Working with athletes!

Trigger finger or trigger thumb is a common occurrence where your digit (finger or thumb) will get stuck in a bent position and often have difficulty straightening back. In severe cases the finger or thumb remains bent and needs to manually be straightened. It is commonly seen in those who work in environments which require repetitive gripping actions or hobbies that involve building and intrinsic finger movements, however there is no official known cause. It is also called stenosing

Haglund’s deformity is a bony abnormality which is found on the back of the calcaneus (heel bone). This bony enlargement forms where the Achilles tendon inserts onto the heel, which causes irritation of the tendon when it rubs against shoes. The cause of Haglund’s deformity is idiopathic, however to some extent hereditary plays a role in the formation. Inherited foot structures such as a high arched foot, a tight Achilles tendon, or the tendency to walk on the outside of your heel are all

Back pain is one of the most common presentations we see here at Kew Podiatry and Sports Centre. Whether it is lower back pain, mid to upper pain or neck pain, most people will experience back pain at some point of their life and it is the leading cause for work absenteeism in Australia. Poor posture and lack of movement, especially in those who have desk-based occupations – tend to present with back pain at some point in their life. The good news is that back pain is generally mechanical

A stress fracture is a small crack in the bone, or severe bruising within a bone. Stress fractures are most commonly seen in feet as they are caused by overuse and repetitive stresses, making the weight bearing bones of the foot and lower leg particularly susceptible. People that are runners, or those that play sports like basketball, netball or soccer are more vulnerable to stress fractures, as they involve movements that cause repetitive forces such as running and jumping. A stress fracture

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) or better known as ‘shin splints’, is a musculoskeletal condition that causes pain along the tibia (shin bone) and is generally the result of overuse or poor lower limb biomechanics. Repeated overuse of one or more of the muscles in your leg can lead to excessive loading stress, resulting in muscle tenderness, inflammation or knots. The point where tendons meet bone (to connect muscle to bone) is known as the tenoperiosteum. In almost all cases of shin

Ankle sprains are one of the most common sporting injuries seen across both professional and amatuer athletes. They occur when your ankle ligaments are stretched beyond their normal capacity, and vary in severity depending on the amount of ligaments involved and whether the ligament ruptures or if damage is done to bone. The ankle joint or ‘talocrural joint’ is made up of your tibia, fibula and talus. On the outside of your ankle, the three main ligaments usually involved in ankle sprains are

Have you ever experienced pain at the back of your ankle? If you have it is most likely due to injury of your achilles tendon. The achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. This is the largest and strongest tendon in the body, and allows us to run, walk, jump and rise onto our toes. Despite its strength, the achilles tendon is particularly prone to injury due to the high tensions placed upon it and its lack of blood supply. Achilles

What is the cause of my heel pain? One of the most common complaints that we see in the clinic is heel pain. Heel pain can be the result of many different pathologies, such as fat pad contusion, stress fracture of the calcaneus or achilles tendinopathy, however majority of the time is related to a condition known as Plantar Fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury, which results in inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs from

Muscle balance and postural alignment is the foundation of proper movement and performance. To facilitate movement muscles must work in groups referred to as an agonist and antagonist. The agonist initiates movement by contracting, while the antagonist works in the opposite direction to control movement. Muscle imbalance occurs when a certain muscle or muscle group becomes stronger than other muscles around them. This results in the stronger muscles overcompensating for the weaker ones, and