How Do I Treat Verruca?

Verrucae are notoriously difficult to treat, and if you are reading this article, it is likely you know this oh too well. Having spent months, even years trying a wide spectrum of treatments, for which you have invested a significant amount of money and time you are still experiencing pain and discomfort. 

Thankfully at The Foot Company we have a new treatment which provides a solution -

To help you make an informed choice for your next treatment method, we need to focus on what causes verrucas, and why they are so stubborn.

What causes a verruca?

Verruca and warts are caused by the very common HPV (Human papillomavirus) virus. Spontaneous resolution and response to treatment depends on many variables, including age, length of time the verruca has been present, where the wart is on the body, and the type of HPV.

As the virus is active in the upper layers of the skin, which has limited blood flow, it can reproduce and spread, undetected by the body’s immune system.

Why treat verruca?

There is clinical evidence that shows the longer the infection has persisted, the poorer the cure rate. Verruca that present on the feet, in particular, are difficult to resolve. The statistics tell us that 42% of verruca will disappear within 6 months, but if the condition persists for longer than 6 months, the virus's chances of clearing up without treatment drops to just 8%.

While warts and verruca are not life-threatening, they do cause pain that can limit activities, and they can spread across the hands, feet, and to other areas of the body. This leaves the many long-standing sufferers in the UK with limited options.

Treatment methods 

Cell Destruction 

Historically most treatment methods attack the virus by causing cell destruction through burning or freezing, such as acid, cryotherapy and laser. The treatments begin at the surface and continue until sufficient depth is reached – causing blistering, lasting pain, and risking scarring. From a clinical research perspective, all of these methods show low efficacy in clinical studies and trials.

Immune Response

The key to effectively treating verruca is to trigger the body’s own immune response, rather than simply destroying the infected tissue. Treatment methods include Needling technique which pushes the virus cells into the bloodstream, unmasking it to the body’s immune system. This technique requires local anaesthetic, and it creates a wound, that requires frequent redressing and aftercare. 

Swift- making waves

Swift verruca treatment, utilises microwaves to stimulate an immune response. Independent clinical research has shown that microwave verruca treatment with Swift activates immune signalling pathways in the body, alerting the immune system to the verruca's presence and clearing the infected tissue.

The treatment is expeditious, causing no break down of tissue and therefore, no aftercare is required, meaning patients can carry on with every aspect of daily life between treatments. 

To book your treatment with The Foot Company, click here.

No quick fix 

There are many variants which impact how long the treatment will be such as age, overall health and how long you have had the verruca. Ultimately for most people there is no quick fix and treatment times will be on average 12-16 weeks so it is key to choose a treatment method which you are going to be able to persevere with and which does not impede your day to day life.

If you’re suffering from a verruca or a corn, or just need some help and advice on verruca treatment and other foot health issues, contact us today.

Last Updated: September 2021