for those that get unprofessional treatments from salons, more damage is done. A podiatrist is the best person for the job. He is the trained foot care specialist.

“For example, non-professionals won’t know why your nail is lifting from the nail bed but a podiatrist will identify it as a case of onycholysis. People who wear their nails very long or wear fake fingernails are more likely to have onycholysis, a painless separation of the nail from the nail bed. Also known as nail lifting, it can be a sign of the skin disease psoriasis or a fungal infection,” Oluwa said.

He said a podiatrist, also called chiropodist, is a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM).”Podiatrists diagnose and treat conditions of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. Podiatrists care for people of all ages, treating any foot problem. The common disorders include bunions, heel pain/spurs, hammer toes, neuromas, ingrown toe nails, warts, corns and callous. Bone and joint disorders, such as arthritis, soft-tissue and muscular pathologies, as well as neurological and circulatory diseases are other conditions that can be treated. As well as assessing the foot function and correcting abnormal function with orthotics or footwear modifications,” he explained.

Oluwa said, those who visit the podiatrist regularly can avoid many potential problems because the doctor  can recognise the problems before they occur.

“Diabetics in particular should visit a podiatrist. A chiropodist is a primary health care provider educated exclusively in the assessment, treatment and prevention of foot disorders. Diabetics, for instance should visit a chiropodist as regularly as once a month due to their susceptibility to develop ulcers and lessened ability to heal quickly. The majority of ulcers caused by diabetes occur on the lower leg and foot and if they are not looked at by a professional in the early stages of development, infection can occur and even lead to amputation.

According to Oluwa, the nine common foot problems are:

Diabetes

Poorly controlled diabetes can affect the supply of blood and nerves to the feet. Nerve damage reduces the feeling in the feet and poor circulation may result in injuries and infection taking longer to heal. Regular examination of foot pulses, testing of reflexes, vibration and pressure sensitivity by your podiatrist will help detect any changes early.

Fungus infection

Tinea refers to a group of fungal infections affecting the skin or nails which thrives on warm/moist environments, such as the feet. In the skin it can have the appearance of peeling/blistered skin and the nails may become discoloured yellow or white.

Bunions

Certain foot types can make your feet prone to bunion formation. Bunions are a progressive disorder which begins with the leaning of the big toe towards the second toe, which creates the characteristic bump on the side of the foot. Orthotics and footwear advice can reduce the production of a bunion and relieve the pain.

Corns and calluses

These are the most common foot problem. As we stand/walk/run, our feet carry up to three times our body weight (during running). Pressure placed on the foot can become unbalanced which results in friction on certain areas, such as the balls of the feet and heels. The body may respond to pressure by producing thickenings in the surface layer of the skin called calluses. If the pressure gets concentrated in a small area, a ‘hard corn’ may develop. ‘Soft’corns form between toes where the skin is moist as a result of friction or inadequate drying. Ill-fitting footwear is a common cause of corns and calluses. Your podiatrist is able to gently remove the calluses and corns.

Heel pain

Heel pain has many causes but it is usually the result of faulty biomechanics (i.e. the way we walk). Two common causes of heel pain are Heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs result from strain on the muscles of the foot resulting on a bony growth under the heel. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the long band of tissue that connects the heel and the ball of the foot. Heel pain may be aggra-vated by shoes that lack support, excessive rolling in of the feet, jumping and running on hard surfaces.

Biomechanics / Orthotics

To treat chronic foot pain your podiatrist will assess the anatomy and function of the foot and lower limb. The treatment may include specific exercises and the prescription of orthotics to correct/improve the functioning of the feet. Orthoses are inserts to reduce foot pathology. There are many types of orthoses – ranging from off the shelf generic devices through to custom devices where a plaster cast and prescription based on a biomechanical assessment are made.

Pronation

Pronation (rolling-in) is the movement of the foot when it comes in contact with the ground to absorb the shock from the ground. Excessive pronation is where the foot pronates beyond the limits. This can cause increased stress on the muscles, tendons, ligaments of the foot and lower leg. Pronations commonly affect the knees, hips and lower back. Over pronation can be corrected via the use of orthotics which helps improve the gait function.

Ingrown Toe Nails

Ingrown toe nails can occur due to incorrect cutting, poorly fitting socks/shoes, trauma, picking nails or nails that grow deep into the sides of the toe. Surgery is required when the ingrown nail repeatedly gets painful with or without infection. A nail wedge resection is performed under a local anaesthetic to remove the offending piece of nail and the area is treated with a chemical to inhibit nail growth in that area.

Warts

It is commonly known as plantar warts or verrucea pedis on the foot due to their location are a viral infection that commonly affects children’s feet. Warts are extremely contagious and easily spread in moist areas such as swimming pools, gym change rooms / showers. Warts can become painful due to their weight bearing location. It is recommended to seek treatment early as they can easily spread and become a chronic problem.

Oluwa advised on a foot care: “Wash your feet daily and dry thoroughly. Don’t share footwear. Wear cotton socks and shoes made of leather or natural materials – not synthetics, sandals are good. Change shoes daily to allow them to dry out – it takes up to 24 hours for footwear to dry out. See your podiatrist, if symptoms don’t resolve.