Theres no age limit when it comes to foot care.
Looking after your feet could be one of the most important things you do in your self-care routine, as remember they will carry you for your whole life.
I have worked in healthcare now for 17 years, the last eleven being qualified as a HCPC registered Operating Department Practitioner(ODP) and more recently the last 18months as a Foot Health Professional (FHP). Working as an ODP I am trained in scrub, anaesthetics and recovery but particularly enjoying scrub. I can scrub for a vast range of procedures in specialities such as obstetrics, gynaecology, colorectal to name a few and have even been involved with the organ retrieval teams. I have always had a passion for health care, I am compassionate, dynamic and an experienced health care professional.
During my time in theatre when a patient came for surgery I was always very observant of their feet. A persons feet can tell you a lot about their health, self care habits, hygiene knowledge, and that's young or old! Noticing how many people generally had poor foot care, I decided to retrain and qualified as a Foot Health Professional (FHP) in 2021. I reduced my hours as an ODP so I could work in private practice along side a well established surgical chiropodist of 26 years. The general misconception of seeing a podiatrist, chiropodist or FHP is “It’s only for old people!” is just so wrong. Whilst 60% of my client list are aged over 50 the other 40% is a mix of ages, with my youngest patient being 3years old! With the pressures increasing on the NHS I really want to change the way we care for our feet, whatever the age before it gets to the point of needing NHS interventions.
“ I really want to
change the way we
care for our feet ”
Looking after your feet and treating common problems early can prevent conditions worsening, which may lead to medical intervention.
Foot care problems occur from any age and left untreated can make patient’s feel sore and uncomfortable. I find people come into clinic feeling embarrassed, as many patients have issues with their feet being touched or looked at. This means the patient will likely avoid physical activity that could exacerbate the issue. For example I have many female patients that have high BMIs between ages 20-40 with particularly thick heel callus that crack, can bleed and are extremely uncomfortable for them. This impacts on their confidence in starting exercise. If their weight has been an issue for some time it starts to result in muscle weakness, and they can start a vicious cycle, heading towards becoming high risk from diabetes and heart disease. These issues effect the individuals social opportunities and are less likely to participate in exercise activities.
Another issue on the rise is diabetes. Diabetic patients should have regular access to foot care and advice as they are at risk to complications. Diabetes leads to poor circulation due to high blood sugars and nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy). Diabetics with poor foot care are also likely to have more infections as their ability to heal decreases due to the circulation issues. We have seen through research type 2 diabetes is increasing and effecting the younger population now not just the old, BUT it can be reversible through diet, nutrition and exercise. Hope is not lost. As a professional member of Diabetes Uk I can use my clinical knowledge to offer advice.
Having access to regular foot care will mean many of the above issues can be treated and managed by a foot health professional. Regular foot care will identify possible health conditions and support long term foot health.
Being able to provide a free foot health work shops within a gym setting will be an exciting and worthwhile opportunity. I will be able to provide a range of services as listed above for common conditions. Children with verrucas, ladies with thick split callus, men suffering with athletes foot and fungal infections or teenage chaps with ingrown toe nails due to sport trauma- things I see regularly in clinic but get left so long end up needing GP appointments etc. But these are very manageable complaints. I will also to be able to give advice on foot wear, sports injurys, diet and nutrition and lifestyle choices. There needs to be a positive push on lifestyle choices and self care to look towards a healthier future. This can start from the feet up!
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