That Spot on Your Foot Is Trying to Tell You Something
You’ve got a painful spot on the bottom of your foot. Maybe it’s been there for months. Maybe you’ve tried icing it, padding it, or treating it with over-the-counter remedies — and it just won’t go away. Before you can fix it, you need to know what you’re actually dealing with.
At Grants Pass Podiatry, we see two conditions that are frequently confused: plantar warts and intractable plantar keratoses (IPKs). They can look similar, they can both hurt — but they are very different problems that require very different approaches. And now, we offer one of the most advanced treatments available for both: Swift® microwave therapy.
Wart or IPK? Here’s How to Tell the Difference
This is one of the most common sources of confusion we encounter. Here’s a plain-language breakdown:
A viral infection caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). The virus invades the outer skin layer and causes an abnormal thickening of tissue. .
Usually has a rough, cauliflower-like surface. Look for tiny dark dots (clotted blood vessels) inside the lesion — the telltale sign of a wart.
Pain when you squeeze the lesion from the sides (like pinching it).
Yes — HPV spreads through direct contact, shared surfaces, and pool areas.
A deep, concentrated callus — not caused by a virus. It forms when repeated pressure on a bony prominence forces the skin to thicken as a protective response.
A well-defined, smooth plug of hardened skin, often with a translucent center and a sharp, defined border. No dark dots.
Pain directly on the spot when you press straight down, like bearing weight on it.
No — IPKs are purely mechanical, not infectious.
Why does the distinction matter? Because treating a wart like a callus — or a callus like a wart — leads to months of failed treatments and ongoing pain. Accurate diagnosis is step one, and it’s something our team does carefully at every visit
Introducing Swift®: A Smarter Way to Treat Both
Swift® is an FDA-cleared medical device that delivers precisely controlled microwave energy through a handheld probe directly into the affected tissue. Unlike traditional treatments that destroy the surface of the skin — burning, freezing, or cutting — Swift works from the inside out.
Swift® heats tissue to a precise hyperthermic range of 41–44°C — hot enough to trigger an immune response and disrupt the viral proteins causing the wart, but well below the temperature that damages healthy skin.
For warts, this immune activation is the key. When the HPV-infected cells are heated, they release proteins that your immune system has previously been unable to “see.” Swift essentially unmasked the virus — letting your body do what it’s designed to do.
For IPKs, microwave energy works differently: it penetrates deep into the dermal tissue to reduce the nerve sensitivity and inflammation that drives the pain cycle, offering sustained relief far beyond what periodic debridement provides.
83.3%
90.4%
86.4%
What the Research Says
The science behind Swift is growing rapidly. Here’s what recent peer-reviewed studies tell us:
JOURNAL OF FOOT & ANKLE RESEARCH, 2023 (NIH/PubMed)
A retrospective analysis of 150 plantar warts across 45 patients found an 83.3% resolution rate using microwave therapy. Researchers noted that most patients had previously tried and failed other treatments, making this result especially meaningful for those stuck in the treatment cycle.
JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY, 2023 — U.S. PODIATRY CENTER STUDY
A review of 85 patients treated at a single U.S.-based podiatry practice found an 86.4% complete clearance rate among patients who completed their Swift treatment course. The study reported a significant reduction in wart-related pain across all patients, and found no significant differences in success between children and adults.
SKIN HEALTH AND DISEASE, 2023 — PAEDIATRIC COHORT
In a study of 35 pediatric patients — 94% of whom had already failed other treatments — Swift microwave therapy achieved a 68.6% full clearance rate, requiring an average of just 3 sessions. No scarring or pigmentary changes were reported. The authors noted Swift is particularly well-suited for sensitive treatment sites.
ARCHIVES OF DERMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 2025 — RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
The first placebo-controlled RCT of Swift for treatment-resistant plantar warts found microwave therapy was statistically superior to sham treatment (p = 0.032), with a partial clearance rate of 54.5% vs. 13.3% in the placebo group. The authors confirmed Swift’s standing as an evidence-based option for recalcitrant warts.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAPMA), 2024 — IPK STUDY
A chart review of 9 patients with painful intractable plantar keratoses (21 total lesions) treated with Swift reported a 90.4% mean reduction in pain between the first and fourth visits, with 71.4% of patients reporting zero pain at their final visit. The authors concluded that microwave therapy produces significant and prolonged pain reduction in IPK patients.
What to Expect at Grants Pass Podiatry
Swift treatments are quick, clean, and performed entirely in-office. Here’s how it works:
Each session takes approximately 5–10 minutes
No cutting, no anesthesia, no open wounds, no dressings
A single-use applicator tip ensures zero cross-contamination
Most patients complete 3–4 sessions, spaced 4 weeks apart
You can walk out and return to normal activity immediately
Some patients feel mild discomfort during the microwave pulse, which resolves instantly
Whether you’re dealing with a stubborn wart that’s resisted every over-the-counter treatment you’ve tried, or an IPK that sends a sharp jolt of pain with every step, our team will accurately diagnose your condition and tailor a Swift protocol that fits your situation. You don’t have to keep managing the symptom. Let’s go after the cause.
Done with treatments that don’t last?
Schedule a consultation at Grants Pass Podiatry. We’ll diagnose your condition accurately and discuss whether Swift microwave therapy is right for you.
(541) 476-4458 — Call Us Today
Grants Pass Podiatry · Serving Southern Oregon
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES
Hagon W, Hagon J, Noble G, et al. Microwave therapy for the treatment of plantar warts. J Foot Ankle Res. 2023 Jun 15;16(1):37. doi:10.1186/s13047-023-00638-8
Gupta AK, Wang T, Cooper EA, Conenello RM, Bristow IR. The treatment of plantar warts using microwave — A review of 85 consecutive cases in the United States. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023 Oct;22(10):2729–2736.
Solomon K, Yip V. The novel treatment of children with viral warts using microwave technology. Skin Health Dis. 2023 Dec;3(6):e291.
Haase O, Barkawi A, Mrowka P, Krengel S. Microwave therapy for the treatment of resistant plantar warts: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Arch Dermatol Res. 2025 Jan 9;317(1):208.
Bristow IR, Lilker R. Microwave energy for the treatment of painful intractable plantar keratosis: a retrospective medical record review of nine patients. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2024 May–Jun;114(3):23-019.
Grants Pass Podiatry · Grants Pass, Oregon · This content is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your podiatrist to determine if Swift® microwave therapy is appropriate for your condition.
