Hints & Tips

From injury prevention, demystifying modern footwear, running technique tips, how to overcome the donald duck walk to engaging your core through barefoot activation! Be sure to drop back to our Hints & Tips page as it will be updated on a regular basis.

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.

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 13 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!

Is your child complaining of knee pain or foot problems?

As parents, we all want the best for our children. Nothing is more concerning than our children in pain. Children’s feet differ from those of adults, as they are still growing. As a parent, it’s easy to think your child is experiencing growing pains and overlook this, however, it could also be an overuse injury. If your child is suffering from any lower leg symptoms, exhibits an awkward gait or walk, has flat feet, uneven shoe wear, poor posture and stability or complaining of pain then you should schedule a consultation with one of our Podiatrists. Overuse injuries can affect the muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones and growth plates. In children these structures are vulnerable as they are still growing. Want to learn more about overuse injuries? Contact us today. Common Overuse Injuries in Children The three most common overuse injuries causing foot, knee and leg pain in Children are: Severs Disease (affecting the heel bone) Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease (affecting the knee) Growing pains What Is Severs Disease? Severs disease (now more correctly termed calcaneal apophysitis) is not an actual disease but the irritation of the growth plate in the heel bone in children. The growth plate is a layer of cartilage near the end of a bone where the bone grows in length. It is weaker and more at risk for injury than the rest of the bone. Severs Disease often occurs during a growth spurt, when the bones, muscles, and tendons grow at different rates. Not all children will get heel pain, however, those that do will eventually grow out of the condition when the growth slows down. Our Podiatrists will offer the best treatment solutions aimed at reducing pain, improving stability, strength and flexibility – keeping your child on the sporting field. What is Osgood-Schlatters Disease? Osgood-Schlatter disease (again not an actual disease) is the irritation of the growth plate at the top of the shinbone. OSD typically causes pain and swelling below the kneecap. The pain usually gets worse with running, jumping, going up stairs, and walking up hills. It is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems seen in adolescents. It is most common in 10-15-year-olds but can be also seen outside of these ages, especially if a child has an early or late growth spurt. It is usually associated with high levels of physical activity, especially high-impact sports such as basketball or football. Want to learn more about common injuries leading to knee pain and foot pain in children? What are Growing Pains? Growing pains are often described as an ache or throb in the legs — often in the front of the thighs, the calves or hamstrings. The pain is in the muscles not the joints. Growing pains tend to affect both legs and occur at night, which may even wake a child from sleep. Growing pains usually coincide with increased activity. Does your child suffer from growing pains? Learn more about growing pains and how they can be effectively managed whilst your child is still growing! Common signs of an Overuse Injury in children It is important to be aware of the more common signs of an overuse injury. These include: Pain – Especially pain that cannot be associated to an injury, such as from a fall or a contact in a sport. This pain often increases with activity. Painful limp or protective walk Decreased interest in activity or sport Treatments for Lower limb Overuse Injuries in Children and Adolescents Activity modification may be necessary (reduced intensity or reduced training days) Adequate water and food intake and sleep Improve footwear Address lower limb biomechanics if contributing factor – if your child has poor foot posture, tight muscles or joint hypermobility they may be more prone to getting overuse injuries. Want to learn more about our varied treatment options for children’s foot pain and lower leg pain? When Should I Bring My Child to see a Podiatrist? Podiatrists play an important role in addressing concerns with children’s feet and lower limbs, their walking and running patterns and gross motor development. Children’s feet and legs are more malleable to change when they are younger, often making treatments more effective at a younger age. If required, early Podiatry treatment can improve children’s strength and coordination and reduce the likelihood of foot and lower limb problems occurring in adulthood. Many children’s foot and leg issues can be simply addressed when caught early on. With the right treatment, this ensures that your child is moving well, and that they are healthy and happy in the long term. Does your child suffer from knee pain or feet problems? Make an appointment with Foundation Podiatry today, so they can get back to everything they enjoy – pain free!

Why am I suffering from heel pain?

