3 Reasons to See a Podiatrist Today

The modern podiatrist specialises in the assessment and treatment of foot and ankle pain. So a podiatrist can get an accurate diagnosis , a referral for xrays, ultrasounds or MRI’s can be written for the patient. Podiatrists are qualified to provide injections for pain relief such as local anaesthetic or prolotherapy treatment so a patient can recover. They can diagnose and manage injures of the lower limb. But a podiatrist doesn’t just do feet, they can extend their expertise up to the lower back, hips and knees. Podiatrists are able to provide both conservative and non-conservative treatment advice. They have a holistic approach to health care and enjoy assisting patients back to pain free function.

YOUR AN ATHLETE

Podiatrists have the ability to assess alignment of the foot, knee and hip. They can do a screening assessment for injury prevention called a biomechanical assessment. As a lot of sports require running, podiatrists are trained to assess movement and do a running gait analysis. Starting a new exercise regime is another reason to get your biomechanics checked to help avoid injury. Podiatrists offer preventative care and footwear advice. Strength and conditioning programs after an injury is part of what they incorporate in your treatment plan. An opinion on surgical intervention can be given and a podiatrist is qualified to assist a patient with post operative rehabilitation after surgery. Running, as well as sports that require significant continuous activity—such as soccer—are particularly strenuous on the feet and ankles.

A podiatrist can:

1. assess potential problems
2. prevent sports related injuries
3. recommend sport specific shoes
4. share effective strategies to maintain foot health & conditioning  as an athlete.

YOUR EXPERIENCING FOOT PAIN

If you’re experiencing pain in your feet, ankles or knees, it is important to see a podiatrist. It is not normal to have foot pain.  Pain might occur in the joint or heel, because of bunions, or as a result of a sprain, strain, or broken bone. Podiatrists treat both acute and chronic foot pain.  Ordering imaging of the foot and ankle can be done by a podiatrist after an injury has occurred. With this imaging an accurate diagnoses of the foot pain may be achieved. The aim is to get treatment early and help get you back on your feet.

YOUR INTERESTED IN GETTING ORTHOTICS

Podiatrists offer custom orthotics that give feet extra support. Custom orthotics are useful for correcting foot abnormalities. Such devices can be used to treat fallen arches, collapsed arches, high arches and injury prevention. They can also offer much needed support if you regularly need to stand for long periods of time in a workplace. If you already have custom orthotics but haven’t seen a podiatrist recently, you may benefit from getting a new, custom pair. Orthotics should typically be replaced every two to three years due to wear and tear. New technology including 3D laser scanning and 3D printing has made custom orthotics more effective, enabling those with fallen arches to accommodate their orthotics in many different shoe types.

Above all, caring for your feet has a positive impact on your overall health. So book an appointment with your local podiatrist today. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to see a podiatrist

Road Running Shoes V’s Trail Running Shoes for runners

Podiatrists can give great expert shoe advice for their patient. For our keen runners we like to know our shoes, so we can give you the best recommendation for your feet. Its important that your running journey is as injury free and smooth as possible. This goes for whether you are striding out on the trails or on the road. There is a huge choice now in the running shoe world so we are here to give you some advice on when and why you would choose a road shoe over a trail shoe or vice versa!

Road Running Shoes

Comfort and endurance are two essentials considered in the design of a road runner. This is because a runner is running on a harder surface. To reduce friction on the tarmac a blown rubber is used on the bottom of the outsole.  Midsoles of shoes are designed to absorb shock and reduce vibration of the foot. This helps the muscles and joints to fatigue less and recover faster after a run. The midsole is often a little thicker than the trail shoes as one is running on a hard surface like bitumen or concrete. They also have very lightweight uppers for comfort and breathability.

Trail Running Shoes

Trail running shoes have sticky, high traction, deep lugs on the sole of the shoe. This provides for better traction which aids in reducing slips on uneven ground. There is nothing worse than sliding down an incline of  loose gravel or mud in a shoe without grip. Also, the shoe has a stiffer mid sole for support through uneven surfaces. The soles often have flex grooves. This feature in a running shoe is a groove running longways so the shoe can adapt to the uneven ground. This reduces the risk of ankle sprains.

Trail shoes are are often have a protective plate at the toe box to protect the foot from items such as rocks. A runner doesn’t want to get their feet wet  and muddy so consideration is given towards the design of the upper. The upper is made of thicker material for durability and to reduce the unwanted debris from coming into the shoe.

