The plantar fascia is situated under the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. It attaches to both the heel and the toes. During movement, the central part plays an important functional role by helping the arch lift during propulsion. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of plantar heel pain and 1 in 10 people may experience it in their lifetime.

A positive is that 90% of patients suffering from plantar fasciitis can be successfully treated without surgical intervention. At Podiatry @ Sports and Spinal, our approach is to work with you to create the best environment for reducing plantar heel pain levels and improving your quality of life as quickly as possible. It is common to start seeing reductions in discomfort levels within the first 2-3 weeks of treatment with our podiatrists. It is also common to be able to reduce overall pain levels to a very manageable level over a 3-to-6-month period. In some cases, even sooner.

We conduct a thorough screening during your initial consultation, so we are able to give you and your GP valuable information about your foot health status. This screening also allows us to appropriately educate you about looking after your feet and overall health.

More specifically our diabetic foot assessments include:

A Vascular Study:

We use both a Doppler Study and an Ankle Brachial Index test to give you valuable information in regard to the risk of Peripheral Vascular Disease.

By combining information from both tests gives us vital information to give an accurate account of your vascular status with the ability to track this species over time.

Dermatological Observation:

Checking for obvious signs of deterioration and high-risk areas. Recommendations to address these areas are made directly to you (e.g. diabetic friendly footwear, soft pressure offloading orthoses) including setting regular podiatry treatments as required to maintain their feet.

Peripheral Nerve Testing:

Conducted using a monofilament and tuning fork. This allows us to detect any early signs of peripheral nerve deterioration and set a baseline for future assessments. If current or future deterioration is detected, then we pass this information onto your GP for possible further investigation into diabetic status.

Musculoskeletal & Physical Activity Assessment:

We are identifying any potential physical weaknesses and then educating you about how to improve these. This may include giving strength and conditioning exercises that not only help prevent stubborn overuse injuries but also help promote blood flow to the peripherals. An overall discussion about how regular exercise is important for helping regulate blood sugar and overall health is usually incorporated into this assessment.

Footwear Assessment:

Make sure your current footwear is not placing you at risk from complications from friction or pressure. Appropriate recommendations are made about which footwear is best for casual, work and exercise wear. The correct footwear can also make a difference in helping prevent overuse injuries, especially for those beginning an exercise regime to help lose weight.

For those who have diabetes, it is essential to have regular visits with a podiatrist, to ensure mobility and prevention of long term foot complications.

Sever’s disease is an acute injury to the growth plate at the back of the heel which is most common in young athletes. It is most common between the ages of 10-12.

In children, there is a growth plate located where the Achilles tendon inserts into the heel bone. During periods of rapid growth, the calf muscle and Achilles tendon become tighter causing excessive forces through the growth plate. Forcible and repeated contraction of the calf muscle can injure the growth plate causing pain.

Symptoms:

• Pain where the Achilles inserts into the heel pain
• Pain increases during exercise
• Tender through the back of the heel and may be some localised swelling

Causes:

• Tightness/Weakness through the calf complex
• Foot biomechanics
• Overtraining
• Playing sport on hard surfaces
• Inadequate footwear

Treatment may include:

• Rest
• Activity Modification
• Icing
• Foot Tapping
• Padding
• Heel Raises
• Soft Tissue Treatment
• Calf/Achilles Stretching and Strengthening
• Physiotherapy
• Orthotic Therapy

Morton’s Neuroma is typically described as a compression of the nerve that runs in between the 3^rd and 4^th metatarsals.  Due to compression, this can cause scar tissue to form and an enlargement of the intermetatarsal nerve. A Morton’s Neuroma usually occurs in an unstable foot type and/or wearing tight-fitting footwear for extended periods of time.

An unstable foot type has the effect of causing instability in the forefoot, this instability increases the movement of the 3^rd and 4^th metatarsal and as a result, causes the irritation and impingement of the nerve.

Wearing tight-fitting footwear causes a squeezing effect through the forefoot and therefore impingement of the nerve through compression forces.

The pain is generalised through the ball of the foot and can be described as a shooting/burning pain, which worsens while weight-bearing and wearing tight-fitting footwear.  Pain may radiate through the 3^rd and 4^th toes.  Pins and needles or sharp shooting pain may be experienced when the forefoot is squeezed together and pressure is applied to the foot.

Treatment May Include: 

Conservative Management Includes Icing, Massage, Foot Taping, Padding, Stretching, Foot Strengthening, Adequate Footwear, Footwear Modification or Function Foot Orthoses.

Injections of local anesthetic or cortisone may also be used by Sports Physicians to help relieve painful symptoms.

Our podiatrists are equipped with the right tools and equipment to be able to take great care of your feet. We attend to Ingrown Nails, Curved Nails, Thicken Nails, Hard Nails, Fungal Infections, Cracked Heals, Callus/Corns, Plantar Warts, Bunions and more.

We offer a full range of foot care services to meet and exceed all of your foot health needs.

Ingrown toenails are toe nails that tend to grow inwards and dig into the flesh of the toe, causing redness, swelling and even infection when left untreated.

Ingrown toenails can be caused by incorrectly cutting toenail techniques and incorrect footwear.

Your podiatrist may have to perform a partial toenail avulsion procedure, it is a safe and effective treatment that is performed by an experienced podiatrist under local anaesthesia. The aim of the procedure is to remove enough of the nail, generally without the toe being cut or stitched. Followed by the application of a chemical that prevents that small part of the nail from regrowing. Your toe will then be carefully dressed to assist with the healing and protect the surgery site from any infection.

Follow up appointments will be made with our podiatrist until fully healed, however, the pain will ease within a few days.

Orthotics, more correctly termed here as Foot Orthoses, are shoe inserts that are placed into your footwear to assist rehabilitation of soft tissue injuries. These can be either non-custom or custom foot orthoses and both can play an important role in treatment depending on the condition, the amount of support that is required and the time frame you have been suffering from the condition.

Custom foot orthoses are prescribed from your specific biomechanical measurements and exact dimensions of your feet to assist in an overall treatment plan to alleviate long-standing foot, ankle, knee, and hip pain.

They are often best used alongside physical therapy to aid in deloading injured soft tissue structures so that they are better able to heal and recover. It is important to understand however they are not a magical cure, nor do they train your arches to set them higher despite some misleading information you may come across. Used as part of an overall treatment plan they can be a very valuable addition to getting you back to pain-free movement.

Custom foot orthoses may assist in helping treat the following conditions:

Plantar fasciitis/Heel Spur Syndrome, Achilles Tendinopathy, Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction, Peroneal Muscle Tendinopathies, Midfoot Arthritis, Painful Bunions, Big Toe Joint Osteoarthritis, Osteopenia, Morton’s Neuroma, Intermetatarsal Bursitis, Metatarsalgia, Diabetic Ulcers, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, Shin Splints, Sever’s Disease and Persistent Calf Tears

At Podiatry @ Sports & Spinal we have the latest & highest quality foot orthoses technology. We take pride in ensuring your customised foot orthoses are designed and made to the highest quality using the latest materials & most accurate methods; such as 3D laser scanning technology and computer-aided design and manufacturing.