So you’ve reached that half way point. You find that flat spot with a killer view to sit down and enjoy. Getting that bag off your back feels so good and you know those goodies you packed for fuel are going to taste better than ever.

This view, the H2O and “aaaa-mazing” home made beef jerky your friend has supplied you with, promising no adverse affects, would all be perfect if you weren’t also wishing to find a new pair of feet at the bottom of that bag...

Whether you’re a competitive runner or humble walker on your own, with friends or with your family, here are some valuable HOT tips for hiking all year round!

• QUALITY GEAR: If you’re heading out for a HIKE rather than a walk, it is an absolute investment to gear yourself up with quality products. This doesn’t mean you need to go all out with a top of the range mini filtration system or most recent survival bracelet equipped with bottomless inventory! Invest in products that are going to take care of you so you don’t have to do it later.

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• NO NEW SHOES: Just a gentle reminder you should NEVER have to “break your shoes in”, let alone on a hike. If you have the right size and have been fit correctly, this shouldn’t be an issue. So just in case you haven’t discovered already the shoes were not fit correctly, don’t wear fresh shoes on a hike.

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• LACING: There are plenty of different ways to lace your shoes to accommodate different foot shapes.  Google can help with this research ;-)

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• SOCK(S): Merino wool and Bamboo are great materials for hiking socks. Thorlo and Bridegdale are brands highly recommended. Take into consideration the thickness of your socks, make sure they’re adequately dried and take more than one pair for those multi day hikes.

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•  ACTI-BLISS: You’ll find this blister prevention wool in many of our hiking shoes.

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•  MAGNESIUM POWDER: A heap of research shows that physical exercise depletes magnesium, leaving your energy metabolism efficiency impaired. So if you’re multi day hiking, you may benefit from supplementation. Consult with your GP if need be.

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• COMPEED BLISTER PACK: These can provide some really great relief for any sneaky blisters.

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• GORE-TEX: Moisture getting into your footwear is bad news! Gore-tex provides a waterproof lining keeping your feet dry and warm.

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• WALKING POLES: Depending how hardcore you’re going, and how uneven the terrain is, walking poles can really be the legs you need when you start to fatigue.  Kids are already great at this when they find a big stick to walk with;-)

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• GAITERS: Depending on the terrain and whether or not you’ve abandoned the beaten track, gaiters are a nice addition protecting your legs from branches, thorns, mud and even leeches and mosquitoes!

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• SKIN AND NAIL: Don’t head out with long and unruly nails. These can become super painful and cause further problems if they’re continuously hitting the end of your shoes. Any hard skin will also be uncomfortable and slow you down. Addressing both these after the hike is just as important as before.

​Headaches in short are a continuous pain around the head, face or neck, they can occur in any part of the head, on both sides of the head or in just one location. They are one of the most common medical complaints and can have a disabling effect on a day to day basis like quality of sleep, mood and overall function of the body. 

PRIMARY VS SECONDARY HEADACHES

Headaches are broadly categorised as either primary or secondary. A primary headache is when the headaches are not caused by another condition or disease. The two most common primary headaches are migraines and tension type headaches. A secondary headache is caused by problems elsewhere in the head or neck, or by a condition. The two most common secondary headaches are cervicogenic and medication overuse headaches. 

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO YOUR HEADACHE

Tension type headaches, migraines and cervicogenic headaches like many pain issues we are challenged with, are what we call 'multi-factorial'. We as Chiropractors, like the bio - psycho - social construct when approaching patient care and this encapsulates headaches we see in the clinic every week very well. But what does this actually mean?

Well in terms of headaches (and all pain) it means that lots of things contribute to the pain you are experiencing. One analogy could be the overflowing 'tea cup'.

If we think of your headaches as the overfilling of a tea cup (stick with me here) then everything in your life tipped into the tea cup could be a contributor.

Things such as: stress, dietary factors, sleep quality, exercise habits, hormones, genetics, medications, biomechanical skeletal factors and many more. Sometimes the triggers can be very hard to pin down because the thing that tips you over the edge can be different at different times and the last thing to make the cup overflow…… and then boof - headache.​

DRUGS AND HEADACHES

There is significant dissatisfaction with headache drug outcomes and the side effects that come with taking these drugs and headaches are the third most common reason for why people seek help from chiropractors. We are a drug free alternative for headache sufferers.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

So how can chiropractic care actually help with headaches? 

