Articles
I’m a runner so why is my Podiatrist asking me to go to the gym?
Kyle Dalmau (B.Pod, MAPodA) Runners will often seek an opinion from their Podiatrist in relation to their injury history or in preparation for an upcoming goal or event. It is common for the patient to question the Podiatrist about their footwear, orthotics, structural abnormalities, injury management and running form. With our state-of-the-art 3D RunLab, it …
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ISO RUNNER
Running during and post isolation – The Iso Runner Life during the Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging in many ways. Many of us have turned to running and walking for both physical and mental wellbeing. However, clinically we are seeing many people come through our doors with pain and issues stemming from the rise of …
The Science of Running: Heavy resistance training to improve running performance
Kyle Dalmau (B.Pod, MAPodA) Running is fun. Well it should be! As widely reported in the media, Eliud Kipchoge’s recent run in Vienna breaking the two-hour barrier for the marathon while wearing Nike Vaporfly next% shoe has created a lot of buzz and discussion. Internet forums and blog sites around the world are awash with …
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Do I need Orthotics?
The foot is home to numerous bones, muscles and ligaments which are designed to perform a variety of complex functions. Feet should be able to absorb shock, facilitate balance and carry you through your day. Without the right support and alignment people often experience pain. When this is the case you may need the help …
KeryFlex Nail Restoration System
Podiatrists commonly see a wide variety of nail disorders. They can range from short term nail damage caused by trauma, genetic abnormalities or severe fungal infections. Experienced podiatrists are experts in diagnosing and offering appropriate management for the wide ranging conditions that can affect the nails and their appearance. One of the treatments we specialise …
Blisters: what causes them and how can I stop them
Blisters can be debilitating on many different fronts. They can disrupt your sightseeing while on holidays and stop you performing at your best on the sporting field. Blisters are caused by moisture and friction. Practising prevention is key! Identifying any blister hot-spots and possible causes will help you to manage, and hopefully prevent their occurrence …
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Shockwave Therapy at Melbourne Foot Clinic
Matthew Dilnot The Melbourne Foot Clinic offers shockwave therapy as an additional treatment option for patients. For those who aren’t familiar with shockwave therapy, I often liken it to patients as “strong” ultrasound. Many people are familiar with the use of ultrasound in physiotherapy practices and may have received this sort of treatment in the …
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Reducing Our Risk of Falling as we Age
Samantha Saill As we get older, something that we need to start considering is our increased risk of falling and injuring ourselves. It is a frightening fact that the chance of falling becomes much higher as we age. In fact, one third of people over sixty-five and half of people over the age of eighty-five …
West Class Eagles
Dale J. Coffey West Coast fans were delirious at the sight of Luke Shuey doing a ‘shoey’. And while everyone at the Eagles partied hard after their epic Grand Final win over Collingwood, it’s their respect and class drawing the eyes of the media. Not only did they clean up their change rooms at the …
Cadence and Achieving Running Success
Rohan Coull What is cadence? Cadence can be defined as a beat or a rate of measurement, and with running, it is another word for stride rate and is measured in strides per minute (spm). Cadence is just one of the parameters we look at in gait, as there are many features in gait that …
Today, I Ran
Dale J. Coffey Before I say anything at all, I need to first make one thing clear; I do not run. I’ve flirted with the idea a few times in my short life, but, frankly, I’ve always seen it as a something of an abusive relationship. “Oh yeah,” people will say. “I’m hurting so much, …
The Laces Epidemic
Dale J. Coffey Sometimes, the tongue just keeps on sliding down your foot. Other times, it’s your heel not being able to squeeze into the shoe (even though it wasn’t a problem yesterday). Or, if you’re like me, it takes forever to put your shoes on because doing up the laces is a real struggle. …
Cazorla’s Achilles’ Heel
Dale J. Coffey Before he was struck down by what can only be described as the worst injury luck imaginable, footballer Santi Cazorla was renowned around the world as a superstar for Arsenal in the English Premier League. He spent two years and two months between 2013 and 2018 injured. Seven hundred and ninety-six days, …
Same Old Boots
Dale J. Coffey The Adidas Adipure 11pro 2013/2014 football boot. A relatively standard shoe, particularly for a professional footballer, that hasn’t been in production for three years now. And yet, the boots are still worn by German midfielder Toni Kroos, one of the very best footballers in the world. He first wore the boots in …
Lower Limb Tendinopathy – What You Don’t Know
Lower Limb Tendinopathy is a common problem across a broad age range and a major cause of frustration and pain. Tendinopathy presents in the lower leg in the Achilles tendon and the Posterior Tibial Tendon. The Plantar Fascia is not strictly a tendon but it can behave much like a chronic tendon injury. Tendinopathy can be a …
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Performance And Comfort – Golf Shoe Review
As the evolution to more lightweight athletic style golf shoes continue, more brands are entering the market. This doesn’t mean that the traditional market leaders in this segment are getting overtaken, quite the contrary. FootJoy, the clear market leader in golf, has probably never had such a broad range and variation within their quality shoes, …
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Diabetes and your feet
Did you know that Diabetes can affect your feet? If you have been diagnosed with diabetes it is important to have you feet checked regularly by a podiatrist. Over time elevated levels of sugar in your blood can lead to impaired circulation, this means less blood is able to travel to and reach your feet. …
Winter is coming!
