Home Visits (Domiciliary)

We understand that our patients may be unable to travel to the clinic, that’s why we are providing our patients with our services at home, 6 days a week. We focus on Blandford and the surrounding areas, usually within 10mile radius, but we are able to travel further upon request. We are also happy to visit both Nursing and residential homes if required.

A home visit appointment will last around 30 minutes where a full assessment and treatment will be undertaken. A full medical history is required. We will also need any information on specific problems prior to our visit so that we can bring the appropriate equipment to suit the needs of the patient.

Please contact the clinic on 01258452451 if you are interested in a domiciliary visit and also if you are unsure if we are able to provide our service in your area.

Verruca Treatment

Antifungal Nail Treatment Path

(Before undertaking this treatment you will need an appointment with the Chiropodist/Podiatrist to assess your nails)

Regular Antifungal solutions applied to the nail cannot penetrate the nail easily. In this circumstance we are providing our patients a treatment which produces micro holes through the nail, to allow Antifungal medication to reach the directly to the infection. This is a painless procedure lasting approximately 30 minutes that will not damage the nail bed. Antifungal solution will then be provided for you alongside a check up on the progress after 2-3 weeks and then on to ensure the treatment has been successful. A visible improvement will usually be seen in the nail in just 2-8 weeks.

Please enquire in the surgery if you are interested in this treatment path as we have leaflets and more information to hand.

Nail Cutting and Care Service

Our foot health care practitioner is now providing a reduced fee dedicated nail cutting and care service, for those who are looking for their nails to be cared for safely and to leave in comfort. Our nail cutting service includes the removal of ingrown nails, reducing thickened nails, with a moisturise and a foot health check included.

This service can benefit those who are finding it difficult to reach their toe nails, with all the health and safety provided.

Please enquire for this service if you are diabetic and also upon the request of finger nail cutting.

Muscular Skeletal Assessment

Biomechanical Assesments with provison of insoles and orthotics

Diabetic Foot Screen service

We have always provided monitoring of those with diabetes, but are now offering a more comprehensive 30-minute examination for those who wish to take advantage of it.  This would be recommended once a year with results being comparable each year with the previous year and so provide data on measurable changes.

Tests include:

1. Checking the circulatory status of legs and feet using vascular Doppler equipment.
2. Use of the Rydel Seiffer tuning fork to provide a reliable and repeatable assessment of vibration perception in feet.
3. Infra-red non-touch thermometer to measure skin temperature and determine any temperature differences between feet.
4. 10g Monofilament test to provide measurable and comparable information regarding sensation in the feet.

Written results of these tests, plus further information on status of the feet will be provided to the patient and/or sent to the patient’s GP.  Tests will be completed and written up during a 30 minute appointment, the cost of which is the same as our standard chiropody/podiatry appointment fee.

Foot Mobilisation at Blandford Chiropody Surgery

What is Foot Mobilisation?  It is a treatment that improves mobility of joints by encouraging them around their range of motion.  The muscles are also stretched which this also helps circulation in legs and feet.  Foot mobilisation has two components:

1. Manipulation of foot and ankle joints, firstly to assess then increase their range of motion.  This means adjacent bones are gently moved against each other to improve their configuration and encourage movement in ligaments that connect them.
2. Work to assess and lengthen (and so improve function of) muscles that act on the area under treatment.

Who may benefit from it?  Those with stiff or painful feet and ankles.   Injuries such as sprained ankles can cause long-lasting pain and loss of flexibility.  The longer a joint is kept immobile eg. following injury or surgery, the more restricted the joint may become because of collagen links that very quickly start to build up.  Although this stiffening process starts promptly after an injury such as a sprained ankle, it may also develop gradually in those with eg. osteo arthritis.  So while some may have noticed joint stiffness for a few weeks or months, others may have been living with it for decades.  In either case, joint mobilisation can be effective and liberating.

Are there contra-indications?  Those with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid this treatment. Those with hypermobile joints (i.e. overly-flexible joints) have to be treated with care to avoid rendering the joints yet more mobile, although by working on adjacent areas of the lower limb the original cause of the excess mobility may be assisted. Restriction or pain caused by osteo-arthritis may be actively helped by this form of treatment.

What happens during a Foot Mobilisation treatment?  Details are first entered on a record card.  Motion of joints of the feet and ankles are then compared and restricted joints worked upon to help increase their range of motion.  This is gentle but effective and does not push the joints beyond motion they would routinely achieve in day to day activities. Depending on where pain has been a problem, specific foot and leg muscles are selected and their ‘trigger points’ located and a type of massage used to reduce them.

So what is a Trigger Point?  A trigger point (TrP) is a ‘malfunction’ at the point in a muscle at which the nerve that causes that muscle to contract, enters the muscle.  Ideally, at this specific point, the muscle fibres lie flat and parallel to each other.  Often however, due to injury or overuse such muscle fibres can contract and stiffen into a little ball.  This prevents the muscle working as it should which in turn triggers other adjacent structures to have to compensate – causing further problems in a chain reaction.  This means a person may have many TrP’s in different muscles or different areas of the same muscle.  TrP’s are thought to contribute to conditions that cause painful areas in all parts of the body including the feet.  The good news is that they can be ‘smoothed out’ by a gentle but firm– and quite brief – ‘stroking’ pressure that encourages the muscle fibres to return to their original flat and parallel configuration.  Pressure on TrP’s can initially feel slightly painful, though the therapist will reduce pressure to an acceptable level which nonetheless is therapeutically effective.  Interraction between patient and therapist during treatment is encouraged to ensure appropriate pressure is applied.

How many treatments may I require?  Each person is assessed individually in this respect.  There will be no pressure to book further treatments, or any more than a person needs.  For a few people a single treatment will provide effective relief from their symptoms for quite some time.  In general however, most people with joint restriction or painful feet will benefit from undertaking a course of about six treatment initially, with a gap of a few  days between. Patients will also be given techniques to help themselves between appointments, making treatment a co-operative endeavour.  After that time periodic treatment may be all that is required to maintain a new-found level of comfort. Due to the fact that for many people it is their habitual movements and/or posture that have caused their pain or stiffness, the joint restriction and TrP’s are likely to return over time.  The good news is that foot mobilisation is available to help them!

You are welcome to contact us to discuss whether this therapy may be appropriate and helpful to you.