The Footcare RN, White Plains
White Plains resident Petula Griffith is a registered nurse who has a particular interest in foot care.
Griffith merged her more than two decades of experience as a nurse and interest to open The Footcare RN in White Plains in June. Its grand opening ceremony was held on Veteran’s Day.
“I got into foot care because I have foot care issues. I have family members with diabetes and I realized that foot care is very important,” Griffith said last week.
In 2016 Griffith took additional training for foot care.
Griffith said she offers many services at her new business, particularly preventative care, which includes dealing with toenail and skin issues, corns and calluses. Griffith said she deals with “anything that will allow the client to remain standing. For diabetics that’s important. We prevent ulceration.” Diabetics run the risk of needing foot amputations, she said.
Flat feet can be adjusted with the use of orthotics and the wearing of proper shoes, Griffith said.
Griffith said she also provides education about foot care. She helps her patients to choose to wear the appropriate shoes in collaboration with Com-Fit Shoes in Scarsdale and for them to wear the proper socks. “A lot of us don’t wear the right shoes and I’ve been guilty of that,” Griffith said. “We tend to wear shoes that are very narrow, shoes that don’t have a wide toe box.”
High heels are “a big, big problem,” Griffith said.
Griffith said many people will unnecessarily accept their foot pain. “It’s not okay because there are measures that can be put in place to avoid that,” she said.
If necessary, Griffith will refer her patients to appropriate doctors, such as a podiatrist, their primary doctor or an orthopedic surgeon. Griffith said one of her clients had a blister on his foot that would not heal and she referred him to a dermatologist. “They guy ended up having cancer,” she recalled, adding that his skin cancer was dealt with and he no longer has the disease.
Griffith said she has trained those who serve as caregivers for seniors in foot care. “You immediately see the difference in their (seniors’) feet,” she said. “They became more mobile.”
People who do not walk properly can develop back and knee problems, Griffith said.
Griffith said people often take their feet for granted. “Our feet are always hidden. They are in shoes,” she said. “People say I have ugly feet. Nobody has ugly feet. We all need to have healthy feet.”
The Footcare RN is located at 14 Mamaroneck Ave., Suite 404, in White Plains. For more information call 914-861-5929, visit thefootcarern.com or send an e-mail to thefootcarern@gmail.com.
