An average day at LR Podiatry is… well, it’s always different! Podiatry is one of the most diverse areas of medicine. It incorporates applied biomechanics, movement analysis, knowledge of growth development and ageing, wound care, physiology and medicine, multisystem assessments, surgery, mechanical and physical therapies, functional anatomy and dermatology. For me, the best aspect of this job is being able to help make people feel better when they are in pain. As a podiatrist you have to be a people person, you have to be driven by compassion and care. Podiatry is a superpower; its diversity enables us to keep you on your feet and doing the things you love!
Our days usually start around 7.30am. We open up the clinic, set up for the day and very importantly, enjoy a coffee!! We generally have patients booked in from 8am until around 5.30pm and see on average about 11-12 patients a day (post lockdown!)
A large proportion of our patients come for core podiatry. This is a general foot MOT and includes: Foot pluses check, sensation checks, nail cutting and filing, corn and callous removal and other more bespoke treatments. How often patients come for an appointment varies on their lifestyle, medical history, age and general foot mechanics. We have patients that have core podiatry appointments every few weeks and some that come once or twice a year. Its sometimes said that the eyes are the window to the soul, well I believe that our feet are the window to our health. Core podiatry appointments can be imperative for the early diagnosis of potentially dangerous or life changing illnesses. For example, we take note of foot pluses and check for their strength and regularity, this gives us a very clear picture of your cardiovascular health and can help highlight any cause for concern.
Around 50% of our daily patients are core podiatry. So in between a spot of lunch, a DPD delivery, inputting treatment notes and a few more coffees!! The other 50% is made up of new patients, verruca treatments, nail surgeries, fungal nail treatments, redressing’s and MSK. It is always a pleasure to welcome a new patient to our practice. We understand it can be daunting to have an appointment at a new clinic, especially when you are in pain. Please rest assured that our aim is to help you feel as comfortable as possible and improve if not resolve your problem as efficiently as we can. New patients require a slightly longer appointment, we like to be able to take our time, so you are as relaxed as possible. It is also important that we get to know your medical history thoroughly as this enables us to provide you with the best treatment plan available.
To maintain HCPC registration and continue to work at the top of my licence its important that I continue to learn. I regularly attend courses to develop my continued education of all aspects of podiatry. Providing well researched, evidence-based treatments help us give patients the best care. Since Covid-19 many of these courses are now available online, this has been fantastic for me to make the most of while in the comfort of my clinic.
As 6pm rolls around we are getting to the end of treating the last patient of the day. After this we will clean the surgery and welcome area before leaving for the day. Off home for dinner with family, dog walking and listening to a great audio book!
