Sciatica is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit as soon as someone complains of pain running down the leg. Sciatic nerve pain is when there is radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, this is from your lower spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. In some cases, depending on where the nerve is affected, the pain can run all the way to the foot. It is typically one sided but in serious cases affect both legs. Sciatica pain is actually a symptom rather than a medical condition, illness, or disease and signals an underlying medical issue. The sciatic nerve is like a large river with many smaller rivers flowing into it, the small rivers are the nerve roots from the lower back and all come together to make the sciatic nerve around the hip region. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body, about the width of a human finger. SYMPTOMS OF PATHOLOGY TO THE SCIATIC NERVE:
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:
PREVENTION
GENERAL TREATMENT Most cases do not require surgery, but the type of therapy will depend on severity of the condition and include:
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:
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. 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
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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. Anneliese Ball Podiatrist Anneliese is at Health Associates as a podiatrist working Monday and fortnightly Saturday. She holds both a Bachelor of Psychology and Podiatry. As a podiatrist she combines her proficient knowledge of human mechanics and ability to connect and engage with her patients to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional customer experience. Anneliese loves health and fitness and enjoys encouraging her patients to maximise their health. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that is greater than 10° (Cobb angle), this is measured on an x-ray. It can occur at any age, but most often occurs in children and teenagers. The curve usually creates an “S” or “C” shape of the spine. The curve also causes the spinal vertebrae to rotate. In some cases, the scoliosis is stable, while others can increase over time. Mild scoliosis does not usually cause issues, but severe cases can be very problematic. CLASSIFICATION
PREVALENCE + EPIDEMIOLOGY
CAUSES More than 65% of scoliosis cases are idiopathic (unknown cause) but it is generally believed to be multifactorial with genetics and environment being the main contributors. There are many other causes of scoliosis including:
SYMPTOMS Symptoms will vary with each individual and may include:
ADOLESCENT VS ADULT
TREATMENT/MANAGEMENT
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. 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 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:
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
Symptoms can include things such as
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)
Less common pathologies can include
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
Anneliese Ball Podiatrist Anneliese is at Health Associates as a podiatrist working Monday and fortnightly Saturday. She holds both a Bachelor of Psychology and Podiatry. As a podiatrist she combines her proficient knowledge of human mechanics and ability to connect and engage with her patients to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional customer experience. Anneliese loves health and fitness and enjoys encouraging her patients to maximise their health. 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? 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):
Movements that the rotator cuff perform:
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
RISK FACTORS
TREATMENT
Treatment through chiropractic:
PREVENTION
