This month’s blog highlights the importance of having your feet checked regularly by a Podiatrist and how easily we can pick up things that patients can miss. Patients regularly ask for ‘just a nail cut’. When you visit Podiatry Station we will never provide ‘just a nail cut’. The Podiatrist will do a visual check of your lower limbs and feet, looking for any issues or signs of concern. This might not be evident at the appointment, as this is usually done whilst the patient is getting comfortable on the chair. With years of experience and continuous professional development (CPD) we know what we are looking for and can recognise problems immediately before it is too late.
An example of this is the case of a 90-year-old male patient who attended Podiatry Station routine foot care, as could no longer bend down far enough to maintain his feet. During the assessment a small superficial, what looked like a wound, was found on his foot. The patient was unaware of how long this had been there and as it was not causing him any trouble, he was not concerned about treating it. However, given the size, shape and inward indentation of this lesion it was very clear to the Podiatrist that this was not just a common wound or a skin lesion.
Unfortunately, it was something more serious which needed urgent further investigation. Upon the Podiatrist’s request the patient went to see his GP who diagnosed a Basal Cell Carcinoma (skin Cancer). The lesion was removed shortly afterwards resulting in minimal pain and disruption to the patient’s quality of life.
Although Podiatrists are not skin specialists, we are trained to assess and diagnosis several skin conditions. More importantly we are trained to recognise serious conditions such as skin Cancer, and push for immediate intervention.
This case study identifies the importance for patients to always be seen by qualified and experienced health professionals. At Podiatry Station, we offer our patients the utmost care with great professionalism. We put you first, and work to exceed the patients experience by providing a high standard of service in footcare.