Prolotherapy Treatment for Pain

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy’s basic premise: Sprains, strains or tears of ligaments and tendons.  It effectively trigger inflammation and new collagen. This can strengthen and eventually shorten ligaments. Hence, if ligaments shortening occurs the joint is more stable and the ligament returns to normal, full function.

How does it work?

It involves the injection of glucose (sugar/ dextrose solution) and lignocaine (local anaesthetic) into ligaments, nerves and tendons which triggers inflammation and new collagen. The process causes a healing cascade in which fibroblasts and collagen are produced to aid the healing process and pain reduction in joints. The good thing is, overtime it can help to eventually shorten ligaments, restoring effective ligament function and improved joint stability. After prolotherapy treatments, microscopic studies have demonstrated an increase in collagen fibril size and number. It has been noted within studies of 30-40% increase in strength of tendon attachment to bone of patients who have undergone prolotherapy compared to patients who have not had prolotherapy. Prolotherapy can also be utilised in the cartilaginous joint as a growth factor to increase cartilage growth.

Indications for use

1. Sprained ankle
2. Tibialis posterior dysfunction
3. Achilles tendinopathy
4. Plantar fasciitis
5. Bunions
6. Osteoarthritis of the foot
7. Morton’s neuroma
8. Osgood Schlatters (front knee pain)
9. Shin splints
10. Compartment syndrome
11. Knee osteoarthritis
12. Persistent pain after fracture of ankle or foot.

Prolotherapy Treatment for KNEES

Osteoarthritis

Pain along the joint line of the knee can indicate meniscal injury or osteoarthritis. Research with the use of prolotherapy has shown decrease pain and increase the range of movement in the joint.  Subsequently, prolotherapy has shown signs of healing of the worn cartilage and injured meniscus.

Knee Cap Pain

Other knee pathologies that can benefit from prolotherapy include patellofemoral mal-tracking with or without chondromalacia injury. This simply means injury of the cartilage at the back of the knee cap due to the knee cap not tracking along the groove of the knee correctly. This mal-tracking of the knee cap causes damage to the cartilage at the back of the patella.  With prolotherapy we can treat the surrounding knee joint tendons and ligaments to improve support of the knee along with exercises to improve muscle function of the quadriceps to aid correct movement of the patella at the knee joint.

Patella Tendinosis

Prolotherapy can treat runner’s knee and patella tendinosis. This is irritation at the patella tendon or the ligament which runs from the knee cap to the front of the lower leg bone. Patella tendinosis is degeneration along the tendon which causes pain after long periods of standing.  Prolotherapy can aid regeneration and repair of the patella tendon. This treatment at the patella tendon can include treatment into the knee joint space at the knee stabilizing ligaments such as the anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament if there is instability within the joint. The Instability within the joint can increase pressure over the patella tendon. Your podiatrist will need to do a full examination before prolotherapy commences to ensure the area requires injections.

Osgood Schlatter’s Disease

Growth Plate pain at the top of the shin bone is Osgood Schlatter’s disease. Jumping sports and growth spurts in adolescence can bring on the pain. Muscle imbalance in the core muscles and quadricep muscles can also impact the disease. Patella tendon and gowth plate pain is treated with Prolotherapy. This effectively reduces knee pain and increases stability at the tendon.

Knee Joint Instability

Pain inside the knee joint can be caused by knee osteoarthritis. The later often presents with  reduced range of motion and stiffness after sitting, and pain along the joint line or under the knee cap. Some of the stiffness is caused due to the reduction of the normal amount of joint fluid. Prolotherapy can increase the amount of synovial fluid within the joint which aids in keeping the joint healthy and increases mobility within the joint.

Increasing knee joint stability can aid in reducing the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Joint instability means excessive movement of the two bones which make up the joint. This movement is really which causes symptoms which is often pain. Joint instability causing a cascade of issues including overuse of muscle recruitment which can cause muscle spasms, swelling within the joint and bone spur growth.

Treatment for this instability of the joint can be the use of prolotherapy to increase the tension within the ligaments along with exercising the Ligaments and muscle surrounding the joint. Ligaments are the sensory organ for the joint which tells the body there is a problem at the area. Prolotherapy aids the development and strengthening of these ligaments through the proliferation of cells.