If you have had a rotator cuff injury or shoulder discomfort, we recommend visiting your local health practitioner for an accurate diagnosis of your complaint with proper treatment and rehab plan. As mentioned above there are four muscles in the rotator cuff and making sure treatment is directed to the right area is vital. If you are local to the Loftus area, we are happy to help or answer any questions you may have. Written by Joshua Hallinan, Chiropractor Health Associates Working Tuesday (AM & PM), Wednesday & Friday (PM) References Minagawa, Hiroshi, et al. "Prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic rotator cuff tears in the general population: from mass-screening in one village." Journal of orthopaedics 10.1 (2013): 8-12. Yamamoto, Atsushi, et al. "Prevalence and risk factors of a rotator cuff tear in the general population." Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 19.1 (2010): 116-120. Jerosch, J., T. Muller, and W. H. Castro. "The incidence of rotator cuff rupture. An anatomic study." Acta Orthop Belg 57.2 (1991): 124-129. Ellenbecker, Todd S., and Ann Cools. "Rehabilitation of shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff injuries: an evidence-based review." British journal of sports medicine44.5 (2010): 319-327. Lin, James C., Nancy Weintraub, and Dixie R. Aragaki. "Nonsurgical treatment for rotator cuff injury in the elderly." Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 9.9 (2008): 626-632. Have you got pain on the outside of the hip? Perhaps you have been diagnosed with bursitis? Pain on the outside of the hips is an extremely common complaint coming into the clinic. The vast majority of people with lateral hip pain are women in their 40’s 50’s and 60’s. In the past this has often been called hip bursitis and treated with cortisone injections. Unfortunately this has mixed success due to the fact that tendons are often involved and cortisone injection has limited use for tendon injury. In fact 4% - 46% of people have bursitis visible on imaging and tendinopathy 18% to 50% of people. The technical terms that are often used include:
We prefer the term GTPS as it more realistically encomasses the common causes of outer hip pain. Classic symptoms of GTPS include pain on the outside of the hip, especially at night when side sleeping and with the sore side down ALTHOUGH it quite often gets painful with the sore side up as well - due to the fact that the leg is hanging across the midline of the body essentially tractioning the outer hip muscles. Three things you can do right now to help relieve this problem. ✅✅✅Sleep with the sore side UP & place a pillow between your legs ✅✅✅ ❌❌❌Do NOT cross your legs when seated❌❌❌ ❌❌❌ Do NOT stand with all your weight posted onto one leg. ❌❌❌ Excessive loading of the gluteal tendon attachments to the top of the thigh bone along with direct compression (from side laying in bed) may be partly responsible for the development of lateral hip pain. As such, decreasing the repetitive loading on the muscles and tendons can help alleviate the symptoms in the SHORT term. Now GTPS can be particularly tricky to get better. In our experience one of the major challenges is doing too much too soon in the recovery process. Slow progressive exercises are the best way to a long term solution. If you would like further advice on the best progressive exercises for GTPS or other tendon issues we recommend consulting your local healthcare provider that has a special interest in tendon rehabilitation. If you are local to Health Associates we would be more than happy to help. Further Resources For a fantastic visual resource relating to any tendon problem click on the link below to view Jill Cooks - 10 Things NOT to do if you have lower limb tendon pain . Written by Christopher Bowles Chiropractor Working at Health Associates Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Credentials Master of Chiropractic Diploma Sports Chiropractic Registered Sports Trainer Active Release Technique Personal Trainer Functional Movement Screen Chris created Health Associates on the belief that movement is essential to living well. It is his personal mission to keep people active and moving for as long as possible. Recreational to elite, Chris will make sure that you are provided the best treatment possible and will help keep you in your sport. Chris is very empathetic to the pain and suffering of his patients. That is why he gives everything he can to ensure that they receive an accurate diagnosis and the most recent evidence based treatment plan. 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:
HOW TO FIND YOUR PELVIC NEUTRAL POSITION FOR MAXIMUM GLUTE ACTIVATION:
WHAT ARE THE ‘GLUTES’?
CAUSES OF WEAK GLUTES?
WHY IS GLUTE ACTIVATION AND STRENGTH SO IMPORTANT?