When heel pain and discomfort becomes an issue, it can be a major disruption to your day-to-day routine, especially if you lead a busy, active life. Let’s face it; we need our feet and legs for the most basic daily tasks, whether it’s driving, exercising or simply walking. When you’re suffering from heel pain, all these basic tasks can become much more challenging, and that can have negative consequences on your quality of life. Foundation Podiatry is Townsville’s Heel Pain clinic where we pride ourselves on the non-surgical, effective treatment of your heel pain. Contact us for more information. What is Heel pain? Heel pain is one of the most common complaints we receive from our patients. As Podiatrists we see this problem every day ranging from children to adults. Overuse or injury to the heel may trigger heel pain. This can range anywhere from mild to disabling. The overwhelming majority of heel pain in adults can be attributed to one condition, Plantar Fasciitis. The pain commonly occurs at the bottom of the foot called the plantar surface and may extend into the arch of the foot. What causes Heel pain? Often there has been an increase in load placed on your lower limb that your body has not had the capacity to deal with resulting in injury. This increase in load may include: Jobs that require lots of walking on hard surfaces Prolonged barefoot on hard surfaces Starting a new exercise program; or increasing your training intensity/volume or style Weight gain Wearing old, worn out footwear; high heels Certain foot types may increase your likelihood of developing heel pain – such as tight calf muscles, weak intrinsic foot muscles, high arch rigid feet with poor shock absorption etc. Certain factors may increase the risk of developing heel pain and/or impair your body’s own ability to repair the injury – such as Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, menopause, obesity, old age, stress, inadequate sleep. Heel pain can occur from a one-time incident/injury however it is much more likely due to an overuse injury. Do you suffer from heel pain? Contact us today to get a treatment plan in order. What are the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis? Heel pain usually affects just one foot, but it can affect both feet. Common symptoms may include: Pain under the heel which may extend into the arch Heel pain is usually worse the first few steps in the morning and after rest periods during the day Heel pain often aggravated by prolonged standing, walking or running, especially on hard surfaces As the condition progresses, patients may experience burning, numbness and throbbing around the heel when resting at night What is the best treatment for heel pain? Heel pain is a common condition yet complex in nature, where a ‘one size fits all’ treatment approach often fails. How we manage heel pain for one person may be quite different to the next person. We take into consideration factors such has occupation, age, body weight, how long have you had heel pain for, how capable is your body of healing itself? After a detailed Initial Biomechanical Assessment at Foundation Podiatry Townsville, we will be able to recommend to most appropriate treatment for your heel pain. We utilise the latest treatment options with a personalised approach to make you pain free in the shortest possible time! Treatment options for heel pain may include: Low Level Laser Therapy Shockwave Therapy Mobility, Balance & Strength exercises Medical Acupuncture Custom Foot Supports (Orthotics) What can I do to reduce the likelihood of developing heel pain in the first place? Wear suitable footwear (avoid high heels and pointy toes) Reduce barefoot time on hard surfaces (but don’t avoid barefoot altogether) Stretch calf muscles regularly Roll/ massage plantar surface of foot regularly Slowly increase intensity/ frequency of exercise Maintain a healthy body weight How Can Foundation Podiatry Help You? At Foundation Podiatry, we pride ourselves on being a locally owned and operated business. Our Podiatrists, Hayley and Chris, both have over 16 years’ experience working with heel pain and other complex foot, ankle and lower limb conditions. We treat people as individuals and offer specific treatment options for specific needs. If you’re suffering from heel pain, get in touch with us to see how our varied treatment options and personalised approach can help you.

Running Related Injuries

There are many reasons why running injuries occur which can make them complicated to treat and even more complex to prevent...Here are some of the main risk factors: Running is a sport growing in participation and is also associated with high rate of injuries – annual incidence is reported to be as high as 50% - that is, 1 in every 2 runners are injured each year. (1) Most commonly injured areas are knees (50% of all injuries), foot (39%) and lower leg (32%). (1) Most running injuries are considered to be overuse injuries (also referred to as training error injuries) where the tissue that's being loaded during running is not tolerating the accumulation of stress. The most common running related injuries are patellofemoral pain (pain at the front of the knee), ITB friction syndrome (pain on the outside of the knee), medial tibial stress syndrome (“shin splints”), achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciopathy (heel pain), stress fractures and muscle strains. (1) There are many contributing factors and causes of running injuries, which can make them complicated to treat and even more complex to prevent. Identifying the risk factors and addressing these form the basis of evidence-based injury prevention and management. Here are some of the main risk factors (1): Previous history of a running injury: this is the main risk factor to developing another running injury! Experience of running (running history) – inexperienced runners (0 – 2 years of running history) are more likely to be injured compared with more experienced runners. Why?? More experienced runners have developed better "tissue tolerance" where consistent running has provided a level of protection against injury. Inexperienced runners are more prone to overloading their tissues (bones, tendons, muscles, joints) as they are still adapting to the increased loads associated with running.

Is FOOT PAIN hindering your New Year's Fitness Resolution?

Most people try to kick off the New Year with a healthy, positive goal in mind. Whether that be regularly walking Castle Hill or training for a half marathon, it’s important to have a plan in place. Unfortunately for many people embarking on a new exercise regime… PAIN often follows! Foot pain, shin pain and knee pain are common culprits that can quickly put a stop to your training. 3 things to consider when embarking on a new exercise regime: FOOTWEAR is a biggy! What type of training are you doing? Running, CrossFit, netball, hiking?? A particular shoe may be required for a particular activity. In many instances, footwear can be the cause of an injury, or may help to resolve an injury. Have a read of our ‘How to choose the correct training footwear‘ article. Be careful of TOO MUCH TOO SOON! Most people are super excited when starting a new exercise regime. Take it easy and slowly build up the intensity, duration and frequency. Rest days are allowed! Any niggly injuries should be addressed before you start! Are you having heel pain or forefoot pain after training? Knee pain doing squats or shin pain when sprinting? The sooner you address these issues the sooner they will resolve, and the more likely you will be to reach your fitness summit. At Foundation Podiatry Townsville our Podiatrists Hayley & Chris are leaders in their field of Biomechanical Podiatry. Visit us for a detailed Posture, Movement and Gait Assessment to identify the cause of your problem, instead of just treating the symptoms. Remember….. ACTIVE FEET > ACTIVE BODY > ACTIVE LIFE By Hayley Paterson | Biomechanical Podiatrist Townsville

More pages in this section

Hints & Tips

Help us Share the Dignity this August

Townsville Heel Pain Clinic

Is your child complaining of knee pain or foot problems?

Why am I suffering from heel pain?

Running Related Injuries

Is FOOT PAIN hindering your New Year's Fitness Resolution?

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How Can Our Townsville Podiatrists Help You?

Hints & Tips

Help us Share the Dignity this August

Townsville Heel Pain Clinic

Is your child complaining of knee pain or foot problems?

Why am I suffering from heel pain?

Running Related Injuries

Is FOOT PAIN hindering your New Year's Fitness Resolution?

'Start low & go slow’ – How to begin an exercise regime from scratch

Heel Pain in Children: Why do my child’s heels hurt when playing sport?

BACK TO SCHOOL - how to avoid those 'Growing Pains'

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