The snow season is upon us. Snowboarding and skiing place significant demands on the lower limbs so adequate strength and correct boot fit are essential for a great season. Get your boots right for the optimum comfort and performance in balance, edge control and power. Pain or difficulty on a particular manoeuvre on the snow can …
The truth behind corns and callouses
Hyperkeratosis (hardened skin/callous and corns) are a condition that many individuals suffer from over their lifetime. Callouses are diffuse areas of thickened skin. Corns are more focal areas of hard skin that grow in an inward direction often causing more acute areas of pain. There are many different reasons why an individual may develop corns …
Toe Walking in Children
Toe walking, or walking up on the balls of the foot is common in young children; it is estimated that 5-10% of children will toe walk. In most cases children who are healthy and otherwise developing well, will grow out of this way of walking. In a small number of cases, it may be a …
What is a Podiatrist?
A podiatrist, also known as a podiatric physician, is essentially a doctor for your feet. They are trained to diagnose and treat all conditions of the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg. Podiatrists are the most qualified primary care practitioners to care for your feet. After a four year undergraduate degree and further …
Arthritis and Your Feet
Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that can affect any joint in the body. There are many forms of arthritis and the more common forms include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is common in older people and results from general wear and tear of the joints over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the …
Sever’s Disease
Heel pain in kids is one of the more common pathologies seen in the clinic. There are many different causes of heel pain in kids. Such as Heel stress fractures, bursitis, tendinopathy yet Sever’s Disease is by far the most common. Sever’s Disease is not actually a disease; it is in fact “growing pains” in …
Orthotics at Melbourne Foot Clinic
The foot is home to numerous bones, muscles and ligaments which are designed to perform a variety of complex functions. Feet should be able to absorb shock, facilitate balance and carry you through your day. Without the right support and alignment people often experience pain. When this is the case you may need the help …
Tips for Toenail Cutting
Correct methods for toenail cutting are important for providing not only comfort for the individual, but also to remain pain and infection free. Ingrown toenails occur when a nail becomes lodged in the skin and does not grow normally. They are one of the major causes of foot discomfort and pain. Some nails have a …
School Shoes – The Perfect Fit
School Shoes are an important fit to get right as kids can take up to 16,000 steps day. Things to look for in a good school shoe are: Leather upper and quality stitching to provide good durability Rubber sole to increase shock absorption and durability Leather lining to allow for breathability Shock absorbing midsole to …
Heel Pain
Heel pain in adults is one of the most commonly presenting complaints to our podiatrists, with the most common cause being plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a ligament that connects the heel to the ball of the foot. Under normal circumstances, your plantar fascia acts like a shock-absorbing bowstring, supporting the arch in your …
Diabetes Management
Diabetes is an increasingly common issue in our society with more than 100,000 Australians having developed the condition in the last year. Diabetes can affect both the blood and the nerves and the most common complications involve the eyes, kidneys and feet. Over time diabetic individuals can become neuropathic and loose feeling in their feet. …
Keryflex Nail Restoration System
Podiatrists commonly see a wide variety of nail disorders. They can range from short term nail damage caused by trauma, genetic abnormalities or severe fungal infections. Experienced podiatrists are experts in diagnosing and offering appropriate management for the wide ranging conditions that can affect the nails and their appearance. One of the treatments we specialise …
Pre Pointe Assessment
Getting your first pair of pointe shoes is a very exciting time in a young dancer’s career. Pointe work places a large amount of stress and strain on the lower leg and foot so it is important to have a pre pointe assessment to determine whether the dancer has adequate strength, control and technique to …
Chilblains
Chilblains are a painful inflammation that often occurs in the toes due to sudden changes in temperature such as putting cold feet onto a heater or hot water bottle. They are characterized as swollen, itchy skin that is often blue, red or white in appearance; and they can involve burning sensations or blistering. Chilblains do …
Foot Facts
¾ of people experience serious foot problems in their lifetime. The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. ¼ of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of the body. Only a small percentage of …