Sports injuries often involve muscle, bone, tendons and soft tissue of the foot and lower limbs.

Typical sporting injuries include:

• Achilles Tedonothapy
• Ankle Injuries
• Ankle Sprains
• Shin Splints
• Stress Fractures
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Heel Pain

Treatment may include: 

• Ultrasound
• Shockwave Therapy
• Dry Needling
• Strapping/Taping
• Biomechanical Assessment
• Footwear Perscription
• Orthoses

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

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 Sports & Spinal Podiatry 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.

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.

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.

Podiatry @ Sports and Spinal can treat general foot care.

General foot care involves:

• Ingrown Nails
• Curved Nails
• Thicken Nails
• Hard Nails
• Fungal Infections
• Cracked Heals,
• Callus/Corns
• Plantar Warts
• Bunions
• + Much More

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

The plantar fascia is thick conservative tissue that supports the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is where the plantar fascia becomes damaged, inflamed and painful.  The most common site of pain is the posterior portion of the fascia located at the plantar heel.

The onset of pain is usually gradual, appearing for no apparent reason and without a history of trauma.  Pain on weight-bearing is sharp, usually worse first thing in the morning, gradually subsiding, then reoccurring after rest and at the end of the working day.

Common causes include excessive pronation, high rigid arches, hypermobility in the foot and ankle, calf muscle tightness, inadequate footwear for activity and environment and working on hard surfaces for extended periods of time.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis

Rest, Ice/ Heat, Massage, Stretching, Foot/Calf Strengthening, Padding, Foot Tapping, Adequate Footwear, Orthotic Therapy and Physiotherapy.

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the entire body – including having severe consequences for the feet.

Foot complications include:

• Callus
• Ulceration
• Deformity
• Infection
• Possible Amputation
• Damage to the nerves in the feet
• Damage to the blood vessels in the lower limb

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.
If there are any concerns, your Podiatrist will implement an individualised treatment plan.