Treatment for Plantar Warts in Centerville, Ohio

Plantar warts are tiny, rough lesions that can form anywhere on the bottom of one or both feet, though they tend to appear most often on the forefoot and the heel—the places where walking pressure is more concentrated. Some people have one or two, while others have many. Though they're not a serious health concern, one of the primary causes of plantar warts is the presence of a contagious virus within the body. Without proper treatment, warts become painful, like constantly stepping on a pebble, and interfere with your mobility.

Sometimes, patients are concerned that the only way to treat a plantar wart is to surgically remove it. Not true! At Sunshein Podiatry, our experienced foot doctors offer many non-invasive solutions to help you be wart-free again. 

What Causes Plantar Warts and What Are Their Symptoms?

Certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) cause plantar warts. HPV spreads in warm, moist environments such as gyms, locker rooms, and swimming pool decks. When a person walks barefoot through these areas, they contract the virus through cuts, tears, or other open wounds on their feet.

Call our office to schedule a detailed foot exam with one of our Centerville podiatrists if you have: 

• Bleeding
• Calluses
• Constant discomfort
• Difficulty walking, standing, running, and engaging in other physical activities.
• Clotted blood vessels, also known as wart seeds, appear as little black spots in the center of each wart.

Plantar Wart Treatment Options Available at Sunshein Podiatry

Effectively treating warts starts with understanding what you’re dealing with—not just removing what’s visible on the surface. Because they're caused by a virus and grow inward under pressure, successful treatment requires a targeted approach that addresses both the wart itself and the surrounding skin. With the right strategy and professional care from our skilled medical team, plantar warts can be treated safely, comfortably, and with a lower risk of recurrence. Here are some of our treatment solutions.

Cryotherapy

This approach involves applying liquid nitrogen directly to your plantar warts. Freezing warts remains a widely regarded effective approach that involves minimal scarring. However, the procedure can be painful, which may call for the use of a local anesthetic.

Salicylic Acid

A prescription-strength topical treatment is not only painless, but also applied in the comfort of your own home. Daily treatment allows the salicylic acid to peel away the layers of skin where the plantar warts have formed until they disappear altogether.

Swift Therapy

Sunshein Podiatry is proud to offer Swift therapy. This is the best and most effective treatment for plantar warts on the market. Why? Because it treats them from the inside out, not the outside in. Using precise doses of microwave energy, Swift therapy targets not only the warts but also their underlying cause: the HPV virus. As your immune system begins to fight off the virus, the warts disappear. What’s more, once the virus is out of your system, the likelihood of the warts returning is slim.

Swift therapy causes only minor discomfort, making it an ideal treatment option for our patients with low pain tolerance. This safe, innovative, and revolutionary therapy has received FDA approval, and the long-lasting results are impressive.

Surgery

If other removal methods have failed—or perhaps worked, but the warts return time and time again—it’s possible that one of our foot doctors may recommend surgical removal. If you elect to have this procedure, the surgeon applies a local anesthetic and cuts out the growth(s). Scarring may occur, as well as post-surgery pain.

How Can You Prevent Plantar Warts?

We often recommend the following care methods to avoid contracting HPV and the possibility of warts: 

• Treat wounds. If you have a cut, scrape, or other noticeable abrasion on your foot, take the steps necessary to heal the wound accordingly.
• Protect your feet. Avoid walking barefoot in showers, near swimming pools, and in other environments where wearing shoes is optional. Always protect your feet by wearing proper footwear.
• Don’t share. While it’s kind to share, it’s best to avoid sharing personal items such as socks and towels—these and other similar items can harbor the virus.
• Keep up good hygiene. Keep your feet clean by washing them with gentle soap and then allowing them to dry thoroughly. You may also wish to apply a daily moisturizer that prevents your feet from becoming dry or cracked.
• Resist touching the warts. It’s best not to touch, pick, or scratch your warts—or someone else’s! If you must, thoroughly wash your hands afterward.

Plantar warts sometimes go away on their own, but how long do you want to wait? For children, it could take months. For adults, years. So, if your plantar warts are embarrassing, intrusive, painful, and/or frustrating, we’d be happy to help you get rid of them once and for all. Sunshein Podiatry remains dedicated to providing the best foot and ankle care to you and your loved ones.