Hints & Tips

From injury prevention, demystifying modern footwear, running techniques & tips, how to improve mobility & restore function, to even help you overcome the Donald duck walk and get you engaging your core through barefoot activation! All that wisdom and more is shared on our Hints & Tips page!

Be sure to drop back to our Hints & Tips page as it will be updated on a regular basis.

The feet are a very complex part of the body, allowing you to perform essential daily activities as well as tackle inspiring physical achievements - so they should not be neglected! Our foot experts, Hayley, Chris and Emma will work with you to address your goals, relieve pain, regain mobility and effectively treat your foot problems.

Do you have sore toes, bunions, or get heel pain when running? Are you wanting to learn more about footwear? Concerned about whether barefoot is good or bad? Interested in injury prevention and improving your performance? Reach out to our Townsville Podiatry team today!

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Who is Chris Weber?

Let’s learn a little more about our Biomechanical Podiatrist, Avid Runner and running coach Chris Weber   Tell us something we don’t know about Chrissy Weber? I spent 12 months working in the scuba diving industry in my 30’s – it was part of a working holiday with most of the dive work completed in WA.  It was an awesome experience!   So you’ve been a Podiatrist now for 15 years – what is it about the profession that keeps you so interested? I have always been fascinated by the human body and how it works.  There is so much we still don’t know or understand.  Therefore, what keeps me interested is the continuous learning, improving our understanding of how the body functions and finding new ways to help people stay active. I’ve spent the last week 18 months completing further study in Sports Medicine with the University of Melbourne.  I have completed the Graduate Certificate in Sports Medicine which provided me with an opportunity to network with other Podiatrists, Physiotherapists and Sports Physicians and to learn the most up to date evidence-based treatments for conditions such as Achilles Tendinopathy, Patellofemoral Joint pain, Femoral Acetabular Impingement and Acute Foot and Ankle injuries to name a few.   What is the most rewarding patient outcome you’ve achieved as a Podiatrist? It’s not a specific example but I find it most rewarding when a small, low-cost change or simple advice leads to improved patient outcomes.  For example, when changing from one shoe to another can provide immediate and lasting pain relief.   What do you enjoy most about working at Foundation Podiatry? At Foundation Podiatry we are a small team.  We each play a very important role in providing the best experience for our patients.  I couldn’t do what I do without the support from every member of our team and this is what makes coming to work each day very easy!   Favourite Food? Pizza. What is the most risky/vulnerable/perilous experience you’ve had overseas? I’ve not had a perilous experience as such.  I have been scuba diving in Indonesia and Malaysia, cycle touring around the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, trekking above 5000m in Nepal in remote locations – all without incident.  Maybe I’m just lucky??!! Next holiday destination?  Sad to say I don’t have a next holiday adventure.  I am really keen to travel overseas again but don’t have any plans just yet.    

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Foundation Podiatry COVID-19 Commitment

COVID-19, above all else, is a threat to health and safety. Foundation Podiatry is committed to our WHS duty of care to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of our team and our patients entering our workplace. It is acknowledged that vaccination against COVID-19 is a safe and effective measure to minimise exposure to and spread of the virus. The Foundation Podiatry team are all proudly vaccinated and committed to maintaining our vaccination status.  As an essential service and healthcare provider, we will be providing treatment and care to the general public regardless of vaccination status.  COVID-19 has well and truly made its way up to North Queensland. We are a busy clinic and want to remain open so that we can continue to keep the Townsville community healthy and active. This means we have put strict measures in place such as strict social distancing and restricting visitors from entering the clinic.   The following safety measures are in place at Foundation Podiatry: Staff and patients are not permitted to enter then clinic if they have a cough, fever, sore throat, flu like symptoms or difficulty breathing. Staff and patients are not permitted to enter the clinic if they have been asked to self-isolate waiting for COVID-19 test results QR check-ins are mandatory  Covid safety plan in place and regularly revised (especially regarding hand washing and cleaning of surfaces) Social distancing of 1.5 metres Adhering to density requirements of 1 person per 2 square metres.   As Foundation Podiatry is a small clinic in size, we must restrict visitors (parents, family members, carers) from entering the clinic: Please wear a mask. Arrive only a few minutes prior to your appointment time as we have limited space in the waiting room. Our reception team may request that you wait in your vehicle or outside the clinic prior to your appointment to ensure we can meet our social distancing obligations. We request adult patients to attend their appointments unaccompanied. Adult visitors who are unvaccinated are not permitted to enter the clinic. We request only 1 parent, carer, or guardian to accompany a child or young person to their appointment. Due to our limited space, our preference is that other siblings do not attend the appointment, however if this is not possible, please discuss with our reception team ahead of the appointment where alternative arrangements can be made. As the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly changing, our COVIDsafe plan will change to meet clinical risks as they emerge. We are closely following a risk matrix which may require policy updates once there are local cases in our community.At Foundation Podiatry our only focus is to provide awesome healthcare to everyone whilst keeping our team and patients safe. We ask that our clinic’s COVIDsafe policy is respected by everyone entering the clinic. At Foundation Podiatry we have ZERO TOLERANCE to abusive or aggressive behaviour towards any members of our team or patients.  

