Wart Treatments

As soon as a runner notices a painful spot like a wart on the bottom of the foot, they want to know what it is, how it happened and how they can get rid of it.

A plantar wart is a wart on the bottom (called the "plantar surface" by foot doctors) of the foot. The plantar wart is caused by the human papiloma virus that enters through tiny little tears in the skins surface. The difference is that the skin on the bottom of the foot is much thicker than elsewhere and so the warts often need to be treated differently. This is especially true for runners.

The reason a wart on the bottom of the foot hurts is because the virus causes the skin to become irritated, and thickened. This hard, thick skin won't flatten out, so it gets pushed into the bottom of the foot causing pain as you run. It is almost like having a little rock taped to your foot. Unfortunately for runners, over-the-counter wart treatments don't work very well.

Although it is easy for a podiatrist to cure a wart, in some cases the cure can be worse than the disease. When considering wart treatment in a runner, it is important to make sure that you don't end up with another more painful foot problem from the wart removal treatment itself. If you understand the pro's and con's of the treatment options, you will be able to choose the best treatment for you.

3 Worst Wart Treatments for Runners

Surgery

Surgical excision can lead to a painful surgical scar. Because the wart is usually under an area of high pressure (such the heel or ball of the foot) you want to make sure you don't get a painful scar. Cutting into the foot with a scalpel will cause a scar. Cutting the wart out in surgery should always be the very last resort in runners.

Hyfrecation

Burning (also know as hyfrecation) can remove the wart, but it is also difficult to avoid scar formation. Like surgery, burning the wart with a surgical electrical current can lead to an equally painful scar. A painful scar is just as bad as a painful wart when you run.

Liquid Nitrogen

Freezing warts with liquid nitrogen is very effective on the hand, elbows and parts of your body you don't walk on. But the skin on the bottom of the foot (called the plantar skin) is very thick. Because it is so thick, it is more difficult to get an effective cure than on other parts of the body.

3 Best Wart Treatments for Runners

Oral Cimetidine Therapy

Tagamet (also known as cimetidine) is a pill commonly prescribed for stomach problems like stomach ulcers, reflux disease and heartburn. Several years ago, someone discovered that plantar warts started disappearing when patients took high doses of cimetidine. Doctors believe it modulates the immune system and helps the body kill off the virus.

Studies on cimetidine wart treatment show that it is 84% effective in curing warts in children and 75% effective in adults. Because it is given at high doses, your podiatrist has to determine the correct dosage and write a prescription. It is safe, effective, and has very few side effects. Most importantly, there is no risk of getting a painful scar.

Candida Antigen Therapy

Candida is a type of yeast that many people are allergic to. One newer and highly effective treatment is candida antigen therapy. In this treatment, your podiatrist injects candida antigen (the cell marker that causes allergic reactions) right into the wart.

This sets off a potent immune system response. Your body's immune system then invades the plantar wart to remove the antigen particles. The immune cells then seem to get confused about whether it is the candida antigen or wart virus that is causing the problem, so it continues to attack and destroy both. The result is you get a cure without any risk of a scar.

Blistering Agents

Canthacur is a chemical irritant that is applied to the wart by your foot doctor. The main active ingredient is Cantharidin which comes from the blistering beetle. The way it works is that it causes a blister to form that leads to the wart falling off.

Your podiatrist will trim down the callous, apply a small amount of the chemical and then cover it with tape to keep the chemical from spreading to the healthy skin. It is usually painless when applied. Occasionally the treated area may start to develop a mild burning sensation later in the day. If all goes well, a blister forms just beneath the wart. As the blister flattens and dries out, the wart peels off with the blistered skin as it heals.

Canthacur wart therapy is a good choice fro runners since it is unlikely to cause permanent scarring on the bottom of the foot. The main drawback for runners is that you have to deal with a blister for several days. So don't let your foot doctor do this right before a big race!

The bottom line with plantar warts is that you need to make your activity level, running schedule and upcoming race goals clear to your podiatrist before any treatment is started. This will will help you have the best chance for a painless cure and faster runs down the road.

Dr. Christopher Segler is a San Francisco podiatrist and award-winning diabetic foot surgeon. He practices podiatry in the Bay Area. He provides house calls to treat diabetic feet, ingrown or thick painful toenails, and medical pedicures at home. You can learn more about podiatry housecalls at www.DocOnTheRun.com. Diagnose your foot pain at www.AnkleCenter.com