How do you pick the perfect school shoes for your child?

How do you pick the perfect school shoes for your child?

by Business

School’s almost in and summer’s almost out! It’s time to start buying those last back-to-school essentials ready for the new term. But, how do you pick the perfect school shoes for your child? In today’s post, we’ll be giving you our top tips.

It’s really important that your child has well-fitting school shoes. After all, they’ll likely be wearing them for six hours or more every single day. So being comfortable and safe, should be the main priority over what’s fashionable. We know: it can be a battle when our children want to wear the latest style or match their friends. But years down the line, we promise they’ll be thanking you for putting their health first.

How do you pick the perfect school shoes for your child?

First of all, we always recommend that your child gets properly fitted for their school shoes. Or any shoes for that matter. Whether your child has an existing foot problem or you simply want to ensure you’re making the best choices, we can help.

If you’re not sure if your child has existing conditions or may need the help of a podiatrist, there are a few telltale signs to look for:

  1. Does your child trip over or fall often?
  2. Does your child walk with in-turned feet?
  3. Do the soles of your child’s shoes show more wear on one shoe than the other?
  4. Does your child ever complain about foot pain/discomfort, or pain/discomfort in their ankles or legs?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, then it’s a great idea to make an appointment with your local podiatrist for a consultation. 

How do you pick the perfect school shoes for your child?

How can a podiatrist help with my child’s feet?

It’s always best to spot any foot issues early on so any treatment or advice can be issued. It may be that your child needs orthotics to help their foot remain properly supported in their footwear, or it could even be that your child has an ingrown toenail that needs treatment to make them feel more comfortable in their shoes again. Whatever the reason, a podiatrist is a trained professional who will be able to assess your child’s feet and ensure their needs are taken care of.

General rules for picking the perfect school shoes

If you don’t feel that you need to visit a podiatrist right now, that’s absolutely fine. Instead, read some of our tips below to help you make the best choice.

  1. Get your child’s feet measured properly at a reputable shoe shop
  2. Ensure shoes aren’t too tight, or too loose
  3. Don’t follow fashion: follow the correct fit
  4. Make use of inserts where needed to provide extra cushioning and support
  5. If in doubt, visit your local podiatrist who will be able to help and advise you

Ready to book an appointment?
Call us today on 01226 759660 or contact us here. 

4 reasons why you may be struggling with toenail pain

4 reasons why you may be struggling with toenail pain

by Business

Toenail pain can be extremely frustrating and debilitating to deal with. From feeling uncomfortable in your footwear to feeling sharp stabs of pain when pressure is applied: toenail pain is certainly trying.

But what exactly is causing your toenail pain, and when should you see your podiatrist for relief? Today, we’ll be discussing four common reasons.

1. Ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails can be super painful. They’re usually caused by the incorrect cutting of the nails, but sometimes, injuries or even ill-fitting shoes can be to blame.

If left untreated, ingrown toenails can be very uncomfortable. And if severe enough, they can also lead to infections like paronychia (which we’ll discuss later on in today’s post).

So, when should you see your podiatrist? If your ingrown toenail is causing you a lot of pain and is showing signs of infection (like feeling warm, or looking red and swollen), give your podiatrist a call.

If you have a condition like diabetes, it’s important that you visit your podiatrist or doctor straight away.

2. Toenail Trauma

Toenail trauma can be caused by so many different factors: whether it be stubbing your toe (ouch!), dropping something heavy on your foot or even wearing ill-fitting shoes.

Bruising and mild pain are common symptoms to experience after the above events, however, if your pain is severe, you should visit your podiatrist for treatment recommendations.

To ease any mild symptoms at home, make sure to keep your foot elevated to decrease the swelling, and take over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and paracetamol.

4 reasons why you may be struggling with toenail pain

3. Fungal Infections

Fungal infections can affect your toenails or the skin on your feet and toes.

Toenail fungus has an odour, and also discolours nails and makes them brittle, so it’s quite easy to spot. Eventually, your nail will become thicker and the edges will easily crumble away. Fungus is highly contagious, so it’s easy for you to accidentally pass it along from toe to toe.

There are many toenail fungus treatments available on the high street, but it’s best to see your podiatrist who will be able to recommend the correct treatment for you for the speediest recovery.

