Natural therapies can offer pain-free solutions for treating Plantar Warts.  Treatments include Aromatherapy, Bush Flower Essences, Bowen Therapy.  Some remedies are available from your Health Food Store, Pharmacy or by consulting your alternative healthcare professional.

What are Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts are a hard grainy growth occurring on the sole or toes of the foot and is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). While they can be quite painful and persistent, most plantar warts are not a serious health concern and may not require treatment. If they are not too painful and are left untreated, they will disappear in 1 – 2 years. While conventional treatments can be painful and expensive, natural therapies may provide a painless, alternative solution.

Symptoms:

The first indication of a plantar wart may be slight pain or tenderness on the bottom of the foot while walking or standing. On closer inspection, you may notice a small, rough growth (lesion) with well-defined ‘spots’ where the wart has grown inward. It may be uncomfortable to wear shoes and affect your daily activities.  If you have diabetes or a compromised immune system, it may be advisable to get an accurate diagnosis from your healthcare professional.

Causes:

Although plantar warts are caused by a virus, it is not highly contagious. People who are most at risk of contracting the HPV virus and developing plantar warts are:
• Children and teenagers
• Those with weakened immune systems
• Those who have had plantar warts previously
• Those who play team sports and walk barefoot in public showers

Prevention:

The HPV virus needs a point of entry either through a skin crack, scratch or wet soggy skin after long exposure to water. The most common place to contract the virus is by walking barefoot around swimming pools, locker rooms, and public showers. Always wear thongs in public wet areas where the virus can be present. If you play sport or workout, always remove damp socks as soon as possible and allow the feet to ‘air’.  Replace damp socks at half time if you have sweaty feet as well.

Home Remedies:

Most plantar warts go away without treatment in a year or two. If they don’t bother you, leave them alone, but if they are painful or spreading you may want to try some over the counter medications or home remedies:

• Salicylic Acid – this product is available from pharmacies under various names – use as directed. It may take several weeks to see results.
• Freezing medicine (cryotherapy) – are available over the counter – freezes the wart but should be used cautiously.
• Duct Tape – Simply cover the wart with a duct tape after soaking it in warm water, exfoliate the wart-affected area and cover the wart with the tape for about 6 days. Repeat the soaking process every time you remove the tape. Repeat for a few months, until the wart is totally gone.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it on the wart and cover it with a duct tape. Replace it every few days. Don’t forget to soak the feet in warm water every time you remove the tape.

Conventional Treatments:

If the above remedies do not work,  your doctor may recommend more drastic treatments:

• Immunotherapy – medications that stimulate the immune system to fight the virus;
• Minor surgery – cutting away the wart using a fine needle (quite painful and leaves scarring);
• Laser treatment – this can be painful and has not proved to be very effective;
• Vaccine – HPV vaccine can be helpful in treating warts.

Natural Therapies:

Natural therapies can offer some painless solutions for the treatment of Plantar Warts.  Some are available from your Health Food Store, Pharmacy or by consulting your alternative healthcare professional.

• Homeopathic preparations – see your naturopath for the specific remedy to suit your condition;
• Banana peel – place inside of banana over wart and tape down;
• Aromatherapy – Tea Tree oil, Lemon oil, Oregano oil – apply with cotton bud and cover with tape;
• Crushed onion or garlic taped to the wart;
• Aloe Vera gel – applied with a cotton bud to the wart;
• Australian Bush Flower Essences – consult your alternative therapist for advice on which bush essences to use topically and orally.

Case Study:

Recently I had a 10-year-old boy coming to my clinic for several weeks for Bowen Therapy when his mother casually mentioned that he also had 6 plantar warts on his feet. This wasn’t why they had been coming to see me, but she wondered if I could help. He had used the over the counter treatments and freezing by the family doctor without results. I suggested that we could try the Australian Bush Flower Essences orally and topically to see if that would help.

Green Essence was used as a spray on the feet at night and oral drops were taken morning night – they contained Green Essence, Billy Goat Plum and Five Corners to address the emotional aspects. Previously I had seen results with Green Essence for tinea and candida, so it was worth a try.

Testimonial:

One month after the consultation I received this delightful testimonial from the boy’s mother:

“Hi Maree, Wanted to share the results of the plantar wart treatment you recommended recently. We had been receiving a mix of freezing the wart (at GP) and wart kill paint (poison) daily. Not only were we not getting results but the warts were getting bigger, others growing and they were painful. In the end we had 6 in all, having only one wart 5 months earlier – yes 5 MONTHS and nothing.
You recommended the green essence which required 7 oral drops am and pm plus a spray for the skin (we did this at night). We did this for a week- 10 days. No poison and no freezing during that time. Then I just left them – ignoring them for a couple of weeks. Was nice not to be scraping warts and that smell before bed for a change.
I then checked them and at first my heart sank – they were black and speckled and I’ve seen this before it was like a strong wart with lots of roots. However on close inspection these were crusty. So I took to them to scrape the crusty top and to my surprise they all lifted up out of the foot bed, leaving a very pink crater with almost like a tunnel where the root had been. It was INCREDIBLE. We are now a couple of months on and nothing has returned and the skin has healed perfectly.
I wish to thank you for your recommended treatment of treating the internal cause; not just the external warts.
Warm regards, Nicole.”

If you or a family member suffer from warts or have other challenging health conditions, contact Maree for a friendly chat to see how her natural healing therapies can help you:

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