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Townsville Podiatrist Emma Phelps joins the Foundation Podiatry team!

Emma has been working as a Podiatrist in Townsville for the last 12 years and joined Foundation Podiatry in November. Let’s get to know more about Emma! Tell us a little about yourself Hi all! I grew up in a rural town in NSW and have always had a strong interest and passion for sport.  I immersed myself in everything possible from running, swimming, athletics through to Netball and Touch football. I moved to Townsville fresh out of university back in 2010 to be closer to my sister and her family with the intention of staying “just a few years”. I have since fallen in love with the town, the people and the opportunities that our great city has to offer.  I enjoy being outdoors and try and do some hiking or waterfall chasing as often as I can. I still have a passion for fitness, currently training Crossfit 5-6 times a week. I have a 2-year-old border Collie, Echo who keeps me active and entertained. She is full of sass and absolutely loves the beach or any swimming opportunity. What made you decide to study Podiatry? When I was around 12-13 and heavily involved in sport, I used to get a lot of foot, knee and hip pain. I had been down multiple avenues to try and find relief and it wasn’t until I got referred to a biomechanical podiatrist that I was able to get some positive results. This was hugely influential for me as my ability to move without pain and continue my active lifestyle was so important!   So, a positive experience with the profession certainly sparked my interest in making Podiatry a career.  Why are you excited about joining the Foundation Podiatry team? I am so excited to be joining the Foundation Podiatry team! Hayley and her team have a reputation for excellent patient care and outcomes. I’m excited to work for a small, locally owned and operated business where we can freely collaborate and share our experience and knowledge. I’m also excited to work with some of the latest technology and therapies available to be able to provide more comprehensive patient care.  What is the most rewarding patient outcome you’ve achieved as a Podiatrist? I believe being able to help any patient achieve a positive outcome whether it be pain reduction, improved mobility or injury rehabilitation is one of the most rewarding experiences as a health care clinician. I recently worked closely with a young lady with a complex medical history who suffered from multiple repeat metatarsal fractures and significant mobility restrictions that were leading to reduced capacity to work and engage in activities that she enjoyed. Using multiple therapies including strengthening, footwear modification and custom foot orthotics, I was able to get her comfortably back on her feet with no further fractures or complications.   Favourite Food? I love Italian food. I have a good friend that makes her own pasta which is to die for! Next holiday destination? Firstly, I’m so excited to head down into NSW to visit some family that I haven’t been able to see in a while due to border closures. I am also very keen to get back out and do some more international travel. I would absolutely love to get over to South America with Machu Picchu on the top of my travel list.  

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All About Running Footwear

Correct Fitting  A comfortable and correct fit is the most important consideration for all shoes. Incorrect fit can be the sole cause of pain or injury. Consider the length, width and depth of the shoe.

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Help us Share the Dignity this August

Homelessness, poverty, unemployment, domestic violence. These are just a few of the reasons why women are forced to choose between buying food or sanitary items. This is not ok. Foundation Podiatry Townsville is participating in the 'Share the Dignity' again this August. This is an Australia-wide initiative to support women troubled by a range of issues limiting their access to basic hygiene products.                     We were shocked to learn the high rates of homelessness and domestic violence amongst women in Townsville. For these vulnerable and at risk women, each monthly period can be a shameful and traumatic experience, suffering indignities such as having to clean themselves in public toilets and use paper towels or newspaper to create makeshift sanitary pads. The knowledge that many Australian women can not take hygiene for granted during menstruation saddens us. We believe that sanitary items should be a right NOT a privilege! During August 2021 Foundation Podiatry is a ‘Share the Dignity’ collection point for sanitary items, which will be delivered to Townsville Women’s Shelters. If you would like to help out - please consider popping into our clinic to add some sanitary items to our collection box. (Or make a small cash donation and we will purchase the sanitary items on your behalf!) Want to learn more, check out 'Share the Dignity' here. We hope you can join in on our 'Share the Dignity' mission to ensure every woman has dignity when dealing with her monthly period.

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Townsville Heel Pain Clinic

Welcome to Townsville’s Heel Pain clinic where we pride ourselves on the non-surgical, effective treatment of your heel pain. Heel Pain is the # 1 condition we treat on a daily basis at Foundation Podiatry - in fact over the last 14 years here in Townsville we have helped 15, 000+ happy campers resolve their heel pain and get back to enjoying their active lifestyle! [feature-block] Do you wake up in the morning limping from a painful heel? Feeling frustrated as you can’t exercise or chase the grandkids around? Have you tried other treatments and nothing seems to be working? Want to avoid a big needle… or even worse… surgery? [/feature-block] Heel pain is a very common condition yet complex in nature, where a ‘one size fits all’ treatment approach often fails. At Foundation Podiatry Townsville we utilise the latest treatment options with a personalised approach to make you pain free in the shortest possible time!

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