GLUTE ACTIVATION EXERCISES:
GLUTE STRENGTH EXERCISES:
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/ Chiropractor Bachelor of Chiropractic Science Masters in Chiropractic Joshua is a very focused, dedicated and committed practitioner. Joshua is committed to health and has achieved significant personal success in sport and through adopting a healthy lifestyle. Joshua is very ambitious and he is always setting himself personal targets to improve and be the best practitioner he can be. You know when you see Joshua that you are in the hands of someone who continually strives to be ahead in his profession and will bring that knowledge and skill to all of his patients. Joshua has a special interest in sports injuries, musculoskeletal complaints and headaches. He enjoys helping relieve pain and alignments and supporting his patients to live optimally. Josh has a great friendly and enthusiastic personality. His relaxing and down to earth approach leaves you feeling comfortable and confident in his treatment and recommendations. 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)
Who experiences these pesty nails? Any one can have involuted or ingrown nails. Usually seen from the age of wearing footwear and consistent weightbearing, onwards e.g. walking and running around. Anyone that is exposed to one, many or any of the above-mentioned causes is vulnerable to involuted or ingrown toenails! How do we tame these naughty nails? Let’s talk involuted…
And of course, the nasty ingrown…
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 Anneliese Ball Podiatrist Anneliese is at Health Associates as a podiatrist working Monday and fortnightly Saturday. She holds both a Bachelor of psychology and podiatry and has dedicated herself to studying full time for 7 years. As a podiatrist she combines her proficient knowledge of human mechanics and ability to connect and engage with her patients to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional customer experience. Anneliese loves health and fitness and enjoys encouraging her patients to maximise their health. Hamstring strain is a common sporting injury due to the muscle being prone to tears and strains. They are common in sports that need a large amount of speed, power and agility such as rugby (54% of injuries), AFL, athletics (14%), basketball and football (10%). It hasn’t been un-noticed that 2019 appears to be the year of hamstring injuries with some big-name players in the NRL suffering tears to their hamstrings early in the season such as Tom trbojevic and Matt Moylan. To understand why this is happening to these professional athletes so early in the season we need to know what hamstring injuries are, the anatomy of the muscle, signs and symptoms of an injury, possible factors that make an athlete more at risk and ways to prevent hamstring strains from occurring. When an injury does occur, we must know what to do and how to manage it to return to play as soon as possible. WHAT ARE HAMSTRING STRAINS/TEARS? Acute hamstring injuries occur when there is a forceful contraction of the posterior thigh muscle/s or a sudden movement, this occurs when hamstrings decelerate hip flexion and knee extension. The person immediately feels discomfort and is aware of what has happened, there can be an audible pop. A Hamstring strain can occur in one or more of the three muscles in the group. ANATOMY OF THE HAMSTRING
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Hamstring strains are classified from grade 1-3 depending on severity. Grade 1 (Mild)
Grade 2 (Moderate)
Grade 3 (Severe)
RISK Hamstring injuries usually occur due to an imbalance between itself and the quadriceps muscle. The quadriceps are large and powerful group of muscle that extend (straighten) the leg at the knee joint. When there is a powerful contraction of the quadriceps muscle it may over stretch the hamstring and place a large load on the muscle.
PREVENTION
ACUTE MANAGEMENT
REHABILITATION
RETURN TO PLAY (depending on how well managed the injury is)
Early return to play and/or poor rehabilitation of the injured muscles will increase the chance of re-injury. Full range of motion and strength is required along with the muscles ability to endure full speed training. The player must be able to perform sports related activities such as jumping, sudden change of direction and twisting. Joshua Hallinan Chiropractor Working Tuesday and Thursday at Health Associates References Prior, M., Guerin, M., & Grimmer, K. (2009). An Evidence-Based Approach to Hamstring Strain Injury: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Sports Health, 1(2), 154–164. Hamstring Strain Injuries: Recommendations for Diagnosis, Rehabilitation, and Injury Prevention Bryan C. Heiderscheit, Marc A. Sherry, Amy Silder, Elizabeth S. Chumanov, and Darryl G. Thelen Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2010 40:2, 67-81 Hamstring strain injuries Opar, D.A., Williams, M.D. & Shield, A.J. Sports Med (2012) 42: 209. Verrall GM, Slavotinek JP, Barnes PG, et al Clinical risk factors for hamstring muscle strain injury: a prospective study with correlation of injury by magnetic resonance imaging British Journal of Sports Medicine 2001;35:435-439. Sherry, Marc A., Tyler S. Johnston, and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Rehabilitation of acute hamstring strain injuries." Clinics in sports medicine 34.2 (2015): 263-284. It’s not just winter putting our feet back