Croydon Total Footcare

Posterior tibial tendonitis

Admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:53:45 +0000

Posterior tibial tendonitis is a problem that is more common in athlete who spend more time on their forefoot (eg tennis; basketball; runners who forefoot strike). The discomfort of posterior tibial tendonitis usually occurs around the medial or inside ankle bone and sometimes down into the arch of the foot. The treatment of posterior tibial tendonitis is to alter the training routine in the athlete to within tolerance levels and use modalities to reduce the load in the tendon such as strapping and foot orthotics.

Austin Bunionectomy

Admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:01:59 +0000

The Austin bunionectomy is probably the most common procedure used for treating bunions associated with hallux valgus. The Austin Bunionectomy is a combination procedure that involves the removal of the lump of the bunion and a wedge osteotomy of the first metatarsal to alter the alignment of the bone. Additionally, the Austin Bunionectomy also involves some soft tissue work around the first metatarsophalangeal joint to alter the pull of the tendons. A screw fixation is needed for the Austin Bunionectomy.

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Toe Walking

Admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:27:27 +0000

Toe walking is common in kids and can be insignificant or it can be of great importance. Many kids just like to walk around on their toes and have a full range of ankle joint motion so they can get the heel down to the ground and have no underlying problems causing the toe walking. However, in some kids the toe walking can be a sign of and underlying neurological problem (eg cerebral palsy) or behavioural problem (eg Autism). For that reason toe walking needs to be taken very seriously and thoroughly investigated to rule out any of those underlying causes. If there is no underlying problem, then the child will generally stop toe walking in due course.

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Top of Foot Pain

Admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:35:27 +0000

We have been seeing more of the condition ‘TOFP’ (top of foot pain) as it has become known around the barefoot running community. This top of foot pain is a common injury in the barefoot or minimalist runner which is someone unusual given all the claims made that running this way is supposed to reduce injury. A cursory look at any number of the barefoot or minimalist running website and you see plenty of runners asking about this injury. The basic problem in this top of foot pain is that with the forefoot landing the dorsiflexion forces on the forefoot are too high and there is some jamming of the bones ad joints on the dorsum of the foot. The best way to manage this is to get back to heel striking so the forces causing it are not so high.

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Baxters Nerve Entrapment

Admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:56:39 +0000

Baxters nerve entrapment is a problem that occurs at the heel and can often be misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis. Complicating this is that he inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis can actually cause the Baxters neuritis! Differentiating between the two is important so that the treatment can be better directed. Plantar fasciitis is more painful in the morning compared to the Baxters neuropathy. The pain of a Baxters nerve entrapment tends to radiate more than the pain from plantar fasciitis. A unique feature of Baxters is that that those with it tend to have a problem abducting the little toe, however so do a lot of people so it is not that accurate.

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Pes Cavus

Admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:08:55 +0000

The high arched or pes cavus foot provides challenges in clinical practice. The first thing that needs to be established is the cause of the pes cavus. Neurological causes need to be ruled out initially as this condition can be first sign of several different problems. The treatment of pes cavus will depend on the cause of any symptoms. The pain in pes cavus can be from pressure on the metatarsal heads, so accommodative type foot orthotics are often needed. If the pain is in the arch or heel, then more supportive foot orthotics are indicated. If the pain is further up the lower limb, functional foot orthotics may be needed to change the function of the foot. If the pain is on top of the foot, then footwear advice is often needed. If all else fails then pes cavus surgery is indicated.

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The Secret to the Best Running Shoe

Admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:40:46 +0000

Unfortunately there is no secret best running shoe! They are all good. Every runner is different. Every runner has a different foot type and structure. Every runner has a different running style. Every runner has different needs. Every running shoe make and model has different design features all designed to achieve different things and meet different characteristics. The secret (if there is one) is to match the characteristics and needs of the runner to the correct running shoes. Theoretically of you get the match wrong, there is a potential for increased injury risk and decreased performance. If you get the match right, then there is possible a decreased injury risk and a potential for increased performance. The challenge in running shoe prescribing is to get the match between the two right. It is not an easy task and best left to the speciality running shoes stores.