4. Paronychia

Paronychia usually affects fingernails, but can also affect toenails, too. It’s an infection that affects the skin around your nails, and can progress to cellulitis in more severe cases. It causes pain and inflammation, and can really be quite bothersome.

Paronychia can develop after suffering trauma to your toenail, or through an untreated ingrown toenail. As mentioned above, if you have a condition like diabetes, it’s really important to see your doctor or podiatrist at the first sign of infection.

Often, soaking the affected toenail in warm water for 20 minutes a few times a day can help ease any discomfort and help you to heal. But, if you do notice signs of an abscess, you will need to seek medical care to check whether you need to have the abscess drained.

Cellulitis is classed as a serious complication, and warrants immediate medical care. Look out for signs such as pain, redness and warmth in the area, along with other symptoms like nausea, chills and a fever. If in any slight doubt, call a medical professional immediately.

Other causes

Sometimes, you may be experiencing toenail pain as a symptom of a completely separate condition. Chronic illnesses like arthritis, or even psoriasis can cause toenail pain. If at all you feel unsure or concerned, visit your podiatrist who will be able to diagnose you and recommend the best treatment to have you pain-free once again.

Ready to book in for a treatment?
Give us a call today on 01226 759 660 or contact us here to book your appointment.

January 2021 restrictions

by Business

We remain open during the January 2021 restrictions

January lockdown

Hello, I hope you are all staying safe? I’m sure that you are all aware that the Prime Minister announced that in order to curb the spread of the new mutant COVID-19 virus, England will return to a full lockdown with immediate effect.

Health Care is not affected HCPC registered Podiatrists are allowed to remain open.

Podiatrists can continue with clinic visits, home visits and treating patients in nursing homes. Patients can still travel for their healthcare needs.

We will continue to review this information and correspond any changes advised from our governing bodies; GOV.COM, NHS and CoP (College of Podiatry).

Shielding

Patients who are shielding, we are a safe environment for you to visit, we have, HEPA air purifiers in all our rooms, and the surgery is certified Bio-Clean once a month, this is in addition to our daily routines. For your safety and the safety of our staff we have installed shielding screens in our reception and our treatment room, all staff are wearing PPE.

Should you have any concerns please contact the surgery 01226 759660 or use the contact form on this site. Contact Us.

Safety First

To make your visit as safe and as efficient as possible, we ask that you follow the below protocol:
– Please arrive just on time – our waiting room will not be available during this time.
– Please arrive to your appointment alone or ask your chaperone to wait outside.
To minimise the risk of infection, we are adhering to the strictest of hygiene practices as usual. Additionally, we will be allocating extra time in-between appointments to allow us to clean our workspace and reception area thoroughly.
We will also be wearing PPE including aprons, double gloves and face protection.
We appreciate if payments are made by card where possible.

We are unable to accept patients who are isolating, or live within a household that is isolating.

November lock down

by Business

Hands – Face – Space

We remain open during the forthcoming lockdown

Hello to my wonderful clients. I hope you are staying safe? I’m sure that you are all aware that the Prime Minister is moving us all into a November lock down.

As regulated medical professionals I’m pleased to announce after confirmation from the College of Podiatry that we are able to remain open, obviously this will be kept under review and may change as we continue to get medical updates from our governing bodies; GOV.COM, NHS and CoP (College of Podiatry).

We feel confident that our surgery is a safe environment for our patients. We will continue to provide treatments for our existing and new patients, in our Covid compliant surgery.

Shielding patients rest assured that we are a safe environment for you to visit, we have, HEPA air purifiers in all our rooms, and the surgery is certified Bio-Clean once a month, this is in addition to our daily routines. For your safety and the safety of our staff we have installed shielding screens in our reception and our treatment room, all staff are wearing PPE.

Should you have any concerns please contact the surgery 01226 759660 or use the contact form on this site. Contact Us.

Safety First

To make your visit as safe and as efficient as possible, we ask that you follow the below protocol:
– Please arrive just on time – our waiting room will not be available during this time.
– Please arrive to your appointment alone or ask your chaperone to wait outside.
To minimise the risk of infection, we are adhering to the strictest of hygiene practices as usual. Additionally, we will be allocating extra time in-between appointments to allow us to clean our workspace and reception area thoroughly.
We will also be wearing PPE including aprons, double gloves and face protection.
We appreciate if payments are made by card where possible.

