hiya! how do you care for your feet, especially nail cutting?

[hazmatrec]

hiya. still running with the bulls. 🐃🏃‍♀️🦓with the hip pain this sharp and not yet helped by medicine, i can't reach my toes long enough to get my nails cut right and make sure there aren't corner swords and all that kinda stuff. also, it's been so long since I've been able, and my feet don't feel anything, i haven't noticed my nails getting long; they've just been breaking off and cutting my Raynaud's suffering toes to ribbons.

what do you do to care for your feet?

all tips gratefully received. I'm at a loss!

[SheffieldJane]

A Chiropodist will give you a lovely cut and file. My husband used to oblige but he hurt me - so I sacked him. Or if you want to be fancy a nail place will give you a pedicure. I can actually get down there now with good quality nail clippers - so that changes - soak them first.

[Koalajane in reply to SheffieldJane]

I had to sack my husband too!

[hazmatrec in reply to SheffieldJane]

heh! my husband won't go near. will a chiropodist be able to take care of ingrown and overgrown nails? I've only ever cut my own nails. I'm not a particularly fancy person 🧟, and not a nail polish wearer, hands or feet .

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to hazmatrec]

That is their purpose if you go to a proper chiropodist/podiatrist - not a cosmetic foot place. Just different terms for the same thing really.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Chiropodist/podiatrist.

[hazmatrec in reply to DorsetLady]

eep! what do you know about the difference between the two?

[SheffieldJane in reply to hazmatrec]

I bought expensive, professional standard nail clippers. A Podiatrist and a Chiropodist are the same thing with Podiatrist being the more modern title. I just looked it up. You could ring one and see if they can help. I had an excellent one who treated my nail fungus once and cleared it, I had been treating my feet, mistakenly, for psoriasis for a very long time, she took a scraping and analysed it.

[hazmatrec in reply to SheffieldJane]

i was ready to go after the horrible mess that is now my toes. got the special toe scissors and proper strong clippers, but the pain in my hips... i can't stay in a position of hands to feet long enough to stay calm and do right!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to hazmatrec]

Not a lot! -see this -[ not my words] but sure some may disagree ….. just make sure they know what they are doing…

‘Summary:

1. Chiropodist is the term preferred by the British, and the Americans use podiatrist.

2. Originally, chiropodist was the preferred term used to describe foot care. Since the 1950s the term podiatry has gained currency in most parts of the world.

3. In the UK Chiropody is thought of as involving routine foot care, whereas podiatry involves more skill and higher education.

4. In the US, a podiatrist denotes a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, who is qualified by his education and training to diagnose and treat malaises related to the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg. The first association of chiropodists in North America was established in 1895, while the first school of chiropody in North America began in New York in 1912.

5. Since the early 1960s US trained chiropodists based in Ontario took the lead from their US counterparts and began to refer to themselves as podiatrist thus lending the term international support and fame’.

My late hubby had diabetes so he had one for long time, she still comes to me now - probably don’t need her now hip and knee replaced and off steroids - which did cause issues with ingrown toenail. But as lost sight in one eye due to GCA -probably safest…..✂️🤣😂

[hazmatrec in reply to DorsetLady]

heh. my toe stabbing has been unsuccessful! pain flinches and muscle twitches have made ribbons wider. i have enjoyed soaking my feet in the warm tho. cold toes this winter! 🦶❄️♨️🤩

[piglette]

I have someone who calls herself a foot practitioner who comes to the house every couple of months and cuts my toe nails and pampers my feet. My next door neighbour has taken her on now too.

[hazmatrec in reply to piglette]

ooh! that's intriguing. how did that start, if it's not being too nosy? iocp.org.uk/colleges/what-i...

[piglette in reply to hazmatrec]

The lady worked for British Airways and was made redundant. She was given a pay off and decided to become a ‘foot practitioner’. I think she did some courses and bought some rather impressive foot equipment with the payoff. I saw her advert on Next Door and she came along and it was a wonderful relationship.

[hazmatrec in reply to piglette]

thank you for that. heh also interesting, how careers change!now off to look up this 'nextdoor' of which you speak. oh my, very interesting also.

i learn things useful and interesting every time i pipe up. thank you folks so much.

warm regards,

cath

[piglette in reply to hazmatrec]

You could always go to a beautician and have your nails both cut and coloured!

[Telian in reply to piglette]

They used to be called footcare assistant’s - they only cut and file the nails. Is she self employed?

[piglette in reply to Telian]

Yes she is self employed, she set up after British Airways just cutting nails, which us what I wanted. She has now been to several courses and is extending her repertoire! She us mad keen on collecting gadgets, lights on her head, special foot rests, machine to check pulse etc etc. When she comes to me you would have thought she was going on holiday.

[Telian in reply to piglette]

Haha - all very good for her and the patient. The foot care assistants were all made redundant, many years ago now, due to NHS funding shortage. They mostly went out on their own as there was a call for it. The patients who didn’t qualify for treatment on the NHS transferred over to the girls. Worked out well for many.

[piglette in reply to Telian]

I know my father was in hospital and I wanted to get his toe nails. I was told he did not have diabetes so tough, I said I was happy to pay and was told they would not allow anyone into the hospital to do it due to Health and Safety!

[Telian in reply to piglette]

What can you say!

[piglette in reply to Telian]

I suppose you either shrug or put your head in your hands.

[Sharitone]

My sister was a chiropodist and dealt with my son's ingrown toenail in minutes.

Seeing as you have Raynaud's, it may be worth seeing if you can get free podiatry on NHS in your area

healthcentre.org.uk/podiatr...

[Rugger]

Why not ask your GP if you could see the Podiatrist that attends the Practice? Our Practice has one, as I sometimes sit outside the door when waiting for blood test etc! If you show "the horrible mess" to your GP I'm sure they'll refer you! 👣 🌷

[hazmatrec in reply to Rugger]

that might just be the thing. I've been spread out over the practice a bit by my gp (i am extremely lucky that one gp is willing to check in with me regularly) already as they help me stay afloat whilst referrals etc get handled and sorted or not. social prescribing, check in with the women's health team, just recently. i don't think i could take another actual referral. at least i could get an assessment that way, huh? thank you! 🦶🏳️☠️👷🚧⛏️

[autumnlass]

I go to podiatrist who does freelance at GP practices in the area. I prefer them as they are professional and hygienic! I’ve had two nail fungus since visiting beauticians who do pedicures, so steer well clear of them!

It’s a lovely feeling when walking out of their rooms! Like walking on air! 🥰. Enjoy!

[hazmatrec]

thank you lovely folks for your help and support here! i think i have a plan. tomorrow is my phone consult with the gp. I've put 'feet' on my list of acute issues. acute mostly means new. but it's a start, and hopeful! I'll ask about the in house podiatrist, and see what's possible. looks like Newcastle mostly works clinic based for the non diabetic, altho there is rheumy support too. if there isn't assistance available (i think there is, but...), my pip comes Thursday, and it seems worth it to hunt up a podiatrist to fill the need not met if that's the case. I've been seeing health psychology for almost twelve years now. it has taken this long for me not to feel completely horrible when i ask for help and advice. i feel guilty for being broken and want to fix all these things myself. but i just can't, can i. I've done a lot in spite of , but i don't know that i helped myself. every positive move like this encourages me to do more of what i can do and assess well when i do need help. thank you all for that side of things, too.

kind regards, cath