into enclosed shoes, we have some fierce events coming up! With the Maximum Adventure Race Series June 1st, PAYCE Sutherland 2 Surf on the 21st of July followed closely by the Sutherland Half Marathon on the 27th of July we have many things to consider in regards to our feet carrying us the distance. A big concern is those relentless BLISTERS. Blisters are so painful and self limiting, yet so many people excuse them, some even expect them! Blisters are absolutely unnecessary and you really, REALLY do not have to put up with these common pests! Blisters are just another way of our body saying “Hey, I really hate what you’re doing to me here, so I am going to let you know somethings wrong and start fixing the problem behind the scene”. The “scene” being that fluid filled, puffy sack. This is a protective mechanism the skin provides so the injured skin underneath can begin to get some TLC (tender loving care); someone’s go to do it! No other body part sustains the high coefficient of pressure and friction as much as feet do. Which is why it is so important to address internal and external factors creating blisters. Causes can include:- - Trauma; such as that from ill fitting footwear or the wrong socks (fit or material) - Poor skin integrity; too much or not enough moisture in the skin - Foot deformities or bony prominences; bunions, lumpy heel bones, clawed toes ect. - Bacterial or fungal infections; highly irritable and weak skin is prone to blistering. Prevention is going to be your most powerful tool against these merciless blisters. 1. Not only should your shoes fit well but your SOCKS should fit just as grand. From the toes all the way to the cuff of the sock should be neither tight or loose. We want to reduce the friction of any materials on our skin, so just as you’d get your shoes fitted correctly, fit your socks just as well! You can ask us about the fitting of both if you’re ever unsure of what to look for and if not more importantly, what to AVOID. 2. On the topic of SOCKS. Merino wool is going to be your best friend, especially on those long walks, runs or even big work days. Merino wool actually works to wick the moisture away from your feet keeping them in a more optimal environment for longer. Cotton actually holds moisture next to the skin increasing the risk of more nasty rubbing. Now, how can The Podiatrist help!? 1. After locating those high pressure areas on your feet or toes that are vulnerable to blistering, they can be easily protected with various different materials and devices. Not only do they provide a cushioning effect, they work to offload the area and give those sensitive areas a rest. Custom made for you, Otoform devices can provide instant relief! 2. CALLUS is that hard, dry skin that builds up adding more unnecessary pressure onto the healthy skin underneath or next to. Callus is a common culprit for causing blisters. Removal of this callus is crucial and can be safely and effectively removed. 3. It’s all about keeping the integrity of our skin and its many layers as pristine as possible! Applying a moisturiser that contains UREA (a naturally occurring compound that exfoliates and moisturises skin) is great at providing a barrier for the skin, keeping it strong and resilient against shear forces. Frequency of application, required concentration of Urea and reliable brands are just a few hot tips we can provide you with. 4. Before those big events you may want to consider TAPING your feet and or toes into a more functionally desirable position. Clawed, hammer or mallet toes are common deformities that tend to rub on shoes causing nasty sores and blisters. It is actually possible to put these toes where they should sit and behave! Taping can be highly beneficial in avoiding irritable spots anywhere on foot. 5. Never ever, ever should you have to break in your SHOES! Getting that perfect fit should never be underestimated. Understanding where and how your feet should be sitting in your shoes is a common misunderstanding. And just when you think there is no better shoe for you, we can throw in a game changing lace-lock as well. So you haven’t read this blog in time and your crippled with blisters.... 1. COMPEED Blister packs can be found at pharmacies such as Priceline. These nifty skin savers provide a medical grade technology called “hydrocolloid”. Acting as a second skin they support the natural moisture balance, reducing pain and increasing the healing rate. 2. Blisters can get big and angry, fast! If they become unmanageable or show signs of infection it’s best to bring them in for clean and safe removal, followed by a suitable dressing and ongoing management if need be. Now, that will get your feet across the finish line! References Picture 1 - https://www.runnersworldonline.com.au/blisters/ Picture 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgL4bWtNiWM Anneliese Ball Podiatrist Anneliese joins Health Associates as a podiatrist working Monday and Saturdays. She holds both a Bachelor of psychology and podiatry and has dedicated herself to studying full time for 7 years. As a podiatrist she combines her proficient knowledge of human mechanics and ability to connect and engage with her patients to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional customer experience. Anneliese loves health and fitness and enjoys encouraging her patients to maximise their health. |
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