Foot health guide
Find out what is going on with your foot
Point to where it hurts and we will tell you what it most often is, what helps before your visit, and when you should not wait.
Call us today if any of these are true
Most foot pain can wait for a regular appointment. These cannot. If one of these describes you, call the nearest office now rather than sending a request.
- You have diabetes and any open sore, blister, cut or dark patch on your foot, even a small one and even if it does not hurt.
- Spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, a bad smell, red streaks running up the leg, or a fever.
- Your foot or toes have turned pale, blue or grey, feel cold, or have gone suddenly numb.
- You cannot put weight on the foot at all after an injury, or the foot or ankle looks out of shape.
- Pain that is severe, sudden and unlike anything you have had before.
If you cannot reach us and the foot is cold, blue or numb, or you have a fever with a foot wound, go to an emergency room. Do not wait.
Find out what is going on with your foot
Where does it hurt?
Choose the part of your foot. We will show you what it is most often, and what helps before your visit.
Skin, nails and circulation can affect any part of the foot.
Choose the part of your foot. We will show you what it is most often, and what helps before your visit.
Not sure, or it is somewhere elseDiabetic foot care
The daily check, if you have diabetes
Diabetes can reduce feeling in the feet, so an injury can go unnoticed long enough to become serious. A one-minute look each day is the single most effective thing you can do, and it is why we treat diabetic foot care as its own specialty.
- Look at the top, the sole, the heel and between every toe. Use a mirror on the floor or ask someone if you cannot see the bottom.
- You are looking for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, dark patches, or anything warm to the touch.
- Wash and dry carefully, especially between the toes. Moisturise the skin but never between the toes.
- Shake out your shoes before putting them on, and never walk barefoot, indoors or out.
- Call us the same day you find anything new. Do not wait to see if it clears up.
Adds a daily reminder to your own phone, with these steps in the notes. It is set on your device only — we are not told that you added it.
Never do these at home
- Cutting corns or calluses with any blade
- Over-the-counter acid wart or corn removers
- Heating pads, hot water bottles or soaking in hot water
- Digging out the corner of an ingrown nail
We treat diabetic foot and wound care as a specialty, and our offices test circulation on site.
Shoes, socks and everyday habits
Buy shoes at the end of the day
Feet swell as the day goes on. A shoe fitted in the morning can be a size too small by evening.
Measure both feet, every time
Most people have one foot larger than the other, and foot size keeps changing into later life. Fit the larger foot.
A thumb's width at the end
There should be room between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, and the shoe should bend where your foot bends, not in the middle.
Replace shoes before they look worn out
Cushioning and support give out well before the upper does. Uneven wear on the sole is a sign worth showing us.
Socks matter more than people think
Seamless, cushioned socks that wick moisture reduce blisters and fungal problems. Change them during the day if your feet sweat.
Cut nails straight across
Following the curve down at the corners is what starts most ingrown nails. Leave the corners alone.
Still not sure what you are dealing with?
That is normal. Many foot problems look alike from the outside. Describing it to us is enough to get started, and the examination does the rest.
This library is general information to help you describe what you are feeling, not a diagnosis. Many foot problems look alike from the outside and are told apart by examination. If something here sounds like you, that is a good reason to be seen.