Assessment of posture, muscle tone, functional movement patterns and how the spine and extremities are moving while taking into account work, hobbies and other daily activities are important factors for the possible causes of the headache. After this, appropriate treatment, lifestyle changes and patient education is needed. Treatment can include:

• Spinal manipulative therapy on areas of the spine that may be stiff or causing pain and 
• Muscle release techniques on muscles that may be contributing
• Lifestyle changes may be needed such as improved posture at work or during particular activities.
• Implementation of exercises and stretches to relax and strengthen muscles.
• Patient education explaining possible variables contributing to the headaches and ways to manage them. There are multiple contributing factors to the cause, pain intensity and frequency of headaches but if a factor such as postural related stress is decreased or removed this can have a positive outcome and possibly stop the headaches altogether. 

Simple management plans that you can implement straight away include:

• Alternating between standing and sitting desks.
• Taking regular breaks every 30 mins.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Making sure you’re in ideal posture while working or on the computer.
• Stretches for neck and shoulders.
• Screen is at eye level.
• Participating in regular exercise.

If you suffer from headaches on a regular basis or general neck pain, I highly recommend visiting a health professional. If you are local to the Loftus area, health associates would be more than happy to help you with these issues and take a holistic assessment and approach to taking control of your life.
​

Joshua Hallinan
Chiropractor
​
Joshua is a very focused, dedicated and committed Practitioner.  
Growing up in Menai, he has been actively involved in  AFL and Cricket and  currently has a passion for Soccer and strength based training. He loves sport but more importantly, Joshua can see the major benefits of being active and moving regularly.
Joshua's special interests are in sports injuries, musculoskeletal complaints and headaches. He enjoys helping relieve pain and alignments and supporting his patients to live optimally as well as instilling optimism and personal belief that moving well is important for a happy and health life.
You know when you see Joshua you are in the hands of someone who continually strives to be ahead in his profession and will bring his expertise and skill to all of his patients. You'll find Josh has a friendly and enthusiastic personality, who is also very relaxed and down to earth to be with, leaving you feel comfortable and confident in his treatment and recommendations. 
​
Availability
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday - 3pm - 7pm
Friday - 3pm - 7pm

CAUSES

Sciatica is commonly cause by pressure or irritation from a disc herniation or disc bulge. The disc is pressing on one of the lumbar or sacral nerve roots. This is present in around 90% of cases and often occurs during heavy lifting. Other causes include:
​

• Lumbar spine stenosis (Narrowing of the spinal canal where the nerve exits from the spinal cord).
• Spondylolisthesis (When a vertebra in spine slips forward over the one below).
• Degenerative disc disease (Loss of disc height, decreasing the space for the spinal cord and nerves).
• Pregnancy.
• Muscle spasm in low back or buttocks (piriformis muscle is a common site).

PREVENTION

• Maintain healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly to build strength.
• Low back stretches.
• Proper lifting techniques.
• Use good posture when sitting, standing and sleeping

GENERAL TREATMENT

Most cases do not require surgery, but the type of therapy will depend on severity of the condition and include:

• Rest.
• Medication (paracetamol, anti-inflammatory drugs).
• Physical therapy (chiropractic, physiotherapy or massage).
• Physical activity
• Lifestyle changes.

​
How does chiropractic care help with sciatica?

Chiropractic treatment is used when the issue causing the sciatic nerve pain is musculoskeletal without serious pathology (disc issue, muscle spasm, mild forms of degeneration in the back or postural related, are some examples). The main goals are to de-load the back, take pressure off the irritated nerve and strengthen structures in the low back and gluteal region. Modalities used in chiropractic to treat the cause of sciatica include:

• Massage/trigger point therapy/fascial releases.
• Dry needling.
• Taping.
• Manipulation.
• Mobilisation.
• Education.
• Patient specific rehab.

If you have any issues regarding to low back pain or pain referral down the leg, I highly recommend visiting a health professional. If you are local to the Loftus area, health associates would be more than happy to help you with these issues. 


REFERENCES

Valat, Jean-Pierre, et al. "Sciatica." Best practice & research Clinical rheumatology 24.2 (2010): 241-252.

Koes, Bart W., M. W. Van Tulder, and W. C. Peul. "Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica." Bmj 334.7607 (2007): 1313-1317.

