Douglas Horne Podiatry Services

OK this is one for those who may have stubborn plantar warts ( verrucas)
there have been studies before on hypertonic salt solutions treating warts so this is not super new .
This is a safe and easy to do treatment .
The study has its issues but its worth a try .
So it is essentially 30 mins a day for 8 weeks in not hot super salty water with an 80%plus success rate .
the details and original article are below

Original article
this is from Science Direct .
Saturated saline immersion for the treatment of refractory plantar warts: An open-label, one-arm, single-center trial
Author links
Yinglin Xu BM a
,
Tingting Li MD a
,
Xinzheng Liang MD b
,
Siyuan Jia MD c
,
Li Wang BPharm d
,
Zhaohua Zhu PhD e
,
Lei Yu MD a
,
Tangde Zhang MD a

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2025.10.014
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Background
Treating plantar warts (PWs) presents a significant challenge due to frequent treatment failures and recurrences. Current therapeutic approaches, such as salicylic acid, cryotherapy, and laser treatment, are destructive. There is a lack of painless and noninvasive treatment options for PWs.
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of daily saturated saline immersion PWs over 6 months.
Methods
This single-arm clinical trial enrolled 17 participants with PWs and failed standard treatments, who underwent daily 30-minute saturated saline immersion for 8 weeks. Effectiveness and safety were assessed.
Results
After saturated saline immersion treatment, 98.3% of lesions (232/236) cleared, and 88.2% of participants (15/17) achieved complete remission (95% CI 63.3% to 97.4%) at week 8 compared to baseline. No recurrences occurred during the 6-month follow-up.
Limitations
Single-arm design lacking active comparators, limited long-term follow-up for durability assessment.
Conclusion
Daily saturated-salt-water immersion achieved high lesion- and patient-level clearance rates with painless and no short-term recurrence. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings.
Introduction
Plantar warts (PWs), medically termed verrucae plantaris, are benign cutaneous lesions caused by human papillomavirus infection.1, 2, 3 PWs are highly contagious and may spread through direct contact with the virus or exposure to contaminated surfaces.4 These lesions may cause localized pain or discomfort.5, 6, 7
PWs are notoriously challenging to treat due to their tendency to enlarge, spread, and recur under suboptimal management. Conventional therapies like corrosive agents, cryotherapy, and laser, despite their widespread use, are associated with significant drawbacks, including pain, bleeding, prolonged recovery, and high recurrence rates. Salicylic acid, a keratolytic agent widely used as a first-line treatment, has demonstrated cure rates ranging from 13.5% to 75%, and its efficacy significantly improves when combined with other acids, reaching cure rates between 52.5% and 80%.1,8, 9, 10 Cryotherapy achieves cure rates of 0% to 100% with a mean cure rate of 45.61%,1,9,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 although its efficacy is limited by recurrence rates of 12% to 46%,13,17,19,20 attributed to incomplete eradication of subclinical viral reservoirs. Laser therapy, particularly pulsed dye and CO2 lasers, offers superior cure rates of 53% to 96% with a mean cure rate of 79.36% and lower recurrence rates of 10.87% to 52%,18,20, 21, 22 making it a valuable option for recalcitrant warts. However, noninvasive, pain-free therapeutic modalities with durable remission in PW management have been rarely reported in the past.23,24 This clinical investigation aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of saturated saline immersion.
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Section snippets
Trial design
We conducted an open-label, one-arm, single-center clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of saturated saline immersion in treating refractory PW. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, with written informed consent obtained from all participants.
Participants
Participants were included if they were aged ≥12 years, had at least two PW that persisted for a minimum of 6 months, and had an inadequate response to more than 2 conventional therapeutic
Results
This study enrolled 17 participants (64.7% male; mean age 26 years ± 15.5) with recalcitrant PWs. The baseline demographic and disease characteristics are shown in Table I.
The participants exhibited a cumulative lesion burden of 236 PWs (mean: 13.9 ± 11.4 lesions per participant) and a mean number of 3.5 ± 2.7 therapeutic interventions, including laser therapy or cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen.
Wart clearance rate was observed in 179 of 236 warts (75.9%) at week 4 and 212 of 236 warts (98.3%,
Discussion
This pilot study found that PWs treated with saturated saline immersion can provide a low-cost, minimally invasive alternative with superior cosmetic outcomes and highlights the potential of physicochemical modulation as an antiviral strategy in dermatology. Additionally, this therapy eliminates procedure-associated pain and morbidity, reduces treatment burden for refractory cases, and minimizes health care resource utilization.
Despite the existence of a wide range of therapeutic interventions
Conclusion
The innovation in the treatment of PWs necessitates a paradigm shift beyond the traditional “destruction-repair” model. The use of “saturated saline therapy”, with its inherent noninvasiveness, immunomodulatory potential, and high participant compliance, offers a novel and promising clinical approach. Prospective, multicenter randomized control trials with standardized protocols are warranted to confirm therapeutic efficacy and optimize treatment parameters.

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https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/gear/shoes/a776671/best-running-shoes/

These are the best running shoes for 2026, tested by our experts From daily trainers to racers, these are the very best running shoes you can buy

Kung Hei Fat Choi have a fabulous year of the Horse.

To All those pounding the streets this Sunday at the standard chartered . 1 enjoy. 2 stretch. 3 hydrate.
and for those who have issues foot wise , we are open Monday am
;) whatsapp 9739 8371 or call the clinic direct.

Netballers avoid injury

some really useful advice from Walk On Podiatry in Australia for all the Netballers out there as the season hots up

How to avoid ankle sprains?
Our top 5 tips to avoid an ankle sprain this season.
Want to avoid an ankle sprain? Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries sustained by avid sports people. Whether you are a professional athlete or just a “weekend warrior” you can probably recall a time you sprained or twisted your ankle participating in your favorite sport. The foot and ankle not only play a vital role in absorbing shock but are super important for providing stability when walking and running. Here are some quick tips on how you can avoid an ankle sprain and prevent an ankle injury this netball season.

