Verruca are small lumps on the skin of the feet caused by a virus. The main symptom of a verruca is a small, rough lump on the skin with tiny black dots underneath the skin. Verrucas do not cause any harm and they often go away on their own, but if they start to cause pain or spread, then you might want to seek treatment.
What can be done?
Viruses like the common cold and ‘flu’ are difficult to cure, and we have to rely on the body’s immune system. The verruca is no different. As the virus is confined to the top layer of the skin and it is thought the immune system cannot see it. The way dry needling works is to push the verruca cells from the top layer deeper into the dermis and fat layer, thereby inoculating the underlying tissue. This action triggers an immune response, the appropriate antibodies are produces and over the next few weeks the verruca undergoes a natural breakdown before resolving.
Needling
Verruca needling is an invasive treatment. After providing the area of the foot with anaesthetic to numb the tissue, a sterile needle is passed through the verruca numerous times to implant the verruca into the dermal layer of the skin, where it will die and create a controlled immune reaction from the body.
The area will be dressed and reviewed. Minor discomfort may be present for 1-2 days once the anaesthetic wears off.
Unlike other verruca treatments, needling therapy is typically required once or rarely twice to gain eradication of the verruca.
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