BlogFootright podiatry

I often encounter patients struggling with fungal nail infections (onychomycosis), a stubborn and frustrating condition. In recent years, laser therapy has gained attention as a potential treatment for fungal nails. It’s marketed as a quick, painless, and effective alternative to traditional treatments like oral antifungals or topical solutions.

But does the science back the claims? While laser therapy might seem like an appealing option, I remain sceptical about its efficacy as a stand-alone treatment for fungal nail infections. Here’s why.

Shock wave therapy has been gaining popularity for treating foot and heel pain, like plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis. It’s a treatment that uses sound waves to stimulate healing in injured tissues. While it sounds high-tech and promising, as a podiatrist, I prefer sticking to tried-and-true manual techniques like massage, stretching, and dry needling.

Let’s have a chat about why.

A quick trip to the loo in the middle of the night, chasing a dog out of the house, and something as simple as making the bed are all things people have told that caused their broken or injured toe. The pinky toe is almost always the guy in the firing line - and when it is badly injured it is super painful.

There are so many reasons why your calves get tight - it might be due to the shoes you choose to wear (high heel wearers I'm looking at you!), or the type of exercise you do; or you may be just born with a physique that lends itself to calf tightness. Regardless of what you do or why you have your tight calf muscles - here are some reasons why you should do some work on them right now!

As a podiatrist, I often hear from parents concerned about their child’s leg or foot pain, wondering if it’s just “growing pains” or something more serious. Growing pains are common and usually nothing to worry about, but how can you tell the difference? Let’s break it down.

As a podiatrist, I see countless patients who arrive with injuries and chronic pain that could have been avoided with one simple change: replacing their athletic footwear on time. While it’s easy to get attached to a favourite pair of running shoes or trainers, wearing shoes beyond their lifespan can significantly impact your foot health and performance.

In this post, I’ll explain why it’s important to replace your athletic footwear regularly and how failing to do so can lead to preventable injuries.

As a podiatrist, one of the most common questions I encounter is, “Which type of orthotic is best for me?” Orthoses can make a world of difference in managing foot pain, improving mobility, and enhancing overall quality of life. However, not all orthoses are created equal. There’s a wide spectrum of options available, ranging from over-the-counter insoles to highly customised devices made using advanced technology like 3D scanning.

Here, I’ll explore the different types of orthoses and explain why, in my professional experience, customised orthotics created from a 3D scan of your foot are the gold standard for optimal support and long-term foot health.

Wearing footwear at home may seem unnecessary, but it can actually help improve foot pain. In this blog I'll outline the reasons why.

Foot joint pain can become a prominent issue during peri-menopause phase of a woman's life. In this blog post, we will delve into the causes of foot joint pain in peri-menopause and explore some solutions to alleviate this discomfort.

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman's life, marking the end of her reproductive years. While many are familiar with common symptoms like hot flushes, mood swings, and changes in libido, there are several less-discussed effects of menopause, including its impact on your feet. Yes, you read that right – menopause can affect your feet in various ways, and it's important to be aware of these changes to ensure you maintain your overall well-being. In this blog post, we'll explore the lesser-known aspects of menopause and how it can affect your feet.

Peri-menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life that typically occurs in her late 30s to early 50s. During this transitional phase, the body undergoes various hormonal shifts, leading to a range of physical and emotional changes. While many people are familiar with the more common symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings, some may be surprised to learn that peri-menopause can also affect the feet. In this blog post, we will explore the lesser-known foot changes that can occur during peri-menopause and how to manage them effectively.

Women undergo various hormonal changes throughout their lives, from puberty and menstruation to pregnancy and menopause. While these hormonal shifts are natural and essential for the female body, they can sometimes lead to unexpected health issues, including problems related to foot health. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the common foot health problems that women may experience during hormonal changes and provide tips on how to manage and prevent them.

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the fingers, toes, ears, and nose, causing them to spasm and constrict. This reduces blood flow to these areas and can cause them to turn white or blue and feel numb or painful.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a condition that occurs when the veins in the legs are unable to efficiently return blood to the heart. This is typically caused by damage or weakening of the valves in the veins, which are responsible for preventing blood from flowing backwards.

In-toeing, also known as pigeon-toed, is a common condition in children where the feet point inward when walking or standing. In toeing will present between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years. Milder cases of in-toeing should self correct by about 5 years of age.

Plantar plate injuries typically present as pain and swelling under the ball of the foot. It may feel like you are “walking on the bones of your foot”. Plantar plate tears can be acute (come out of nowhere) or chronic (develops slowly over time). 