Balance:
Improving your balance is an easy way for you to improve proprioception and enhance your body’s ability to control itself in a variety of positions. Standing on one foot with your knee slightly bent for 20-30 seconds is one way to not only strengthen your ankle but also promotes the activation of other lower leg muscles. You can easily slot this into daily activities i.e. when brushing your teeth. As you become stronger you can then progress to closed eyes or standing on a pillow.

Strength:
Most people with instability through the foot and ankle have an element of weakness surrounding the ankle joint. Weak ankle muscles increase your risk of instability and an ankle sprains. Calf raises are a great way to help strengthen your calf, Achilles and improve ankle stability. With your feet about hip-width apart, shift your weight onto your toes and slowly lift your heels off the ground; aim for 3 sets of 10.

Range of Motion:
Promoting good range and movement through your ankle helps reduce stiffness. Two easy exercises that can help with this are “ankle circles” and “ankle alphabet”. Sit on the ground with your legs out in front, bend your knees and cross one leg on top of the other knee so your ankle is raised off the ground. Now perform 15 slow circles on the raised ankle making sure to go clockwise and counter clockwise to achieve the most benefit. The “ankle alphabet” is very similar but in place of circles, try to spell out the alphabet using your foot.

Taping and Bracing:
The debate about whether taping or bracing your ankles prevents ankle injuries has been going on for years. What we know is that these techniques can work well for many people with no real negative side effects. Although it may feel a little stiff while the tape is in place, it is something that can feel secure, stable and can therefore give you a little more confidence while running around.

Footwear:
Make sure you have the right shoe for the activity you are doing. You wouldn’t wear a pair of football boots on a netball court would you? So why do we limit our ability to perform and reduce our risk of injury by using footwear designed for other sports when performing our desired sport? Netballers should invest in a netball shoe, even if you are just a social netballer. A netball shoe is specifically designed to sit you lower to the ground, lowering your centre of gravity and reducing instability. They also have mid and outer sole features designed to adapt to a change of direction and provide more stability along the lateral or outside of your foot which can prevent lateral ankle sprains. You should always look to have your footwear fitted by a professional.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll never sprain an ankle but working on these 5 areas will minimise your risk of ankle sprain injuries and keep you moving well.

Our aim when playing sport is to have fun and enjoy ourselves and getting injured is definitely not fun! A bonus tip for all sports people, amateur and professional alike, is to do a proper warm up and cool down. Tightness and poor flexibility along the main muscles in the lower back, hips and legs can often lead to awkward movements which can increase your risk injury. Dynamic warm up exercises work well to get your body warm and ready for sport. Knee ups, butt kicks and leg swings are all dynamic movements that will get some of these muscle groups moving and ready for activity. Regardless of your level of competition, stretching and cool down needs to be a part of your sport routine. Cooling down without the appropriate stretching will cause some muscle groups to tighten and increase your risk of post sport pain and injury. Stretching each of the main groups, arms, back, glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves will help you prevent injury this season.

Make sure you look after yourself this netball season!

Again thankyou Walk on Podiatry for this info
If you are in Hong Kong if you have any questions please contact us at [email protected]
or on whatsapp 979739 8371r for clinic info check out www.douglashornepodoayryhk.com

www.douglashornepodoayryhk.com

Good luck to all those who are competing in the Moontrekker this Friday .
Enjoy the climb and beat the sun

ORTHOTICS FOR CYCLING SHOES ?
CUSTOM MADE IN HONG KONG?
OH YES!
We are happy to announce that after extensive research and testing we are able to offer custom prescribed and locally produced Cycling Orthoses /insoles. No more numb or painful feet when out on the bike . Make each pedal stroke more efficient so more power down and less wasted energy and effort .
Cycling orthoses are different from walking or running orthoses as the sole of a cycling shoe is stiff and excessive movement of the foot in the shoe may cause pain and will reduce efficiency.
We will 3 d scan your foo talk about what you need , want and offer custom orthoses which will support your arch and produce a very stable platform so that the whole foot can provide power efficiently, reducing muscle fatigue and joint pain .
If you are a weight we**ie we can produce them in super light weight carbon fibre or other materials depending on your specific needs . contact us via messenger or whatsapp 0852 9739 8371
or via our website www.douglashornepodiatryhk.com

Douglas Horne Podiatry Services is a Total Footcare company , providing a comprehensive range of Podiatry and chiropody treatments and services .
Everything from corns and callus to custom and semi custom orthoses ( insoles) for your sports shoes , golf shoes and day to day.
If you want some info on our services , range of treatment or sites pls go to www.hongkongpodiatry.com , www.douglashornepodiatryhk.com all our info is on the site . You can also contact us on whatsapp 9739 8371 or call 93879019 to get more information

So Its early summer its getting warm but its only really 27 weeks to the Trailwalker 2025. FAIL TO PREPARE PREPARE TO FAIL !
We will be providing special sessions for trailwalkers preparing for the big event from individuals to full team sessions at special TRAILWALKER participants rates so the experience should be as fun as possible .
Questions about the right shoes for you , blisters toe nail problems ankles feet and knees ? drop a line to ......
whatsapp 97398371 or [email protected]

So its rugby season . Get yourself in good shape and look after your aching feet and lower limbs or aiming to improve performance?
Formthotics from New Zealand are available from Douglas Horne Podiatry to help keep you on the pitch.
Sonny Bill knows
CONTACT US HERE OR VIA OUR WEBSITE www.douglashornepodiatryhk.com