Working with athletes!

With so many running shoes on the market these days it’s hard to know what shoe to go for. A running shoe should be replaced every 400-500 miles, to minimise the risk of injuries. When looking for a shoe it’s best to take into account a. The type of runner you are b. What surface you run on/What type of training you do and c. How you like the shoe to feel. How do you run? Generally speaking, people either tend to be neutral, pronate or supinate. A podiatrist is able to determine this by

It is widely known that eating a well balanced and nutritional diet is beneficial in many ways to your overall health, but did you know it is specifically good for relieving and preventing painful foot conditions? Wearing supportive footwear, practising good foot hygiene and following a good foot-care routine are all crucial elements when it comes to looking after your feet, however diet is an another effective way to control your foot health. Diet can help manage and even help prevent the

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are common in across many sports, especially those that involve a lot of fast direction changes such as football, netball and skiing. When the ligament is ruptured it requires surgery to be repaired. People can continue certain activities without the ACL being repaired but to continue any dynamic or contact sports it must be surgically repaired. Surgery Depending on your surgeon and the technique they use, there can be small variations in the graft they

Pregnancy triggers many different changes in a female's body, and is often associated with many changes to the musculoskeletal system, particularly the lower extremities and spine. The main causes of this are due to weight gain and hormonal changes. The increase in weight at certain areas alters the women's centre of gravity, resulting in a new weight bearing stance and increased pressure on the knees and feet. One of the most common complaints reported by pregnant women is foot pain. Because

Why do we have Intervertebral discs? Low back pain affects two thirds of the population at some time in their adult life. Often the cause of pain is largely unknown but in many cases the intervertebral disc is blamed. Intervertebral discs are an important part of the spine that we could not function without. They assist movement of the spine, help to hold the vertebrae together and are a shock absorber. They are made up of a fibrous outer ring that surrounds a softer gel like substance in the

Patello-Femoral Joint Pain (PFJP) is an overuse or overloading injury and one of the most common presentation of knee pain. Anatomically, it is caused when the patella is malaligned within the femoral groove which creates increased force and irritation to the femur. It is most commonly due to a lateral glide or tilt of the patella and this repeated trauma results in pain as the articular cartilage is unevenly loaded.   Pain is usually of gradual onset and is felt at the front or inside of the

Growing pains are a common complaint reported by children most commonly aged between eight to twelve, however may also be experienced early into adolescence or teenage years. Pain is usually experienced in the legs, particularly the calf muscles, quadriceps or behind the knees and is often worse in the evenings with pain sometimes so severe it can wake a child from sleeping. Despite popular belief, growing pains are not caused by the growth of bones. It is thought that pain is the result from

There are a lot of mixed messages on what is the “right” exercise for pregnant or post partum women, and you are not alone in finding it very conflicting.  In most cases it depends on an individual’s pre-existing exercise routine and level of fitness. However one option that is safe throughout all stages of pregnancy and all fitness levels is Clinical Pilates. Pilates is a widely practiced exercise method that uses directed exercises to improve muscle strength, control and stability. With a

Restless leg syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease is a condition that causes a strange or uncomfortable sensation in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. Symptoms are usually worse in the evenings particularly when sitting or lying in bed. Moving the legs or walking around typically relieves the sensations, however they usually return once the movement has stopped. The sensation is sometimes described as a type of cramp, soreness, or a creeping, crawling feeling.