We are unable to accept patients who are isolating, or live within a household that is isolating.

Emergency appointments extended

by Business
Stay Alert – Control the Virus – Save Lives

Hello to my wonderful clients. How are you all doing? I’m sure that you were all pleased to hear that the Prime Minister recently announced that many of us will now able to start cautiously returning to work. I’m pleased to say that this includes my team and I. However, our revised opening hours will be kept on review and may change as we continue to get medical updates from our governing bodies; GOV.COM, NHS and CoP (College of Podiatry).

As some of you may have seen from our last blog post, we have been able to treat some emergency appointments during the lockdown. Although we cannot see all patients, I’m pleased to announce that we are now able to include a further group of patients.

When booking appointments, strict triage rules will continue as we prioritise our appointments.

Emergency patients

– Are at risk of ulceration
– Are at risk of the break-down of ulcers
– Patients with infections
– Patients experiencing severe pain
We are also able to accept patients who are key workers, who if not treated, would not be able to continue to work.

Booking Appointments

If you need to book an appointment at our clinic or arrange a home visit for those eligible, please call 01226 759660. A surcharge of £3 per appointment will be added to all appointments.

Safety First

To make your visit as safe and as efficient as possible, we ask that you follow the below protocol:
– Please arrive just on time – our waiting room will not be available during this time.
– Please arrive to your appointment alone or ask your chaperone to wait outside.
To minimise the risk of infection, we are adhering to the strictest of hygiene practices as usual. Additionally, we will be allocating extra time in-between appointments to allow us to clean our workspace and reception area thoroughly.
We will also be wearing PPE including aprons, double gloves and face protection.
We appreciate if payments are made by card where possible.

We are unable to accept emergency patients who are isolating, or live within a household that is isolating.

Revised Opening Times

OUR REVISED OPENING TIMES

You can book an appointment with us during the Covid-19 restrictions on the following days and times:

Mon 10 – 2 pm
Wed 8.30 – 12 noon
Thu 1.30 – 4.30 pm Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel that you need help – we will be happy to advise you on whether you should visit us for an appointment at our clinic or home visit for those eligible. 

Take care and please do stay home as much as possible to stay safe and help to support our NHS.

Emergency podiatry appointments during the Covid-19 lockdown

by Business

Hello to my wonderful clients. I really hope that you are staying well and managing to cope during this very unsettling time.

After new directives from the CoP (College of Podiatry), I’m pleased to let you know that we are able to open our doors for emergency patients during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Emergency patients are classed as patients who

– Are at risk of ulceration
– Are at risk of the break-down of ulcers
– Patients with infections
– Patients experiencing severe pain


We are also able to accept patients who are key workers, who if not treated, would not be able to continue to work.

we are unable to accept emergency patients who are isolating, or live within a household that is isolating.

HOW TO BOOK EMERGENCY PODIATRY APPOINTMENTS

Before booking an emergency appointment, please consider whether the risk of your foot problem outweighs the risk of Covid-19.
If you do decide that you need to make an appointment, please contact us on 01226 759 660.

KEEPING YOU SAFE

To make your visit as safe and as efficient as possible, we ask that you follow the below protocol:
– Please arrive just on time – our waiting room will not be available during this time
– Please arrive to your appointment alone or ask your chaperone to wait outside.


To minimise the risk of infection, we are adhering to the strictest of hygiene practices as usual. Additionally, we will be allocating extra time in-between appointments to allow us to clean our workspace and reception area thoroughly.


We will also be wearing PPE including aprons, double gloves and face protection.


We ask that all patients use the hand sanitiser on entry and exit to the clinic, and that payments are made by card only where possible.

OUR REVISED OPENING TIMES

You can book an appointment with us during the Covid-19 lockdown on the following days and times:

Mon 10 – 2 pm
Wed 8.30 – 12 noon
Thu 1.30 – 4.30 pm

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel that you need help – we will be happy to advise you on whether you should visit us for an appointment or secure an appointment for a later date. 

Take care and please do stay home as much as possible to stay safe and help to support our NHS.

Want to stay a little longer? Click here to read our previous blog posts.