Sports Podiatry

What is Sports Podiatry?

Sports Podiatry is an area of Podiatry with a strong focus on sporting and musculoskeletal injuries over the lower limb and pelvis. Our Sports Podiatrists are experienced in the management of sporting and running-related injuries.

We use a variety of treatment modalities to treat these injured structures including therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave therapy, dry needling, foot mobilisation therapy and strapping, to name a few. Often, the biomechanics and gait patterns of an individual along with muscle imbalance or weakness contribute to recurrent injury.

We may recommend a comprehensive biomechanical assessment and video gait analysis. A footwear prescription and possible insoles or orthotic intervention may be recommended. In some instances, referral for diagnostic imaging such as x-rays or ultrasound may also be necessary to confirm a diagnosis. We often supply an exercise program to improve muscle strength and stability and work closely with our physiotherapy colleagues to formulate a strength and conditioning program.

Common conditions treated by sports podiatrists:

• Foot and ankle pain - Includes common conditions such as sesamoiditis, plantar plate injury, turf toe, morton’s neuromas, bursitis, stress fractures, bunions, arthritis

• Ankle sprains - acute or chronic/recurrent

• Sinus tarsi syndrome & peroneal tendinopathy

• Shin pain

• Knee pain - runners’ Knee & ITB pain

• Achilles tendinopathy

• Heel pain and foot arch pain - plantar fasciitis / plantar fasciopathy, plantar fascia tears

• Stress fractures

• Blister management / skin irritation & race preparation

• Ingrown nails and other nail conditions from sports, shoes and injuries

• Painful callus removal

How Can JS Podiatry Help?

We tailor treatment specifically based on a thorough assessment and diagnosis. We pride ourselves on keeping up with technological advances and equipment available to podiatrists and a variety of treatment modalities may be used as part of treatment. We seek to address the cause of symptoms to ensure a long-term outcome where possible.

• Ankle Sprains - Initial treatment may require offloading, referral for imaging and initial treatment education. Depending on the severity and in-depth history taking, we will introduce footwear prescription, possible insoles if required, exercise prescription and return to activity.

• Shin Splints - Treated with manual therapy, dry needling, shockwave therapy, footwear prescription, orthotic therapy and a loading/exercise program.

• Plantar Fasciitis/Heel Pain - Treatment may include manual therapy, shockwave therapy, insoles/orthotic therapy, dry needling, prolotherapy, strapping, footwear assessment and prescription, or an exercise/stretching program. A referral for diagnostic ultrasound or x rays may be requested to assist diagnosis. A bio-mechanical assessment is often required to assess an underlying bio-mechanical cause.

• Arch Pain - Could be due to a variety of structures in the area. Treatment is tailored specifically to diagnosis and may require manual therapy, education, rest, icing, footwear prescription or modification and strengthening.

• Flat-Foot Related Strains - While many people with flat feet have no symptoms, it is often the cause of many foot-related injuries and overuse syndromes. Treatment may require strengthening, strapping, dry needling, foot mobilisation, insoles/orthotics, specific shoes and education. A bio-mechanical assessment is often required.

• High-Arched Foot Related Pain - High-arched feet are prone to injury as they are a rigid foot-type subjected to high-impact forces. Treatment often requires calf manual therapy, dry needling, strapping, night splints, orthotics, footwear modification and prescription.

• Achilles Tendonitis - Treatment may include offloading, a loading program, shockwave therapy, prolotherapy, footwear modification, footwear prescription, orthotic therapy, night splints, manual and manual therapy.

• Stress Fractures - Requires offloading to heal and a bio-mechanical assessment and thorough history-taking to ascertain possible causes and implementation of preventative strategies. These may require activity/training modification, orthotic therapy, and footwear considerations. We often refer for imaging such as X-rays, CT scans or MRIs.

• Peroneal Tendonitis - Offloading, strapping, bio-mechanical assessment and corrective devices. Massage, dry needling, shockwave therapy and prolotherapy may be considered.

• Forefoot Pain/Metatarsalgia - Often an overload issue. Treatment considerations include footwear modifications, possible insoles, padding, strapping and dry needling.

• Runner’s Knee/Patella Femoral Syndrome - We often perform an in-depth bio-mechanical/running assessment to find out whether biomechanics/gait abnormalities are associated with the symptoms. Treatment may include strapping, strengthening, therapeutic ultrasound, footwear modification and orthotic intervention.

• Sesamoiditis (Pain In The Bottom Of The Foot) - Almost always an overuse injury due underlying gait anomalies or foot structure. Offloading is required by way of orthotics to reduce forces along with possible treatment with shockwave therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, deflective padding, footwear prescription and modifications.

• Ankle Pain - We assess for the cause and treat accordingly. We may consider using strapping, strengthening exercises, manual therapy, ankle mobilization, footwear changes and prolotherapy.

• Bunions - May include footwear education, modification, offloading devices, bio-mechanical assessment, education and therapeutic ultrasound. We may send for imaging to assess further.

• Corns - Often due to mechanical overload. We remove them using scalpel debridement and specialised water-drill burrs. We use a variety of tricks to try and slow them down and prevent recurrence. This may include custom-molded silicone devices, footwear modification and insoles where required.

• Warts - Not always considered a sports injury, however very common and can be quite uncomfortable and affect quality of life. At JS podiatry we utilise multiple treatment modalities including cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen), salicylic acid treatment, a needling technique as well as the revolutionary SWIFT Microwave therapy.

• Ingrown Toenails - We often manage these conservatively by ongoing treatment or where required we perform nail surgery.

• Damaged/Thickened Nails (Common In Runners) - We manage thickened nails by reducing them with a cooling water burr and provide footwear education, lacing technique education, and shoe fit assessment.

• Sever’s Disease - We provide preventative/management strategies as well as footwear education, cushioning and corrective insoles. We often prescribe a stretching and strengthening program.

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