Preparing for Summer feet

Warmer days are an excuse to treat yourself to a sexy new pair of sandals and proudly show off your newly pedicured toes. But how do we keep our feet looking beautifully healthy and sun kissed all summer long?

It is a fact that feet get dirty, especially if you’ve been out walking, or out sight- seeing on holiday. So take some time to care for them and reap the benefits of happy and healthy feet.

At the end of the day wash your feet well; give them a good scrub and follow with a foot massage to your feet with foot cream. Keeping them elevated for 10 minutes helps take the stress of your circulatory system.

Be sure to keep your feet clean and well moisturised: dry, cracking, peeling and sore skin can be the signs of a fungal infection, such as athletes foot, so apply an antifungal medication as soon as it occurs. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your feet, especially the tops and in between the toes, 20 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. Then, in the summer months ensure you wear shoes a half size bigger than usual to accommodate any daytime puffiness. If sweaty feet are a problem use an effective anti-perspirant as a final flourish for lovely fresh feet.

As your feet are on display during the summer months, invest in a great pedicure and then maintain your toes at home in perfect condition.

ingrowing toenails

IGTN (ingrowing toenail surgery)
This is a painful condition that occurs when the nail starts to press into the fleshy part of the adjacent skin. It can easily become infected and needs a professional podiatry opinion and treatment.
Painless removal of the spicule of nail can be carried out and if needed a minor surgical procedure to prevent recurrence. This is called a partial nail avulsion with phenolisation.

I had my toenails corrrected in this manner many years ago and have never suffered since.

(for the full picture see my piece on Ingrowing toenails that I did with NHS videos that is available on You tube)

Any questions please do get in contact.

high heels revisited

It has been a real pleasure to put my high heels back on post operative the Hyprocure.
After about 5 weeks of wearing black K shoes with black trousers I am released and able to easily wear heels. Still sticking to moderate heels, about 2 inches, and discovering the trick of avoiding black shoes to make legs look longer.

Also enjoying wearing flat ballet pumps and comparing and contrasting the new foot with the old position.
Pain : Almost none; only experiencing occasional twinges into the foot that feel rather like an internal orthotic.

the road to recovery - The Hyprocure TM

Nearly two weeks have passed with the new foot.
It has been a real paradigm shift as the old unstable foot and all that accompanied it, disappears
I am driving, walking, stairs etc. As long as I have it wrapped up for security it is fine. I just must be mindful, as a set back is still possible.
Still it is a revelation and a delight.

I know there has been a huge shift for me in the way I assess feet and foot conditions. Many continue to dismiss this procedure with lots of words to undermine the effects. It is almost as though had I had buckets of post operative pain, lots of metalware in the foot, long operating time, that would have made it more acceptable! Of course better for who, and that is the heart of the matter.
I had to buy a comfortable, flat shoe, having not worn flats in years! Satisfyingly, I threw old flat lace ups away and am now in uber-unglamorous Clarks K shoe. Very comfortable and far more stable on the operated, non wobbly foot than the one now in waiting.

Day 6 post op Hyprocure

Day 6 post op the Hyprocure TM by Dr Graham and a whole new world of a non wobbly - albeit asymmetric- foot is opening up.
It will be 4 weeks before I can safely (ish) assume that fibrous adhesions have formed sufficiently to be less nervous of it, but so far so good. No pain. Able to walk up and down stairs and did a Mum stint around Asda, as you do, with a wrapped up foot and a sock on as unable
to put on a shoe that we (me , myself and I ) agree on.
The most difficult thing is what to wear. All old shoes are out, no need for orthotics and new shoes yet to be bought or worked out! Still too early for heels.
It may be wellies yet. Hunter of course.

My Flatfoot correction

I am officially the new owner of a new foot! My Supplefoot has a stent in place and I have a non wobbly, arched foot. The longterm problems of hyperpronation are resolved and I am delighted.

The operation was yesterday and I am in no pain. The surgery was fine, done under local anaesthesiae with barely any pain and my sub talar arthroeresis went well.
The implant used to transform my foot is the Hyprocure TM and we have amazing before and immediately after xray pictures.
The surprising find from the motion analysis tests was a rigid beam of a 4th metatarsal that has supported my feet despite all the flexibility around it.
By getting this hyper pronated foot corrected I have headed off a bunion later on, early hallux limitus, neuromas and capsulitis in the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal heads (seen moving around alarmingly!) no wonder I had shearing stress and paraesthesiae there. And that is just the front part of my foot!
It immediately feels like the arch has been restored(it has) and I guess it might be like having old fashioned (now discredited) electric current treatment to "strengthen arch muscles."

So despite having worn orthotics since podiatry college aged 19, the flat feet were not going to improve. They - there is still another one to do- deterioate over time and cause all sorts of conditions up and down the skeletal frame.

Thanks to Dr Graham, DPM for designing it, performing the surgery and looking after me!
He is a genius.

PS As soon as I can I shall share with you my pictures of my foot. In the meantime the image is of the stent in place, from the Gramedica website. For more info go to www.hyperpronation.com

Best wishes

Emma Supple

Communication

Supplefeet has just hosted a seminar on surgery. It was very good, although I say it myself! We had great feedback and there was a real engagement from the delegates. Thanks to Steve Kriss and Grahame Mann for their contributions, very valuable.
Judith facilitated it for us and was, as always, an inspiration. She looked at communication and pointed out that the average time given to a patient by the medical profession to explain their problem is 23 seconds! We did some exercises just to drive home the point that listening is essential. Many clinical histories are to be found in the story of the complaint and taking the time to hear the story is so important.
When I worked in Chicago for the great Lowell Weil, he was excellent at this. He had a great deal to teach on approaching patients and making a difference to their care.

So I am off to the States tomorrow to join a conference on flatfeet. My new intent, after today, is to listen more!