Vroomen, Patrick CAJ, et al. "Conservative treatment of sciatica: a systematic review." Clinical Spine Surgery 13.6 (2000): 463-469.

Ropper, Allan H., and Ross D. Zafonte. "Sciatica." New England Journal of Medicine 372.13 (2015): 1240-1248.
​

​Callus build up on the feet can be uncomfortable, painful and unsightly. It is the symptom of a bigger problem and is just a part of a story our feet are trying to tell us.
 
There are usually internal and external factors contributing to this hard skin building up on our feet. Have you noticed it always returns in the same place?
 
Lots of questions to ponder.....like, why am I getting this hard skin coming back under the ball of my foot? Why are my heels building up dry skin and cracking around the back? Why do I get hard skin on the end of my toes or under the front of my foot?
 
As we become more active or less active, experience lifestyle or health changes, we may then notice the wear patterns on our shoes or feet also begin to change.

Foot function can be affected by muscle weakness or asymmetry, skeletal misalignment, footwear, activity and exercise type and many other internal or external factors.
 
The callus that builds is telling us where pressure peaks between our foot and the ground. Force and friction occur under and around our feet; when this becomes excessive and our body and feet cannot counteract it effectively, our body reacts in different ways. Our skin thickening and hardening is a defense mechanism and is one of the many reactions that can be experienced by us.

​For example, ONE cause of hard skin building up under the forefoot may be tight calves! Tight calves will reduce heel contact time and increase the time spent on the forefoot, and as a result, the pressure!
 
A callus is actually a cry for help! Your foot is not functioning the way it should be and the load of our body weight is not being distributed evenly.
 
So how do we correct this?
 
Removing the dry hard skin either at home or by a Podiatrist, sure does feels good! However, it will not be the best method in resolving the problem permanently.
 
By looking at the WHY you continue to build up this hard skin may actually be the same reason why you're also possibly getting heel pain, why the inside of your knee hurts or why your big toe joint has been throbbing the last couple of months after exercise.
 
If you are experiencing a build up of this hard skin it is definitely worth investigating why, instead of just removing the  callus every now and then.
 
Just like anything in life it is better to be Proactive rather than reactive! Put down the DIY hard skin removal kit and pop in for a proper assessment on why the callus or calluses are occurring.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms will vary with each individual and may include:

• Uneven height of shoulders.
• Waist crease are uneven.
• Scapular winging on one side (shoulder blade more prominent than the other).
• One hip higher than the other.
• Uneven musculature.
• Head not centred directly above pelvis.
• Rib prominence when bent over.
• Obvious exaggerated curvature of the spine.
• Back pain or discomfort.

ADOLESCENT VS ADULT

• Adolescent:
  • Highly progressive.
  • Often flexible.
  • Pain not main issue.
  • Correction primary goal.
• Adult:
  • Slowly progressing.
  • Pain is the main issue.
  • Usually rigid.
  • Limited amount of correction.

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TREATMENT/MANAGEMENT

• Observation:
  • The greater the cobb angle, the greater risk of progression during pubertal growth:
    • 5° curve = 10% risk of progression.
    • 10° = 20% risk of progression.
    • 20° = 30% risk of progression.
    • 30° = 100% risk of progression.

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• The main goals of treatment:
  • Prevent curve progression at puberty.
  • Prevent/treat respiratory dysfunction.
  • Prevent/treat spinal pain.
  • Improve aesthetics.

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• Physio-therapeutic scoliosis specific exercise (PSSE)

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• Bracing:
  • Soft-bracing
  • Night-time rigid bracing
  • Part-time rigid bracing (12-20 hours per day)
  • Full-time rigid bracing (20-24 hours per day)

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• Casting?

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• Conservative care such as physical therapy and chiropractic.

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• Surgery
  
  
  

If you would like further information about scoliosis or any other back issue, we recommend consulting your local health practitioner. If you’re local to health associates we would be more than happy to help you. 


REFERENCES

Negrini, S., et al. "SOSORT guidelines: orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth. Scoliosis Spinal Disord 13: 3." (2016).

Schwab, Frank, et al. "Adult scoliosis: prevalence, SF-36, and nutritional parameters in an elderly volunteer population." Spine 30.9 (2005): 1082-1085.

Weinstein, Stuart L., et al. "Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis." The Lancet 371.9623 (2008): 1527-1537.

