by Murray Rose, Surrey, British Columbia
A common PRP symptom we share is that the skin on the soles of our feet thickens and cracks. These fissures make walking or standing difficult — if not impossible. I experienced both to some degree, not as bad as some I’ve seen, but not as good as others either.
Many times people go to a podiatrist to get their feet attended to. To treat my feet I had a foot care nurse come to my home once a month. She was very experienced, knowledgeable and had an array of tools to do the required treatment. She was oh, so helpful. I continued my treatments for about six months until my feet and legs were not bothering me.
What is the difference between a podiatrist and a foot care nurse?
During my acute stage an office visit to my podiatrist was not an option. I took advantage of home service during my acute stage — at the time when the idea of having to visit a podiatrist’s office seemed overbearing. Being able to have somebody come to my house was so convenient.
Price is another. Our private insurance plan paid for my foot care nurse.
You can check with your insurance provider on that point.
Time spent treating you. Usually podiatrists visits are roughly 7-15 minutes, whereas my foot care nurse would spend about an hour.
On the other hand, a podiatrist can do so much more than a foot care nurse. For example a podiatrist can
Thankfully I didn’t need any of those.
I am not trying to say don’t use a podiatrist, just that, IMHO, a foot care nurse is worth considering.
My foot care nurse, Jaqueline Barnett, RN, FCN, MA is a member of the Canadian Association of Foot Care Nurses.
