If left untreated, plantar warts can grow up to 1 inch in circumference and may spread into clusters (called mosaic warts). In severe cases, they cause a change in gait or posture that results in leg or back pain.
MamaBear said:Here's a tip from my doctor for anyone that has warts. Once the wart is treated by the doctor, put some duct tape over the area, instead of a bandage or leaving it open to the air. This basically starves the wart of oxygen and cuts down the number of times you have to have it frozen. Sometimes you can even get rid of the wart with one go. Works wonders!
Duct tape. In a well-publicized 2002 study, duct tape wiped out more warts than freezing (cryotherapy) did. Study participants who used "duct tape therapy" covered their warts in duct tape for six days, then soaked their warts in water, and gently rubbed warts with an emery board or pumice stone. They repeated this process for up to two months or until their warts went away. Researchers hypothesize that this unconventional therapy may work by irritating warts and the surrounding skin, prompting the body's immune system to attack. Today, duct tape is commonly used to treat warts, especially for children who may find freezing painful or scary. It's often combined with salicylic acid.
MamaBear said:Thanks for the clarification Blackadder. I did have thoughts of a wart starving for air at the bottom of my foot - perhaps that imagery helped get rid of the sucker.
PMedMoe said:Mind over matter is pretty important. My sister had plantar's warts when she was younger. They surgically removed them on one foot and when she went back two weeks later to have the other foot done, they were gone. She really hated (still does) hospitals.
Off topic - Everytime I see this thread I think of peanuts. ;D
megsy said:I picked up a few sometime while living overseas and had done the painful burning treatments - they ended up not working, to be honest. I went to the doctor and received this extremely concentrated paste that I applied daily after cleaning and scraping my foot. You just had to be careful not to get it on surrounding skin since it killed it.
If you find that the freezing doesn't work you may want to enquire about this. I was amazed at how fast they disappeared after I used the paste.