Plantar warts (Verruca pedis) are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can sometimes be difficult to treat, particularly when they have been present for a long time or have not responded to conventional treatments. Our podiatrists treat plantar warts with wart needling, which is a treatment designed to target stubborn plantar warts.
Wart needling, also known as Falknor’s needling technique, is a minimally invasive treatment that aims to stimulate your body’s natural immune response to the virus. If you have a persistent or painful plantar wart, speak with one of our podiatrists to determine whether wart needling may be an appropriate treatment option for you.
How does wart needling work?
After the area has been numbed with local anaesthetic, the podiatrist carefully prepares the wart and uses a sterile needle to repeatedly puncture the wart.
This creates controlled trauma within the wart and exposes HPV-infected tissue to the body’s immune system. The aim is to trigger a stronger cell-mediated immune response against the HPV infection.
One of the interesting features of this technique is that, when several warts are present, it may only be necessary to treat one selected wart. The immune response generated by the procedure may help the body recognise and clear other warts as well.
Wart needling is intended to stimulate your immune system, so the response takes time. Changes in the wart may occur gradually over several weeks and you may need a few follow-up appointments to successfully treat the wart. Wart needling may be particularly useful for patients with:
- Persistent plantar warts
- Painful warts
- Warts that have not responded to conventional treatments
- Multiple or mosaic warts
- Warts that have been present for a prolonged period
Your podiatrist will discuss the available treatment options and recommend the approach most appropriate for your individual circumstances.
