What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts, which are also called verrucae, are warts that grow on the bottom of your feet and around your toes. A virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) causes plantar warts, and they’re contagious and can easily spread from person to person.
Plantar warts can be caused by walking in the same areas as someone with HPV or by skin-to-skin contact. This virus is not dangerous or life-threatening but verrucae can be uncomfortable and unsightly. Plantar warts often grow in weight-bearing areas of the feet, which can become tender when walking or standing.
What is Swift® microwave therapy?
Swift microwave therapy is a revolutionary system that helps to treat plantar warts on the bottom of your feet. This FDA-cleared technology uses a noninvasive probe to deliver microwave energy directly to the site of your plantar warts. The microwave energy penetrates into the tissue of your wart, disturbing the plantar wart and causing it to die.
How does Swift microwave therapy work?
Microwave therapy harnesses the effectiveness of low-level waves of energy for heating up water molecules. When focused microwaves are applied directly to a specific area, it causes the water molecules in the tissues of the focused treatment area to heat up and collide into one another. This causes controlled damage to the tissue, which then stimulates the immune system to respond.
When this treatment is applied to verrucae, it effectively kills the roots of the plantar wart and the body eliminates the dead tissue over time. The energy also stimulates a healing response that regenerates normal tissue in the area.
What are the benefits of Swift microwave therapy?
Swift microwave therapy offers several benefits when used for the treatment of verrucae, including:
- It’s noninvasive
- No incisions or stitches are needed
- Quick treatment time
- No anesthesia is needed
- No dressings are necessary
- Little to no recovery time is required
Because this treatment works with your immune system, it may take from 3-9 months to see your best results. Between three and four treatments may be needed, with anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month between treatments.
If you have plantar warts and want to discuss how Swift microwave therapy can help, call the office or book an appointment with Scott Rubenstein, DPM, online today.