Soccer involves huge amounts of running and agility, places the feet, ankles and knees under huge amounts of stress. This can result in both acute and chronic injuries.

Netball is a sport known for its quick direction changes, jumping, and sudden stopping and starting. This places a lot of stress on the feet, ankles and knees. If these movements are not done correctly, they can result in injuries including sprains, fractures, dislocations and bruising.

The injury rate for netballers is around 14 injuries per 1,000 hours played. Given this huge risk, it is crucial to prevent injuries from occurring, not just to treat them once they have happened.

After you have been fitted with your new orthoses, your Podiatrist will give you a recommendation of when you should return for a check up. Your first check up should be relatively soon e.g. 3 - 6 weeks after the fitting, so that your Podiatrist can ensure that you are feeling comfortable and that the orthoses are working correctly. After this appointment, if everything is going well, your Podiatrist will recommend further check ups to make sure that your orthoses continue to work at their optimal level. The length of time a Podiatrist will recommend between check-ups is entirely dependent on the individual and their particular foot condition.

Chilblains are small lesions caused by the inflammation of tiny blood vessels after exposure to cold air. They’re often painful and tend to affect your extremities such as the tips of your fingers and toes.

While both warts and corns can be very similar in appearance… In Fact, so similar that on numerous occasions we have seen this mix up between both patients AND other health practitioners. This mix-up causes the wrong diagnosis and therefore also the wrong treatment plan, therefore resulting in an unsuccessful treatment.

As podiatrists, we hear a variety of weird and wacky ways people SWEAR will cure their foot condition.

Coconut oil for keeping the skin hydrated, Vicks vapor rub for fungal nails, Crushed garlic soaks for foot fungus, Applying a ripened mashed banana to your heels to make them softer, and many more!

On average, a pair of feet has around 250, 000 sweat glands! Sweat glands on the feet are more concentrated here than any other part of the body!

Plantar hyperhidrosis is the excessive sweating of your feet that isn't related to heat or exercise.

Here's how to deal with it!

There is such a range of shoes available these days, and it's so hard to know where to start! What's better for your child, bigger or snug-fitting? Rigid or flexible? Laces or velcro? What material should we pick?

Here is a bit of a guide based on how old your child is and the activities they get up to!

Are all orthotics created equally?

Short answer: NO!

But what actually is the difference?

When should you bring your child to the podiatrist? Development of children’s feet.. What’s normal? Growing feet and footwear? Heel pain? Skin and nails problems?

Have any of these questions? Don't worry, we will cover it all in this article!

The bony bump at the back of your heel bone is called a Haglund's deformity. This bump forms where the Achilles tendon attaches into the heel.

It is commonly known as “pump bump” due to its association with females who wear high heels… However we know that it can happen to anyone, and shoes are not the only thing to blame!

Skate orthotics will assist the control of your foot and ankle into a neutral position. This will allow forces from your legs to travel into your foot and through your skate in the most efficient way.

We’ve all been there—scrolling through an online store, spotting a pair of shoes that looks perfect, and clicking “Add to Cart.” While online shopping can be convenient, as a podiatrist, I often see the fallout from footwear that just doesn’t fit properly.

Let’s talk about tight shoes. We’ve all been guilty of squeezing into a pair that’s just a bit too snug—maybe they looked amazing, or you were convinced they’d “stretch out.” But as a podiatrist, I can tell you this: tight shoes are trouble for your feet.

Meet Karen. Her nail was causing her so much grief! She would attack her nail regularly with any sharp implement she could! She finally plucked up the courage to have nail surgery to remove the piece of nail that had been constantly growing in. This image is 6 months post operative, and she has had no problems since. That's what we call a good news story :)

Heat and Cold therapy are both widely recognised as clinical as well as self-treatment options when managing pain from injury, but which is better? And how do I choose which one?

Does it actually matter at all?!

Alarming, huh? You've had a great Summer and you've just removed your nail polish (after having it on for maybe too long.... yes, we are all human) to find this! The horror! What is it? What can I do about it?

I’ve been watching a man who lives near me walk to and from the train station every day with nothing on his feet – rain, hail or shine. He wears a business suit, so I believe this is a considered choice & not an oversight every morning. I really want to ask him what his philosophy is and why he does it, but haven’t quite gained the courage yet! People often ask me whether it is “good” to go bare foot, and the answer is yes, and no.