Konieczny, Markus Rafael, Hüsseyin Senyurt, and Rüdiger Krauspe. "Epidemiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis." Journal of children's orthopaedics 7.1 (2012): 3-9.

Noshchenko, Andriy, et al. "Predictors of spine deformity progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic review with meta-analysis." World journal of orthopedics 6.7 (2015): 537.

Soucacos, Panayotis N., et al. "Risk factors for idiopathic scoliosis: review of a 6-year prospective study." Orthopedics23.8 (2000): 833-838.

If you’ve experienced heel pain, you will know how inconvenient it was and how important your feet suddenly became!

Feet functioning properly is surprisingly important when they begin to let us down! It's so easy to neglect your feet and take them for granted. Heel pain not only occurs in adults, but children commonly experience sore heels too. You’re going to hear about it from your kids, considering they’re using them all the time so it's so important to try and react to these signs and symptoms early if you can as it could possibly be more than just a blister or a splinter, these heel pains unfortunately, are the cries of some underlying issue demanding attention.

Heel pain can be due to one or multiple different issues. It can involve any structure in the feet including:

• Bone
• Nerve
• Bursa
• Adipose tissue
• Tendon
• Ligament
• Joints
• Muscles
• Skin

 
Heel pain can occur in any area of the heel and can also radiate or refer pain to other areas.

Signs can include things such as

• Erythema (red appearance)
• Swelling
• Heat
• Discoloration or spots
• Lumps or pitting
• Flaking skin
• The child not putting the heel down or lifting it early
• Limping
• Toe walking
• Pain on palpation

Symptoms can include things such as

• Pain worse after rest
• Pain worse after activity
• Pain whilst stretching
• Pain while doing activity
• Deep set pain
• Numbness
• Stinging
• Pain changing locations
• Occurring in conjunction with a low immune e.g. general cold
• Itching
• Burning
• Malodor

Once we react and take action to signs and symptoms, it also allows us to become proactive in the face of possible re-occurrence or in any other issue/s that have have been bought to our attention.
​
The most common pathologies causing heel pain include (not in order)

• Calcaneal apophysitis (otherwise known as Sever’s or growing pains)
• Bursitis (the posterior foot has many different bursae that can become irritated)
• Tendonitis (different tendons may be under strain. Depending on the location this could be the Achilles, Posterior Tibialis or Peroneal’s)
• Fat pad contusion (bruising of the adipose tissue under the foot.
• Plantar fasciitis
• Warts (Human Papilloma Virus)
• Tinea Pedis
• Haglund’s Deformity

Less common pathologies can include

• Pitted keratolysis (bacterial skin infection)
• Calcaneal stress fracture
• Tarsal coalition (fusion of bones)
• Tumors
• Cysts
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

It is important to visit a podiatrist for proper assessment, diagnosis and management or referral. Even if it seems straight forward and self-explanatory about what may be going on with your child’s heel pain it is important to seek professional advice as your home treatment plan is likely to not be as effective. Also, understanding why this issue has popped up is just as important as treatment!
 
Addressing signs and symptoms of heel pain, then consequently the underlying issue may also shine light on other issue/s that have gone unnoticed e.g. tight muscles; limited range of motion in joints, limb length difference etc. Addressing these can lead to a healthier, more comfortable and active life. It may help with sport performance and or just feeling more confident to get out and play!

Written by Anneliese Ball, Podiatrist
Health Associates
Working Monday and every 2nd Saturday
 
 
References

1. DAVISON, M. J. et al. Careful assessment the key to diagnosing adolescent heel pain. Practitioner, [s. l.], v. 260, n. 1793, p. 30, 2016. Disponível em: <http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.newcastle.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=115842957&site=eds-live>. Acesso em: 21 jul. 2019.
2. http://www.asgfootcare.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/childrens-feet700.jpg  

A rotator cuff injury is when there is a strain, tear or damage to the one or more of the rotator cuff muscles. It is one of the most common injured areas of the shoulder. The injury usually involves damage to the rotator cuff tendons (The part of the muscle that connect the muscles to bones). By the age of 50 approximately 10% of people will have a rotator cuff tear. A study by Yamamoto showed 20.7% of 1366 shoulders had full-thickness rotator cuff tears in the general population of a mountain village in japan.

