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7 | Friday, May 8, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com May is FOOT HEALTH MONTH ASK YOuR CHIROPODIST: W e are a newly formed med omised organization, compromised e specialists in Oakville Oakville. of foot care Our goal is to provide ovide readers with helpful tips and timely information on foot-related topics for optimum foot health. The more you know, the healthier your feet will be! What is a Chiropodist? Chiropodists and Podiatrists have the same scope of practice in Ontario. The Province of Ontario enacted legislation to standardize foot care and its practitioners, regardless of where practitioners received their training. All new foot care specialists (i.e. post 1993), follow the same regulations and scopes of practice as defined by the Ontario College of Chiropody. As a result, the patient is now assured that they will receive the same level of care regardless of whether the foot care specialist was trained in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia. There are roughly 540 practicing Chiropodists and 65 Podiatrists in Ontario. The majority of these foot care specialists are located in the Golden Horseshoe area. Ask Your Chiropodist: Is foot care covered by OHIP? Chiropody fees are covered by many Extended Health Insurance plans offered by employers; however services are not covered by OHIP. This What is a Chiropodist? The term chiropodist [ker-rah-po-dist], is used to define a primary health care provider who treats foot and ankle disorders. Only those licensed by the Ontario College of Chiropody may call themselves Chiropodists. A Chiropodist is the only licensed health care provider who has received extensive training in Canada, to meet the foot care needs of Canadians. The Ontario government recognizes both chiropody and podiatry as designations for foot care specialists. is similar to services provided by other health care professionals such as Dentists, Registered Massage Therapists, Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Chiropractors, to name a few. Programs such as ODSP and the department of veterans' affairs (DVA) and WSIB, often cover our services. Ask Your Chiropodist: What does a chiropodist do - and how can they help me? A Chiropodist is a specialist, trained to treat a variety of foot problems and foot related health issues, including skin and nail care, plantar warts, wound management, footwear advice, custom made orthotics, and surgical management. Skin and Nail Care One condition that is frequently encountered by foot specialists is thickened, discolored and misshapen toe nails. This condition is often a sign of fungal nail infection, similar to what causes Athlete's Foot. A fungal nail infection is chronic in nature, and will not typically resolve on its own. In fact, the longer the infection goes without treatment, the worse the nail becomes. If the infection is ignored, the nail will NEVER return to normal! Prompt treatment is the best defense against chronic nail infections! Plantar Warts (Verruca) A plantar wart is a small lesion that appears on the sole of the foot and typically resembles a cauliflower, with tiny black spots in the center. Pinpoint bleeding may occur when these are scratched, and they may be painful when standing or walking. Plantar warts are often similar to calluses or corns, but can be differentiated by close observation of skin striations. Plantar warts tend to be painful on application of pressure from either side of the lesion rather than direct pressure, unlike calluses (which tend to be painful on direct pressure instead). Diabetic Wound Management To date, there is no cure for diabetes and its complications, such as neuropathy (numbness) and poor blood circulation to the hands and feet. The end result can be ulceration, as illustrated in the photo, infection or possibly amputation. In fact, 50% of all lower extremity amputations are a result of diabetic related complications. To avoid these tragic consequences, it is imperative that diabetic patients receive proper foot care. We do not want you to become the next statistic! Custom Made Orthotics An orthotic is a prescribed medical device used to reduce complication associated with poor foot function. Typically this includes: heel pain, shin splints and ankle, knee or low back pain. An orthotic is custom made and is uniquely designed for a specific foot and no one else's. An orthotic is not the same as an over-the-counter arch support. Though many health care practitioners prescribe orthotics, only a Chiropodist has the training and expertise to evaluate the type of orthotic, if any, that is required. Surgical management (ingrown toenails, chronic infections) A variety of surgical options are available. Nail surgery is a common procedure, typically used for chronically infected, ingrown or excessively thickened toenails. The procedure is done in-office and typically takes 40-45 minutes. The patient is able to immediately walk after the procedure, with minimal postsurgery discomfort. Healing times vary depending on the individual patient as well as the procedure, but typically the nail bed is completely healed in 4 weeks Footwear Buying and wearing proper shoes is the best thing you can do for your feet. A good pair of shoes can relieve many foot related symptoms, such as heel pain, shin splints, corns, callouses and even low back pain. However, choosing the right shoe can be frustrating. Here are some quick facts to keep in mind: a) no shoes will make you run faster or jump further; b) an expensive shoe is not necessarily a good shoe, and; c) always buy your shoes at the end of the day when your feet may be slightly swollen. Talk to a licensed Chiropodist about putting healthy feet forward today! Chiropodists MeMbers of oakville foot Care assoCiation Elisabeth Hibbert B.Sc., D.Ch. 208-435 Reynolds Street (at Cornwall Road) Oakville L6J 3M4 oakvillefootclinic@bellnet.ca Vanessa Pontet B.Sc(Hon) D.Ch. 15-250 Wyecroft Road (at Dorval Drive) Oakville L6K 3T7 J. Richard Werkman D.Ch., B.Sc., Podiatric Medicine 33-1495 Cornwall Road (at Maple Grove Road) Oakville L6J 0B2 905.815.0971 905.844.9355 info@acornhealth.ca 905.845.4817 oakville@werkman.ca