When a Wart Makes Every Step Hurt
Wart care from registered chiropodists in Stayner since 2014, for kids, teens and adults.
A plantar wart often starts as a small rough spot on the bottom of your foot. Before long it can feel like a pebble in your shoe, and walking, running or standing at work gets sore. You may also notice new spots showing up nearby.
Maybe you've already tried drugstore pads or a freezing kit, and the wart came back. That happens a lot. Warts are caused by a virus, so they can be stubborn, and they don't all respond to the same treatment.
Warts are one of the most common things we treat at Stayner Foot Clinic, especially in kids. Owner Jannel Somerville has practised as a chiropodist in Stayner since 2014. Will Stewart, BA (Hons), D.Ch., grew up in Collingwood and graduated with distinction from the chiropody program at the Michener Institute. Both are registered chiropodists in Ontario.
What Plantar Warts Are and Why They Spread
A common skin infection on the soles of the feet, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Plantar warts form when HPV gets into the skin through tiny cuts or cracks on the bottom of your foot. Because you stand on them, they get pushed inward and covered with hard skin. That pressure is why a wart on your foot can be painful.
The virus spreads easily in warm, damp places like pool decks, locker rooms and shared showers. That's part of why we see so many kids and athletes with warts. A spot may be a wart if it has tiny black dots in it, hurts when you squeeze it from the sides, or interrupts the normal skin lines of your foot.
Some spots that look like warts turn out to be corns or calluses, which need different care. If you're not sure what you're dealing with, a chiropodist can take a look. You can also read about our corn and callus treatment.
How Our Chiropodists Treat Warts
We start with the gentlest option that makes sense and step up only if the wart doesn't respond.
Your visit starts with a look at the wart, how long it's been there and what you've already tried. From there, your chiropodist walks you through the options:
- Debridement and topical treatment. The hard skin over the wart is gently pared down so a topical treatment can reach it. This is where most wart care begins.
- Needling. For warts that haven't responded, the area is numbed and the wart is punctured with a fine needle. The aim is to prompt your body's own immune response to the virus.
- Excision. For some stubborn warts, the wart tissue is removed in the clinic.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
A Close Look First
A Plan You Understand
Follow-Ups as Needed
Back to Bare Feet, Skates and Sneakers
Realistic goals, set with you and adjusted visit by visit.
Every wart behaves differently. One might clear after two treatments while another needs twenty, so we never promise a timeline. What we can do is build a plan with you, check in at every visit and change course if a treatment isn't working.
Goals we often work toward together include walking and standing with less pain, getting back to the pool, rink or gym, and lowering the chance of the wart spreading to other toes or family members. When the patient is a child, your chiropodist explains each step to both of you.
A few habits help between visits: wear sandals in shared showers and change rooms, keep your feet dry, and try not to pick at the wart. If you play hockey, skate or run, our sports foot care page covers other common foot problems for athletes.
Chiropody
Chiropody is defined from the College of Chiropodist of Ontario as, “ the assessment and treatment of the foot by therapeutic, orthotic or other palliative means”. Chiropodists are regulated health professionals that specialize in treating conditions of the foot.
The scope of practice for Chiropodists allows them to treat skin conditions, nail conditions, subcutaneous lesions, and manage bony and biomechanical deformities.
Plantar Wart Treatment FAQs
No. You can book directly with Stayner Foot Clinic. Some extended health plans ask for a doctor's note before they reimburse, so it's worth checking your plan.
It depends on the wart. Because warts are caused by a virus, some clear in two treatments and others need many more. Your chiropodist reviews progress at every visit and adjusts the plan.
Yes. Kids are some of our most common wart visits. Your chiropodist will explain each step to you and your child and pick an option that suits their age and the wart.
Coverage depends on your plan. Many extended health plans include chiropody, so check with your provider about what's covered and what they need from you to submit a claim.
Over-the-counter products work for some people. If a wart is painful, spreading or keeps coming back, have a chiropodist look at it. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, book a visit before treating any spot on your foot yourself. Our diabetes foot care page has more on why.
Book Plantar Wart Treatment in Stayner
Choose Jannel or Will and a time that works for you online.
If a wart is making walking, sport or school uncomfortable, a chiropodist can help you work out the next step. Stayner Foot Clinic has cared for feet in Stayner, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and Clearview since 2014, and you don't need a referral to book.
