
There are few who have seen the film Happy Feet and not been hit by the overwhelming urge to a) dance, and b) adopt a penguin. Yet keeping your feet happy in reality isn’t quite so simple as popping on a DVD, and if you want to keep dancing it’s important to take good care of your tootsies. Happy feet begin with regular care, and one way to do that is making regular trips to your chiropodist. Here’s everything you need to know about the benefits of chiropody…
The Benefits Of Visiting A Chiropodist
Getting a pedicure from your local nail salon is a far cry from receiving one from a professional chiropodist. Not only is the equipment used different, but the process involves different skills and far higher levels of hygiene. While the cosmetic pedicure is great for getting you beach ready, it’s the chiropodist pedicure that will make your feet happy!
A chiropodist is also on hand to take care of your feet when you’re suffering for problems, and yet they can go well beyond this and provide valuable insights into your foot care and help you prevent the development of potentially life-altering conditions.
Your chiropodist isn’t a beautician. They are qualified, medical professionals who know precisely what they’re doing and how best to cure and care for your feet.
There’s no risk of cross-infection from previous patients or picking up an infection from dirty equipment when you visit a chiropodist, as all the staff adhere to the high levels of hygiene required of a medical procedure. Equipment is either fully sterilised before reuse or disposed of between patients.
If you have a corn or a callous it’s unlikely a beauty technician will have the required skills and equipment to effectively treat the problem. Specialist training is required for this, and that can only be found at a chiropodist or podiatrist.
Your chiropodist can also advise you on your footwear, and help you make better choices to improve your comfort in daily life, and prevent the development of more serious conditions.
We often take for granted the ability to trim our toenails or care for the skin on our feet yet there are various medical conditions, as well as age and physical limitations that can make this a stressful, difficult, or impossible task. A medical professional will never judge your inability to do this yourself, and will always provide an expert hand to ensure it’s done well. At the same time, they will keep an eye on your overall foot health and notify you of any potential or developing problems.
How Chiropodists Can Give You Happy Feet
There are several everyday foot problems – such as bunions, corns, nail conditions, ingrowing toenails, heel pain, and verrucae – that a chiropodist can help with. Beyond this there are more serious conditions like bone deformations, arthritis and diabetes who will need regular trips to the chiropodist in order to keep their feet happy and healthy.
If you’re a diabetic a monthly trip to the chiropodist is vital to stay on top of conditions like foot sores and ulcers, which can easily become septic and lead to serious issues and, in extreme cases, amputation. Diabetes has the unfortunate side effect of dulling your pain receptors which can easily lead to you being unaware of problems on your feet until it’s too late. Having a professional check them regularly is essential to identifying and treating problems before they become infected.
Even if you don’t have an obvious medical condition that necessitates frequent visits, it’s still a good idea to get regular checkups for foot maintenance to avoid problems and treat common issues. Removing verrucae, bunions, corns, and calluses, or treating fungal infections, are essential for not only making our feet feel better but also giving us the confidence to bare them in public. Getting your nails cut professionally will also prevent ingrown toenails, which can be painful and lead to infection.
In short, happy feet start with your chiropodist. If you’d like to learn more about how chiropody can help you, or book an appointment, please get in touch.