Many of my patients think that having nail surgery, as in having the sides of the nail removed from the big toe will make the toe look ‘odd’ or ugly.

Below are a couple of pictures, the big toe on the left foot is the result of nail surgery I carried out back at the start of the year. However, the right foot was what I was greeted with today.

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I know which one I would rather have!

So, we’re going to deal with the chronic ingrown toenail on the right foot much in the same way we dealt with the left one.

If you or a family member is in pain, please get in touch with our expert Podiatrists.

You don’t need to worry about an unsightly toe ever again!

If you would like further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts on 01444 453874 or on our contact page!

Ingrown toenails are a patient issue we see regularly…

We always try to treat our patients’ ingrown toenails with chiropody, which we define as cutting and trimming down the side to alleviate the nail into the skin. However, in this poor girls instance, we couldn’t and we instead had to remove the portion of the nail under anaesthetic before putting a special chemical on there to stop it from growing back.

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The patient works on her feet for a living but, brilliantly her toe has now fully healed!

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Hopefully, you’ll agree that this is an amazing result!

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if you have any questions or would like to book an appointment, get in touch with us on 01444453874 or on our contact page!

Warning! Satisfying before and after photo coming up…

Now firstly you will see I’m a dreadful photographer, but hopefully, you’ll be able to see what we achieved! The verrucas seen in the first photo were present on this gentleman’s foot for the best part of 9 years.

I’m pleased to say that after one, yes just ONE dry needling treatment they have completely gone!

So What Is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is carried out painlessly under local anaesthetic. A sterile needle is used to cause a localised trauma to the verruca itself. The aim of this is to implant the virally infected cells deeper into the tissue where it is quickly detected by the immune system and an immune response is stimulated. This process has been around for nearly 40 years but it’s only recently reaching the shores of the UK from the United States. It is very effective and suitable for most verrucas.

The patient was very happy with the results and we are too!

If you have any questions about any of the treatments at Sussex Foot Centre or are in need of some help with verrucas then please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

When it comes to Plantar Fasciitis, no two people are the same…

Heel pain is a complex but common problem seen in the clinic every day. Although there are multiple conditions that can effect the heel the most common is plantar fasciitis. The condition doesn’t discriminate between age, gender or activity levels and can be debilitating as a result.

The traditional thought process was that plantar fasciitis was an inflammatory one, however, now the consensus is that it’s caused by progressive, repetitive micro-tears and therefore degeneration as a result of overload.  

Before any treatment options take place we suggest carrying out an ultrasound scan to ascertain just what exactly is taking place in the heel. Treatment options are separated out into either conservative with the use of orthotics to redistribute pressure or when that has failed, with cortisone. Cortisone can be considered if the pain lasts for greater than 4 weeks and the pain has not been reduced by orthotics.

Cortisone injections have a bad name as they can cause pain, however, at Sussex Foot Centre we anaesthetise the foot, which makes the whole process far more comfortable. Many websites will describe stretching, rolling a cold water bottle under the arch, ice and ibuprofen gel, however, we don’t find these treatments to be effective.

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Case Study

Patient A is a 52-year-old female who works in a fast-paced stock room so is continually on her feet. She began feeling pain in the heel of her right foot in December 2017 but put it down to muscle soreness from walking.

The pain continued as she tried treating it with recommended exercises and sports massage. So it was time for a visit to Sussex Foot Centre! An ultrasound scan showed the extent of Patient A’s chronic Plantar Fasciitis.

To begin treatment, we made a custom insole which she wore for a gradually increasing time each day. Fast forward to August 2018, after finding the insoles weren’t working for her, we discussed the option of a Cortisone Injection.

What does a Cortisone Injection involve?

Here’s what Patient A had to say about her treatment…

“After visiting Jon for treatment on my painful heal he gave me shoe inserts which helped with the pain when walking. Because my injury was chronic I eventually had to have a steroid injection which Jon administered. He was very professional and I have been pain-free since then, there is no guarantee how long this will last but I still wear the inserts to help with the positioning of my foot.  From being in pain every day I forgot how it felt to walk without pain. Why wait months for treatments with the NHS when you can be treated at the Sussex Foot Centre, I highly recommend!”

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If you’re suffering from chronic heel pain, get in touch with our expert podiatrists. There could be a wide range of reasons you’re experiencing this pain and we will dedicate ourselves to pinpointing a cause and tailor make a treatment to suit you and your individual needs.

After 10 days of pain…

Patient B got in touch and came to the Sussex Foot Centre clinic for an opinion regarding pain in the back of his heel.

The pain had been present for the last 10 days and had been described as the sensation of a sudden pull and a feeling of a ‘gunshot’ going off in the leg. The patient was only able to walk wearing walking boots and even then the pain came on after only 200 yards.

When examining the patient he had a large bulge at the back of the heel where the pain was focal. Ultrasound was used as this is the best imaging modality to assess the back of the leg. MRI is widely regarded as the best imaging technique for looking at damaged soft tissue, but interestingly this isn’t the case when looking at the Achilles’ tendon.

Ultrasound can be used to look at the Achilles when it’s relaxed and when it’s stretched out. It can be used most specifically in this case, for visualisation of where the Achilles’ tendon inserts into the bone.

An example of what a normal Achilles tendon looks like can be seen below:

And this is the Achilles of the patient in question:

It’s important to see the healthy tendon has good clear straight lines, this is collagen and this is what a tendon should look like as it inserts into the heel bone.

This one, however, is what he came with. This is a chronic condition called Achilles insterional calcific tendinitis. The exact cause is unknown, however, essentially overuse and traction with inflammation on the insertion of the tendon onto the bone is the common cause. The tendon is intact on the right side albeit there will have been ‘some’ fibres that will have been pulled off.

The patient doesn’t want surgery for an Achilles debridement, and doesn’t want to wear a walker boot so I’ve manufactured orthotics for both shoes to take the strain off the Achilles’ tendon and prevent it from pulling where the Achilles inserts into the heel bone.

I have reviewed this pain already after a week and it feels significantly better. It’s a chronic condition that will be managed and we will get the patient back to exercise in 6 weeks, but only with the strain off the heel.

I will be adding updates to this case study as they happen, so check back in with us soon!

If you are suffering from foot, heel or lower limb pain, get in touch with one of our experts on 01444 453874.