WHAT IS THE ROTATOR CUFF?
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The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that stabilise the shoulder joint, it does this by attaching the scapular (shoulder blade) to the humerus (upper arm bone). The rotator cuff also provides and helps guide movements of the shoulder.

​The rotator cuff is made up of 4 muscles (look at diagram for where they are):

• Supraspinatus. The supraspinatus tendon is the most common site of injury.
• ​Infraspinatus
• Subscapularis
• ​Teres minor

​
Movements that the rotator cuff perform:

• Internal rotation (rotate upper arm towards the body).
• External rotation (rotate the upper arm away from the body).
• Abduction (move the arm away from the body).

​❌❌❌ Do NOT stand with all your weight posted onto one leg. ❌❌❌

Before performing any movement whether that would be a golf swing, throwing a punch in boxing, a 150kg back squat or even something as simple as going for a run/walk, we must make sure you know how align yourself in the best way possible to be able to get the most out of the movement, starting with the pelvis and importance of glute activation. When the pelvis is in neutral for you, you are able to properly activate the glutes.

UNDERSTANDING THE PELVIS:
​

• Learning about how to properly position the pelvis can have a dramatic effect on your postural health. It also helps with muscle imbalances and decreasing the risk of injury.

​

• ​​A neutral pelvis has a slightly anterior tilt, there should be a slight activation of glutes and lower abs. Only small percentage of the population have a neutral pelvis, 9% of males and 18% of females. 

​

• Anterior pelvic tilt and when the pelvis rolls forward and down excessively. A study showed 85% of males and 75% of females have an anterior pelvic tilt. The reason why these percentages are so high is because when we sit the pelvis is place in this position, a large number of people sit for long periods at work and live sedentary lifestyles. Complications of anterior pelvic tilt include weak muscles such as hamstrings, glutes, lower abdominals and hip flexors. This pelvis position makes it difficult to activate and strengthen the glutes. 

​

• Posterior pelvic tilt is when the pelvis rolls back and up. Roughly 6-7% of males and females present with this pelvic position. This position creates higher chance for more painful low back pain compared to anterior pelvic tilt. Complications of posterior pelvic tilt include tight abdominals and hamstrings and weak lower back muscles and hip flexors.

​​

• Before beginning a rehab or resistance training program, you must be able to understand pelvis positioning. You should be able to perform basic functional movements while holding a neutral pelvis such as squat, hip hinge, lunge, glute bridge and plank.

HOW TO FIND YOUR PELVIC NEUTRAL POSITION FOR MAXIMUM GLUTE ACTIVATION:
​

• Everyone’s pelvic neutral is going to be slightly different.

​

• ​​​Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can see if there was a shift, if so, you were not in a neutral position. 

​​

• Begin standing nice and tall with hands on hips. Relax the glutes and core and allow the pelvis to rock forward into an anterior pelvic tilt without bending the knees. Now engage the glutes and lower abdominals to roll the pelvis back and up without bending forward. Perform this another 4-6 times and find what feels like midway between those two movements, that is your pelvic neutral.

WHAT ARE THE ‘GLUTES’?

• Gluteal muscles refer to the muscles in your buttock.

​

• The glutes are made up of three major muscles;
  • gluteus maximus (The main muscle of the buttock)
  • gluteus medius (Upper part of the glutes)
  • gluteus minimus (Smaller and deeper muscle)

​

• Function of the glutes is to extend, abduct, externally rotate, internally rotate the hip joint.​  

CAUSES OF WEAK GLUTES?

• For many individuals, their glutes are underactive or not functioning to their optimum. 

​

• There are many reasons why this may be the case, one of the main causes is many of us are living increasingly sedentary lifestyles. 

​

• Many jobs involve long periods of sitting or after a long day of work we go home and sit on the couch, this means the glutes are not being activated.

​

• Most people compensate with other muscles around the hip and lower back which can cause discomfort in these areas.

​

• In many cases regardless of regular exercise you may have weak glutes which means they need to be activated by performing isolated glute exercises.

WHY IS GLUTE ACTIVATION AND STRENGTH SO IMPORTANT?

• Learning to activate your glutes helps you to strengthen and build them.

• Glutes can have an impact on overall body strength.
• Support your core and improve stability of pelvis and spine.
• They help perform a range of exercises and compound movements.
• Under active glutes can contribute to a variety of health issues including:
  • Poor posture.
  • Low back pain.
  • Balance problems.
  • Decreased flexibility.
  • Muscle pain.
  • Increase the chance of injury.
    

