Greg Robinson & Ibraheem Podiatry

​A pedicure - whether you give it as a gift or get it for yourself - can feel like receiving a taste of luxury. It always pays to be cautious before you go to the salon or spa so that your trip doesn't end up being a regret.
 
Not all places operate the same, and some can engage in practices that can cause you to contract a fungal nail infection or another nasty problem.
 
A pedicure carried out by a 'medical professional' is always best. 
Barring that, however, 
here are some tips on what to look for regarding best pedicure practices:
 
• Are their tools sanitized? Make sure that the salon/spa correctly sanitizes all their metal instruments and uses clean/ disinfected tools for each customer.
Liquid disinfectants (Barbicide or similar) provide the best sanitation. The use of UV light for sanitation is sometimes permissible, but we don't recommend going anywhere that only uses that. 

• There's no need to be intimidated by bringing your own tools. Any non-metal tools are for one-customer use only. Always. If you have your own files and other equipment that you can sterilize at home, you should not feel awkward about bringing them in, asking that they be used. If not, the salon or spa may have a kit that will be used only on you.
 
• Make sure foot baths are clean. If a previous customer with an infection has used a foot bath and it’s not properly cleaned between customers, your risk of getting what they had rises significantly. Pipe less foot baths are best, and never opt for bubbles or jets. 

​Quite often, heel spurs are blamed for heel pain, and we think we know why.

When you have pain in your heel after getting up in the morning or just generally placing weight on your feet, it seems quite natural to think it’s probably due to a pointy, bony growth happening down there.

Although heel spurs can cause pain, they might not be the cause as often as many people think. In fact, a lot of us have heel spurs and don't know it!
 
Many heel spurs cause no pain whatsoever and go undiscovered until an X-ray or other imaging test reveals them — usually when another condition is being investigated!

Heel spurs do also tend to hang out with plantar fasciitis, the most frequent cause of heel pain.
 
Plantar fasciitis develops when the thick band of tissue that runs beneath each foot becomes overstretched or stressed, creating small tears and growing inflamed.
The same strains that can cause plantar fasciitis can also stimulate the calcium build-ups that form into heel spurs.

However, even if both issues are present, the heel spur might not be causing issues; it could completely be the plantar fasciitis.
 
If you have heel pain, don't assume that you have heel spurs.

Do be quick, however, to let us know about your problem.
​If you suffer from heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, or something else entirely, we can get to the cause of the issue and find you the relief you deserve.