Coupled with strength and conditioning work, Prolotherapy aids stability of the joint and decreases the cascade of changes which lead to joint pain.

Prolotherapy Treatment for FOOT & ANKLE

Prolotherapy can also be utilized for the foot and ankle to treat

1. Intermetatarsal bursitis
2. chronic ankle osteoarthritis
3. bunion pain
4. laxity in the ankle ligaments after a bad ankle sprain
5. Plantar Fasciitis
6. Achilles tendonitis

Ankle Instability

Treatment of the laxity of the ankle ligaments which commonly can occur after an ankle sprain can help to create cell regeneration and along with exercise prescription can strengthen the ligaments and reduce the laxity of the joint.

Ankle joint and Bunion joint deformities can be helped with Prolotherapy injections. Prolotherapy injection into the joint can increase joint fluid which aids cartilage regeneration and the bodies natural synovial fluid which keeps the joint strong and healthy whilst enabling movement with reduced pain.

Bursitis

A common forefoot pathology which we see is inflammation of the small fluid sacks which sit between the metatarsals or long toe bones in the forefoot. This pain occurs as a feeling of a lump or rock under the front of the foot during walking.

This pain comes from the small fluid filled sacks between the toe bones becoming irritated from compression a pathology known as intermetatarsal bursitis. Injections with prolotherapy can sooth the pain by decreasing the inflammation within the bursa sacks along with correcting any tight footwear and sometimes orthosis therapy to aid foot position and reducing compression.

Plantar Fasciitis & Achillies Tendonitis

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis are where there is pain where the tissue connects to bone or along its length. They are common pains and affect more than 10% of the population.  These large tendinous or fascial areas become overworked and sometimes degenerative with microtears in the tissues fibers and can cause a great deal of pain with simple walking, running, and standing.

Orthotic therapy works well in combination with prolotherapy to help re-distribute loading of  overstrained tissue . Prolotherapy takes the support of the tissue to another level by encouraging repair of the affected tendon and fascia through cell proliferation which aids to build the strength and function of the tendons and fascia along with aiding in decreasing pain at the area.

Rheumatoid Arthritis & Osteoarthritis: How your podiatrist can help

Osteoarthritis &  Rheumatoid Arthritis What’s the Difference?

7 Treatments your podiatrist can provide for pain management

Your podiatrist can help you manage both Osteoarthritic Pain in the feet as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain. We can assist with pain by

• Restoring mobility – using mobilisation techniques
• Prescribing specific exercises to aid muscle strength surrounding effected joints
• Improve alignment of the foot with soft shock absorbing orthotics to stop impingement on misaligned joints.
• Advise on specific footwear
• Treat joint and soft tissue pain with shockwave therapy
• For Acute swelling – use low level laser
• Acupuncture – to reduce contractures in tendons and muscle tightness

Osteoarthritis (wear & tear)

Osteoarthritis typically presents in patients in later years of life and can be asymptomatic through to severe joint pain. It is an ongoing process of degradation of tissue which involves bone, synovium, ligaments and muscle. Symptoms commonly affect joints which take load during daily activities such as hips, knees, ankles, and many of the joints of the foot. Symptoms are those of stiffness which lasts for approximately 30 minutes in the morning and joint pain which worsens towards the end of the day or with increased activity. Risk factors for osteoarthritis includes age, genetic contribution, nutritional deficits, previous joint damage, muscle weakness which bridges the affected joint, increasing bone density, malalignment of joints and increased use or loading of joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (autoimmune)

Rheumatoid Arthritis is different to osteoarthritis and is known as a degenerative autoimmune disorder where the bodies immune system attacks the tissues of the joint including bone, ligaments, tendons and supporting muscle causing inflammation and bone degeneration resulting in pain of the affected areas. This type of arthritis typically affects small joints of the body such as those of the fingers and toes and especially the balls of the feet. Symptoms are similar to OA but more swelling and “attacks” of pain can occur. Weakness in the joint can also be a symptom. Duration of morning stiffness can be longer than 60 minutes.

Custom made foot inserts called Orthotics have been found to reduce the risk of  foot deformities in Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Although treatment for this disease typically includes medications prescribed by a rheumatologist,  your podiatrist can provide conservative symptomatic relief to the joints affected through correct footwear fitting, biomechanical joint and soft tissue support through orthotic therapy and skin and nail care, to aid mobility and decrease pain with daily function.

