Help with blisters

[Pronetowander]

I am almost home, 22km to Sandiago but my blisters are so bad. Is there anyplace pilgrims can go when we reach the end to get them dressed properly?

 

[Clodagh Benning]

Hi pronetowander,
I have oBly just completed our first Camino and as such I have no answer for the question you ask as we are novices!

But having completed the last 22 myself with killer blisters I send you motivation and god speed! You are so close! I hope they do not cause you too much pain today- you’ve got this!

Buen Camino

 

[VNwalking]

Here's good advice from @JohnnieWalker, who lives in Santiago:

Hola this question has just come up on Facebook. If you need medical care in Santiago or indeed in other larger cities on the Camino routes there are two choices.

You can go to the hospital clínico - the city hospital. They will treat you if you have a European health card or insurance, if no insurance they will need your passport and home address and they will send you a bill. You will have to wait - often for a long time. There is a bus to the entrance from the Plaza Galicia

The alternative is to go to the private clinic. In Santiago this is :

The Rosaleda Clínico
Rúa de Santiago León de Caracas, 1, 15701 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, A Coruña

This is 5 mins from the Plaza Galicia in the direction of the train station.

There is a charge of 60 euros for a consultation with a doctor. You will be seen almost immediately. They expect payment but will give you all you need for your insurers. If you contact your insurers before going they may very well recommend this private clinic.
Equivalents exist in many larger Spanish cities.

I hope that this helps.

John

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I had exactly the same problem. I took a bus and went to the hospital in Santiago and got threated very well. I did not walk on for 14 days, my blister were taken care of in "centros medicos" in places where I stayed in these two weeks. I had an European insurance card, so did not have to pay

 

[Frances Bat]

A good person to consult is your hospitalero - they often have a lot of experience with blisters and can give guidance on visiting a medical centre if necessary. Main point is to prevent infection - betadine can help, and cut up pieces of sanitary towel under a plaster or bandage can provide good padding to help ease the pain and prevent the blisters worsening. I am not a doctor or nurse.

 

[carryoncouple]

There are also clinics in many towns. My wife got treated for her blisters in one and our travel insurance paid the 60 euro charge.

 

[Miki Goldie]

Keep hydrated with lots of water.... don't let anyone cut the skin off! And yes Chemists are experienced with dealing with this problem/ Hospitals are the best. Good luck
During my Camino walks if I get a blister I leave it be. That seems to toughen up my feet. The pain is nerve pain, nothing worse.
Love

 

[Pronetowander]

Thanks for all your helpful replies. I took your advice Antonius and just back from the hospital, waited an hour which was reasonable and the staff were so helpful. They cleaned and dressed the blisters and the nurses gave me extra bandages to take away as well. I took taxis rather than trying to find bus as so hard to walk and it was worth it. I am so glad i got my European Health card renewed and it's the first time I've used it. The only cost was the taxi fares which were minimal. Now I can enjoy my last 2 days in Santiago. Thanks again everyone.

 

[frontiers]

Glad it all worked out well in the end!

Just for future reference, you might find this map useful.

Mapa servizos sanitarios de Galicia

Here you can find all the (public) primary healthcare centers in Galicia. In any of those, there should be both doctors and nurses able and willing to help in these circumstances. Queues should not be so long there as one would expect in hospitals, which are more scattered in the territory and typically devoted to more specialised services within the Spanish health care system. If a private insurance (or EU card) works in a hospital, my guess is that it should definitely work in the primary clinic too, since they both belong to the same system. Should you require more specialised attention, no doubt hospitals are the first place to go. You can also find them in the previous link.

Similarly, other regions in Spain will have their own web of health centers (competencies in health issues are transferred to regions, Comunidades Autónomas, in Spain). They come under names such as Centro de Salud, Centro de Atención Primaria, Centro de Saúde, Centre d'Atenció Primària, or the like.

In any case, I wish you do not have to use much of these services as it will mean that you are having a smoother camino!

 

[Canche]

A good person to consult is your hospitalero - they often have a lot of experience with blisters and can give guidance on visiting a medical centre if necessary. Main point is to prevent infection - betadine can help, and cut up pieces of sanitary towel under a plaster or bandage can provide good padding to help ease the pain and prevent the blisters worsening. I am not a doctor or nurse.

I got treated actually in an albergue where they had a first aid kit and knew what to do

 

[Pronetowander]

Glad it all worked out well in the end!

Just for future reference, you might find this map useful.

Mapa servizos sanitarios de Galicia

Here you can find all the (public) primary healthcare centers in Galicia. In any of those, there should be both doctors and nurses able and willing to help in these circumstances. Queues should not be so long there as one would expect in hospitals, which are more scattered in the territory and typically devoted to more specialised services within the Spanish health care system. If a private insurance (or EU card) works in a hospital, my guess is that it should definitely work in the primary clinic too, since they both belong to the same system. Should you require more specialised attention, no doubt hospitals are the first place to go. You can also find them in the previous link.

Similarly, other regions in Spain will have their own web of health centers (competencies in health issues are transferred to regions, Comunidades Autónomas, in Spain). They come under names such as Centro de Salud, Centro de Atención Primaria, Centro de Saúde, Centre d'Atenció Primària, or the like.

In any case, I wish you do not have to use much of these services as it will mean that you are having a smoother camino!

Thank you for this useful information.

 

[Airdog]

There are also clinics in many towns. My wife got treated for her blisters in one and our travel insurance paid the 60 euro charge.

Can I ask you guys which medical insurance you purchased? Leaving September 4th and about to purchase some

 

[carryoncouple]

We have used several companies. If you Google “travel insurance,” you will get options; there is also more discussion on this Forum. I have used insuremytrip, which shows company rate and benefit comparisons, along with ratings. We go with the maximum coverage. They often won’t cover pre-existing conditions. I read company reviews online too. I have never seen hiking as an excluded activity, but climbing is sometimes on the no-coverage list. Coverage and rates also depend on where you live. I think we used Allianz for our Camino. Best wishes and have a wonderful trek!