Wart assessment and treatment at Brisbane Foot & Orthotics
Over-the-counter products may not succeed in removing a painful wart on your foot. Our podiatrists debride the area, then tackle persistent warts with salicylic acid treatment and wart needling where clinically appropriate.
Warts are small skin growths caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). When they develop on the bottom of your foot, they’re called plantar warts or verrucae.
Plantar warts often appear on weight-bearing areas such as the heel, ball of the foot or toes, which is why they can feel painful when you stand, walk or run.
Some warts clear without treatment, but it can take a couple of years. In other cases, the immune system may stop recognising the wart as something it needs to fight. Tiny blood vessels grow into it, helping it to persist, and making it harder to shift without targeted treatment.
Common plantar wart symptoms include:
Plantar warts can look like corns, calluses or other skin lesions, so a foot clinic assessment is often the best starting point before choosing a wart removal treatment.
At Brisbane Foot & Orthotics, plantar wart treatment starts with a careful assessment. Your podiatrist will examine the lesion, determine whether it is a plantar wart, check the surrounding skin and ask about your symptoms, previous treatments, activity level and medical history.
From there, we consider the most appropriate treatment. There is no single best wart treatment for every person. Some options may be inappropriate if you have diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation, immune system concerns or a history of slow wound healing.
At Brisbane Foot & Orthotics, foot wart treatment may include:
Salicylic acid is a commonly used wart treatment. It works by softening and helping remove thickened skin cells from the wart when used consistently over several weeks. Podiatrists can use much higher concentrations than you can buy in the pharmacy.
If you’re having salicylic acid treatment for your wart, your podiatrist may:
Wart needling may be considered for persistent plantar warts that have not responded to chemical treatments.
This is a minor surgical procedure performed under local anaesthetic. Once the area is numb, your podiatrist repeatedly punctures the wart with a sterile needle. This microtrauma aims to encourage the immune system to recognise the human papillomavirus’s presence and begin to fight it.
Plantar warts can spread to other parts of your body or to other people. You can reduce the risk of that by:
Brisbane Foot & Orthotics provides plantar wart assessment and treatment across three Brisbane podiatry clinic locations:
If a painful wart is affecting school, sport, work or everyday walking, a clinical assessment is the right starting point.
Yes. You may hear the terms plantar wart, foot wart and verruca used interchangeably.
Some people use pharmacy treatments such as salicylic acid. However, if the wart is painful, spreading, persistent or you are unsure what it is, a podiatry assessment is recommended before continuing treatment.
The most suitable treatment depends on the wart’s size, depth, location, symptoms, previous treatments and your health history. Salicylic acid may be suitable for some people, while others may require more advanced treatments.
The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic. You may feel the injection briefly, but the area is numbed before needling begins. Tenderness after the procedure is expected and aftercare instructions are provided.
It can. No wart removal option can guarantee permanent clearance because warts are caused by HPV, which can recur. Your podiatrist can provide advice on foot health care and wart prevention to reduce the chance of spreading or recurrence.
No referral is required. You can book directly with Brisbane Foot & Orthotics.