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​GLUTE ACTIVATION EXERCISES:

• Bird-dog/Quadruped
• Clamshells
• Glute bridge
• Donkey kick
• Crab walks

GLUTE STRENGTH EXERCISES:

• Hip thrust
• Squats
• Lunges
• Leg press machine
• Step-ups
• Single leg squats

There is not one exercise that will build your glutes. You will need to perform a variety of glute exercises that target different parts of the glutes. You must include this new awareness of glute activation and pelvic position. Activation of glutes and core will ensure an increase in strength and decrease risk of injury when performing strengthening exercises.

Written by Joshua Hallinan,
Chiropractor
Health Associates
Working Tuesday and Thursday

​References

Mitchell B, Colson E, Chandramohan T Lumbopelvic mechanics British Journal of Sports Medicine 2003;37:279-280.

Which Exercises Target the Gluteal Muscles While Minimizing Activation of the Tensor Fascia Lata? Electromyographic Assessment Using Fine-Wire Electrodes
David M. Selkowitz, George J. Beneck, and Christopher M. Powers
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2013 43:2, 54-64 

Reiman, Michael P., Lori A. Bolgla, and Janice K. Loudon. "A literature review of studies evaluating gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activation during rehabilitation exercises." Physiotherapy theory and practice 28.4 (2012): 257-268.

Cambridge, Edward DJ, et al. "Progressive hip rehabilitation: the effects of resistance band placement on gluteal activation during two common exercises." Clinical Biomechanics 27.7 (2012): 719-724.

Boren, Kristen, et al. "Electromyographic analysis of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus during rehabilitation exercises." International journal of sports physical therapy 6.3 (2011): 206.

Herrington, Lee. "Assessment of the degree of pelvic tilt within a normal asymptomatic population." Manual therapy 16.6 (2011): 646-648.

Image 2 - http://www.ultimaterob.com/2013/05/30/glute-strength-and-activation/
Image 3 - https://moveu.com/blog/build-glute-strength/

Lately in clinic, I have been hearing a lot of concerns regarding painful nails, sometimes accompanied by red, hot and swollen surrounding skin, OUCH! The type of nails that just don’t seem to know where to grow and patients are completely bewildered as to what they have done to deserve this?!

These types of nails are often referred to as involuted or if you’re experiencing the worst type, INGROWN.
Ingrown vs involuted is quite simple. Involuted refers to a nail shape that as it grows, changes shape encroaching on the surrounding skin causing pain. Involuted nails can have varying degrees of pain and curvature in the plates shape. 
​
An ingrown nail is one that has surpassed this and is now cutting into the skin, commonly causing infection or the skin to hypertrophy (increase in size) and envelop the nail plate. These are incredibly painful and can stop you from doing what enjoy such as playing sport or performing the worm on the dance floor, pain free.
​

​What causes this stubborn issue?!
​
Usually there are multiple factors contributing to your nails misbehaving in this way. Until you discuss what you and your feet have been up to with your Podiatrist, it may be hard to put your finger (or toe) on it.

It is all good and well addressing symptoms of pain much like any other problem in the body, however, until you 'nail' the cause, this can stick with you for many new shoes, netball games, trail runs or whatever it's stopping  you from doing.

The main causes include (some more common than others)

• Genetic predisposition
• Trauma to the nail
• Posture of the foot
• Biomechanics of the foot in movement
• Foot deformity e.g. bunions and clawed toes
• Poor cutting technique or picking nails
• Poor fitting shoes and or hosiery
• Sweating
• Brittle/weak nails (this can be due to things like diet or arterial insufficiency)
• Fungal infection
• Medications e.g. beta blockers; Isotretinoin

Depending on whether this is your first one or you’ve had this recurring problem for years, the main message I want you to take away from this blog, is there is hope and your toe/s will be looking and feeling great again before you know it!

Image 1 - http://dubaipodiatry.com/ingrown-toenail-dubai-podiatry-centre/
Image 2 - https://www.palmettostatepodiatry.com/ways-to-prevent-smelly-feet/
Image 3 - http://www.yourpodiatrist.com.au/condition/ingrown-toenails/ 
​​
Written by Anneliese Ball
Podiatrist at Health Associates
Working Monday and fortnightly Saturday