With a great deal of uncertainty about where we can and can’t travel this winter, there’s one place that many families are excited about heading to – their snow trip! While there’s a lot of information out there on how to best prepare your body for the ski season to help minimise your risk of injury – today we’re sharing one secret weapon our patients are loving that’s helping them to not only move better on the slopes but look and feel great too: pre-ski medical pedicures.

How do medical pedicures help prepare feet for the slopes?

There are a few common pains that our patients experience from the slopes that medical pedicures can help improve or prevent altogether – and the difference can make or break your ski experience. These include:

Trimming and thinning toenails

Bruised, bleeding toenails are something that many skiers and snowboarders have experienced – and often it’s from something as simple as leaving their toenails that little bit too long so they spend the day pushing against the ends or tops of the boots if they’re thick. It seems simple – but given the number of changes nails undergo with age, they can become extremely tough to cut, difficult to reach, and seemingly impossible to thin. By safely and effectively trimming toenails, reducing their thickness and smoothing them during your medical pedicure, you can avoid this bleeding and bruising – and the pain that goes with it. 

Removing corns

Corns are small, hard areas of callus that protrude into the foot and can feel like walking on small pebbles. They develop from areas of rubbing and friction in everyday life – often from shoes. They tend to appear on the heels, the ball of the foot, and around the toes.  When paired with tight ski or snowboarding boots, corns can become incredibly painful, and further rubbing against the corns can quickly make them worse. We’re able to remove corns entirely, leaving you without any pain or problems in your boots.

Reducing callus and cracked heels

Much like corns, callus develops in response to rubbing and pressure, but in larger areas on the surface of the skin. Callus can take up a lot of extra space in properly fitted boots, quickly making them uncomfortable. When callus builds up thickly and dries out, cracks can form, often in the heels. This can become very painful for snowboarders that spend half their time on their heels. If the cracks are deep, they can also crack the healthy skin beneath, causing bleeding.

Preventing itchy feet from Athlete’s foot

Ski boots create the perfect conditions for fungus to grow and thrive – they’re moist from the perspiration of your feet, enclosed and dark. These conditions can amp up your fungal infection and leave your feet feeling itchy and uncomfortable on the slopes. During your medical pedicure, we’ll provide you with information about your Athlete’s foot infection and team you with the right products to help manage it, so you can focus on your ski trip, not your itchy feet!

More than medical pedicures…

While medical pedicures are a favourite with our patients, there are more ways that we work with our patients to help them on the slopes, including: 

• Checking the size and fit of your ski boots
• Making custom slimline orthotics for your ski boots
• Conducting comprehensive biomechanical assessments to improve your comfort and performance and minimise your pain on the slopes

Read how we help with all of these here.

Ready to have the best season yet?

If you’re planning to hit the slopes, we recommend booking your medical pedicure within three or so weeks before you leave. To make your appointment, call us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.