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APodC

Admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:23:49 +0000

The Australian Podiatry Council (APodC) is the peak body for the podiatry profession in Australia. There are only six members, which are the State Podiatry Assocaition (NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA, Qld). APodC are headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. The staff at the APodC office carry out national activities and goals whereas the state associations are responsible for state activities. See also ANZPAC.

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Ponsetti Method for Clubfoot

Admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 02:16:33 +0000

The Ponsetti method for clubfoot is becoming the most popular method for treating clubfoot. It is a manipulative technique that does not need surgery. Gradual corrections are achieved through gentle manipulation and then plaster casts are applied to maintain that correction. This is repeated regularly for several months in the infant to achieve full correction of the deformity. A lot of research now supports the Ponsetti method for clubfoot.

Pitted Keratolysis

Admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 01:36:10 +0000

I just noticed several questions being asked in some online forums about pitted keratolysis (see: pitted keratolysis). Pitted keratolysis is a condition that affects the soles of the feet. It mostly happens in those who sweat more especially if they wear closed in footwear. It is caused by corynebacteria infection that develops in the moist environment. It affects either the forefoot or the heel or both and appears as white with areas of punched-out pits or small cavities. They look a lot worse when the foot is wet. The primary treatment for pitted keratolysis is to deal with the hyperhidrosis or sweaty foot first. Occasionally a topical antibiotic, either topical or oral is needed if control of the hyperhidrosis is not successful in the treatment of pitted keratolysis.

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The Weil Osteotomy

Admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:16:51 +0000

The Weil Osteotomy is a common surgical procedure for problems in the forefoot such as plantar corns and calluses, plantarflexed metatarsals and problems commonly lumped under the term ‘metatarsalgia’. While the Weil Osteotomy is commonly used, it is also controversial and opinions are clearly divided on its usefulness. There have been a couple of online polls about this. Podiatry Online TV has some video clips on the Weil Osteotomy.

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Tarsal Coalitions

Admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:38:46 +0000

When we are first developing before birth, the foot is just a lump of cartilage. Inside that cartilage the individual bone develop separate from each other and the joints between them develop, so at birth we should have all the bones well on their way to being developed and the joint form. Sometimes a joint or joints between bones does not form and are joined by a bridge or cartilage. This is called a tarsal coalition. There are several types of tarsal coalitions, depending on which bones are involved. Two common one are the talocalcaneal coalition and the calcaneonavicular coalition. Initially these tend not to cause any problems as the cartilage is very flexible, but at the child gets older, they can become symptomatic as the bone becomes more developed. Foot orthotics can be used to restrict movement of the bones to help the symptoms. In most cases of tarsal coaltions a surgical removal of the bridge of bone connecting the bones across the joint can be helpful.

What is Pedorthics?

Admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:54:37 +0000

A pedorthist is a health professional that specializes in the use of footwear and supportive devices to treat conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs. Pedorthists work in a number of different setting with a wide range of people. A number of organisations offer pedorthics certification (CPed). To be qualified in pedorthics there must be the study of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics, as well as all the conditions that can affect the foot, especially the footwear and orthotic management of them.

The Problem of Forefoot Varus

Admin — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:15:55 +0000

Forefoot varus is a position of the forefoot that is inverted when the subtalar joint is in its defined neutral position and the midtarsal joint is maximally pronated. To get this foot flat on the ground the rearfoot has to pronate. This can lead to a number of problems.

Forefoot supinatus is also an inverted position of the forefoot when the subtalar joint is in its neutral position and the midtarsal joint is maximally pronated. However, it is a very different beast to forefoot varus. Forefoot varus is an osseous deformity, but forefoot supinatus is a soft tissue contracture. When the rearfoot pronates, for whatever reason, the forefoot can not go through the ground, so it is in a relatively inverted position compared to the rearfoot position. As the soft tissues adapt to this position, a forefoot supinatus develops.

So, forefoot varus is the cause of excessive foot pronation and forefoot supinatus is the result of rearefoot pronation. Forefoot varus is not very common and forefoot supinatus is very common. The management of them is very different and potentially can cause problems if it is done wrong.

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Finding Podiatry Jobs

Admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:50:31 +0000

Podiatrists are always in demand and good staff are always hard to find. There are many places to advertise for podiatry jobs and discuss podiatry employment. The growing demand for podiatry due to the aging of the population possibly means that there will always be a shortage of podiatrists.