– just look how many types there are! They can be made from Silicon, or felt, or various materials.
You may feel like you are swimming in an ocean of silicon, felt and ribbed sleeves when it comes to toe prop varieties.
We are often asked which devices would suit a particular foot type. It is important for our Podiatrists to assess the foot to determine which one to choose. Continue Reading
As we put our clocks back 1 hour, we prepare ourselves for the impending Autumn. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. The silver lining to this time of year is the start of winter sports such as netball, rugby and soccer. Athletes young and old take to the outdoors in rain, hail or shine to compete for that winning feeling. Speed, slippery surfaces and a team’s drive to win can also lead to nasty injuries. Even the best in the business get hurt, so what should you do if you do get inured? See your Podiatrist ASAP of course!
The Injured Athlete: How Nutrition Can Improve Recovery
I attended a seminar with the Auckland branch of Sports Medicine NZ for an evening where practitioners shared their “Clinical Pearls”. Continue Reading
Summer is well on its way. We’re starting to see bluer skies and feel warmer winds. As we start to strip off the heavier layers of clothing, footwear is often to reduced to slip ons, jandals, sandals and bare-feet.
Lighter evenings and clear skies take away the “It’s too cold” and “It’s raining” excuse to get out and exercise. With an increase of walking and summer sporting activities and a transition to less supportive footwear, we are more likely to develop dry skin and cracked heels. We are also more likely to develop all sorts of foot and ankle pain. And how do you treat dry skin at home? Continue Reading
Ouch- Are you suffering in silence with ingrown toenails?
Did you know that Podiatrists perform surgery for Ingrown Toenails and Verrucae procedures? And we love it!
Ingrown toenails are common in the podiatry clinic. Our preferred option initially is always to treat it conservatively and minimise pain but surgery is another treatment plan routinely offered. Conservative measures include; Continue Reading
In my personal and professional life, in the sporting arena and the Podiatry clinic, heel pain is a common occurrence. 
It is said that the average human walks around the world more than three times over the span of their life. With 26 bones (and two sesamoids) and hundreds of tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves in each foot, we are bound to encounter a foot problem sooner or later. One of the most common of these is heel pain! Continue Reading
Heel pain is one of the most common conditions treated by podiatrists. It is often a message from the body that something is in need of medical attention. Pain that occurs right after an injury or early in an illness may play a protective role, often warning us about the damage we have suffered.
Who Gets Heel Pain?
The greatest incidence of heel pain is seen in middle-aged men and women. It is also seen in those who take part in regular sporting activities and those significantly overweight and on their feet a lot. Heel pain can also occur in children, usually between 8 and 13, as they become increasingly active in sporting activities.
Chilblains are patches of red, swollen and itchy skin often caused by cold weather and sometimes exacerbated by poor circulation. Extremities such as the toes, fingers, nose and ear lobes are most at risk. Prevention strategies include keeping the whole body warm, and exercising regularly to improve peripheral circulation.
The toes are particularly vulnerable, but other extremities that can develop chilblains include fingers, ear lobes and the nose. Tight shoes can also contribute by irritating and pressing on the skin of the toes, especially the little toe. Despite the discomfort, chilblains don’t cause any permanent damage to tissue. Not everyone exposed to cold and damp conditions will develop chilblains, which leads some researchers to believe that those who do to be overly sensitive to changes in weather and temperature. The elderly, sedentary, teenagers and people with medical conditions such as anaemia are most susceptible.
Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly. This is because the body’s method of converting glucose into energy is not working as it should.
There are two common forms of diabetes:
Type 1, also known as insulin dependent diabetes. This usually affects children and young adults. People with this type of diabetes require daily insulin injections.
Type 2, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is by far the most common and usually affects people over the age of 40 years.