We’ve had a long hot Summer and the use of sandals, thongs or bare feet tends to create excessive callus build up on your feet. Several times this summer, clients have asked me about foot peel packages – the treatments you can buy from the chemist that make you shed all of the skin on your feet - kind of like a snake! Let me give you the low-down..

Wondering what your nail will look like after your nail surgery? Here is an image of a nail before and after the surgery - the second image just 2 weeks afterwards. If you are concerned about your ingrown nail, please contact us for an opinion or for some more information.

So you’ve just been prescribed a pair of orthotics and now you’re wondering how long they will last? The answer is …… it depends. As a rule of thumb, most customised orthotics should last you between two to three years – sometimes more, and sometimes less.

Nail salons are thought of as places to sit back, relax, and have some pampering “me” time, and I get it! As a busy working mum, I dream of a little bit of quiet time just for me every once and a while! But, as a Podiatrist, I also worry about what may happen to my toes and feet when I am at the nail salon.

Ahh Summer is on it's way - hooray!! But are your feet ready for open sandals and more exposure? As we've mentioned previously in our Winter Feet blog, the cooler weather can really dry out your skin and make your feet look less than presentable. Sound familiar? Fear not! Here are some tips to get your feet looking and feeling fantastic and ready for those strappy sandals you've been checking out!

Often a new client will present to our clinic complaining of a heel spur. Sounds nasty, right?! Well, yes .... and no. The pain they are experiencing is definitely nasty - but the reason for the pain is more than likely NOT due to the heel spur!

The nights are drawing in, the temperature’s falling, and we’re ready to bury ourselves away for the winter season.. including our feet! Tight boots, chunky socks, and the change in temperature can all contribute to dry skin, blisters, chilblains and fungal infections. Here are our top tips for making sure your feet make it to Spring in their best shape yet..

Do you run regularly? Have you heard that by alternating between multiple pairs of trainers you reduce your risk of injury?

Do you have a fungal infection, a particularly bad one perhaps? Has your nail turned yellow and brown and is it flaking and chipping easily? Turn to the World Wide Web and you will find a multitude of natural “cures” for your fungal toenails…. But do they work? Today I will give you the low down on what actually works, and absolutely does not work for your fungal toenails!

Shin pain, or Shin Splints occur at the front (or anterior) part of the shin and affects the tibiais anterior muscle. The tibialis anterior moves your foot up and down. It lifts your foot during gait, and then slowly lowers your foot to prepare your foot for standing.

Ingrown nails are painful! Seems like such a small thing to cause so much pain, but we hear you! We see many clients at Foot Right Podiatry that are suffering with ingrown toenails. Most ingrown toenails are caused by incorrect nail cutting and nail care.

A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of one or more of your muscles. While they cause no lasting damage, cramps can make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle and can lead to soreness for some time afterwards. Muscle cramps often occur in your calf muscle, and are most likely to occur in people over 65 years of age.

Are you expecting a little bundle of joy? Are your feet starting to feel a bit uncomfortable - perhaps you have some arch pain, or maybe you just can't quite reach your feet the way you once could?

Heel pain is a real pain! Hobbling when you get of a bed in the morning and feeling like you have a bruise right under your heel all day. It is frustrating! Of course you want to do something to help it go away – and many clients we see will first go to the soft, flat shoe to help ease their pain. It’s a common and understandable mistake. You’re looking for comfort and so you choose a loose shoe that’s very soft …. BUT! That’s actually the opposite of what you need right now!

Winter is a great time to get out and take to the mountains for a nice long bush walk. It's fantastic to get out into nature and to breathe that fresh air. There is a lot of discussion about what is the best kind of shoe to wear when you are hiking, but we'll break it down and give you 8 tips to help you find the right shoe for you.

So many people come to see us at Foot Right Podiatry complaining of bunion pain, the majority of them are women who are finding it difficult to get into their beloved high-heeled shoes. Contrary to common belief, a bunion is not just a lump of skin on the side of your big toe but in fact, an arthritic change in the 1st metatarso-phalangeal joint (you know, the big joint at the ball of your foot!)

Have you ever had an ingrown toenail? Painful, right?! Have you ever just gone to the GP to get some antibiotics in the hope that it will get better? I’m sure you have as we see many of you at our office after the antibiotics haven’t fixed the problem!

Night cramps can be so inconvenient. You go to bed hoping for a good sleep and not long after, you wake up in agony with a cramp in your legs. Cramps can take seconds or minutes to subside, and by the time you relax enough to go back to sleep, you are wide-awake and your plans for a good rest has been ruined.