Warts, also known as verrucas, are small lumps on the skin, that are usually painless and are very common across the population, with most people having one at some stage during their life. They are caused by the presence of an active viral infection from the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are over 100 different strains of HPV, but only a select few of these can cause the veruccas we most commonly see presenting for treatment, which are plantar warts.

Unlike ‘normal’ warts, plantar warts can be very painful, due to their positioning on the weight bearing areas of your feet, most usually being the heel and/or across the balls of the feet. In addition, they are highly contagious, so early and aggressive wart treatment Cairns will help reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other people, particularly family members.

There are many different Cairns wart treatment options available, including over the counter medication, liquid nitrogen, salicylic acid and multi-puncture. The addition of SWIFT therapy to our treatment options at FNQ Podiatry and Orthotics, provides patients with access to the gold standard of treatment options available for all types of warts in Cairns.

SWIFT therapy uses medical microwave technology to emit a focused microwave signal into the skin to a pre-determined depth, ensuring it’s only the specific wart being treated. This initiates a process called Heat Shock to occur within infected skin cells. It causes the wart to release certain proteins into the circulatory system, allowing the immune system to recognise the infection and begin to fight the virus.

Unlike all other forms of wart treatment, which just treats that specific wart, SWIFT results in an immunity to the virus which significantly reduces the risk of further plantar warts developing. This is one of the main reasons why SWIFT has been a game changer for the treatment of warts, and why it is the current gold standard treatment based on scientific research.

We will directly apply the SWIFT machine to your wart; it will then deliver the microwave signal into the lesion. This causes a temperature increase in the wart tissue to between 42-45deg Celsius, and lasts for approximately 2 seconds. This process is then repeated between 4-8 times, depending on the size and extent of the wart being treated.

Due to this sudden increase in temperature, there can be a short period of discomfort, however this only lasts for 1-2 seconds. One of the major benefits of SWIFT compared to alternative forms of Cairns wart treatment, is the fact that the patient can walk out of the consultation with minimal/no pain. Download a SWIFT Therapy brochure here for more information.

1. Rapid treatment time
2. No permanent tissue damage or scarring
3. No dressings are required
4. No need to self-treat at home
5. Immediate pain relief post treatment
6. Only 3 treatments are required
7. Highly effective with research showing an 83% resolution rate

1. At your initial consultation, one of our friendly and highly trained Podiatrists will assess you to confirm whether or not you have an active plantar wart.
2. Once this is confirmed, your Podiatrist will then provide education on warts and discuss all treatment options available, providing a pros and cons list for each option.
3. If you decide to proceed with SWIFT, you will be asked to sign a consent form and photos of your wart will be taken and attached to your file.
4. Our Podiatrist will often shave back some of the plantar wart during this consultation, to help prepare it for treatment. This is a pain free process.
5. SWIFT therapy consists of a series of treatments, that are 4 weeks apart, until complete solution of the wart. This generally requires 3 treatments.
6. You will then be booked for a 3 month follow up to ensure that there is no sign of re-growth.

Q: Will I feel anything?
A: The rapid heating of the wart can cause mild discomfort, however this only lasts for a second. The temperature range is merely a few degrees warmer than a hot bath and will not cause any serious tissue damage or scarring.

Q: How safe are the microwaves in SWIFT?
A: Extremely safe. Microwaves are a form of non-ionising radiation, which means they cannot cause damage to the DNA or living things. SWIFT uses very low energy levels that are only able to vibrate water molecules within the skin cells.

Q: Can anyone receive SWIFT treatment?
A: Most people with plantar warts, with a few exceptions, will be able to have our new SWIFT treatment Cairns therapy. One of our friendly Podiatrists will carry out an assessment prior to treatment and be able to advise you on this.

Q: How successful is SWIFT?
A: Evidence shows an 83% success rate which is currently higher than any other treatment on the market.

Q: How long will it take for the wart to disappear after SWIFT?
A: This ultimately depends on how quickly your immune system is to treatment virus however we normally see signs of resolution after the 2nd treatment session.