Inspire Podiatry is a Collection Point for Walking Tall Charity

Walking Tall is a charity that provides the homeless with free-of-charge podiatry services to help ensure they have the essential footwear they need to get them back on their feet.

Shoe companies, retailers and community members regularly donate their footwear to the charity’s donation bins located at various podiatry clinic’s in Brisbane. From the 7th March 2022 Inspire Podiatry is jumping onboard and would love your support.

If you have footwear in good condition, that no longer fit, drop them off to our clinic between Monday-Friday between 8:00am-6:30pm. They don’t have to be new shoes, just clean and dry.

Featuring Stella, a long term patient at our clinic who inspired us to start supporting an charity organisation after she had no need for 2 amazing pairs of new shoes she wore twice!

How to tell if your running shoe needs replacing

High mileage on your running shoe

The number one giveaway! Evidence suggests you should replace your running shoes every 400- 600 kilometres covered. A range is given to accommodate for the type of runner, running technique and most importantly the surface you are running on. For example, if you’re doing a lot of running on trails and rough surfaces your shoes may typically die a lot quicker. On the contrary, you may get longer mileage out of your running shoes if you just run on roads, grass or sand. Downloading the Strava application on your phone or laptop is an easy way to track the kilometres done in a running shoe. This allows you to add your shoes by searching the brand and model. Strava will then track the activities done on this shoe from the date they were added.

Starting to get tired muscles and joint aches in your running shoe

          Our running shoes play a major role in shock absorption for our muscles, tendons and joints. Cushioning is an important feature in a running shoe.  As we run, the force going through our legs is up to three times our body weight. A running shoe helps us to absorb the vibrations in the tissues. Hence if your running shoe is dead, than fatigue and niggles such as shin splints and knee pain could be experienced. These pains could be a sign that the body is letting you know you need new shoes. It’s important to know that if you’re experiencing any pain then it may be time to replace the shoe or see a podiatrist for shoe advice. The midsole of the shoe is made out of EVA (ethel vinyl acetate). This material does compress overtime with constant repetitive loading. A runner who may weigh more, may compress their shoe faster. This can lead to getting knee niggles and sore ankles after a run.

HEEL PAIN IN KIDS

Is your child experiencing heel pain after training?

Training season is on! Many active kids are busy training and playing Football, AFL and Netball to keep them healthy and fit. Kids that get heel pain are typically active and sporty. Heel pain, can be known as Sever’s Disease. The growth plate on the back of the heel gets sore when your child runs and jumps a lot during sport. The heel cord that attaches to the growth plate pulls and causes tension and inflammation on the back of the heel.

Kids often enjoy their sport so much, that they fail to tell parents that there heels hurt after they have been training. I think this is because they fear that they might get told that they have to rest. If you notice your child limping or running awkwardly, ask them if they are in pain.

So what can I do if my child has heel pain?

Seeking professional advice from a podiatrist who specializes in children is advised. At Inspire Podiatry we are the experts in managing kids’ heel pain. Initial treatment can include, checking the foot posture and mechanics of how the foot moves when your child runs. We check how aggregated the heel is by hopping on the spot. The foot is assessed to see if there is any inflammation in the surrounding tissues.  The growth plate and the Achillie’s Tendon is examined. It’s important to check and treat any inflammation in the area. We have the latest state of the art equipment such as electro-therapy which will help to heal the tissue on a cellular level. This is a painless treatment.

Kids can get heel pain because they are growing and can often get tight muscles in the leg and thigh. We take the time to check lower limb flexibility. Your child may be given exercises to do at home to improve their flexibility. Pain can be reduced by doing these prescribed exercises.

What treatments are there for my child with heel pain?

Sometimes children just need some sports specific shoe advice. Others may need a cushioned support like an orthotic innersole or insert. This treatment has the ability to reduce the load on the growth plate. At Inspire Podiatry we have 3D laser scanning technology to make this happen. This is the latest state of the art equipment used to scan the foot in the corrected alignment so a truly customized orthotic device can be made for the right fit. These are worn in your child’s shoe. This treatment can change muscle firing patterns during running and realign the foot.

Your child doesn’t have to stop their training if they get the right treatment for their heel pain. I believe in treating the pain first before having to reduce activity. It’s important to keep our kids active and happy so they can enjoy doing what they love. Sever’s pain does not last forever, it will cease by the time your child is around 15 years of age, when the growth plate forms part of the adult heel bone.