Ingrown toenail
An ingrown toenail is a painful condition of the toe that occurs when a sharp corner of the toenail digs into the skin at the end of or side of the toe. Pain and inflammation are usually the first symptoms, sometimes followed by infection or even an abscess. Ingrown toenails are most common in the big toe. They can be caused by a number of things, most frequently: tight shoes or high heels, improper trimming of toenails such as cutting them too short, or picking the nails, and acute injuries close to the toenail.
Podiatry treatment includes correctly cutting nails and educating patients on correct care, conservatively removing a small sliver of nail from the edge to create a gap from the toe and to straighten the offending edge, and where conservative treatment fails, the edge of the nail can be surgically removed permanently under local anaesthetic using chemical ablation of the matrix (the cells at the base for the nail that form the nail).
More information
Hallux abducto valgus (Bunions)
Have you ever noticed your big toe joint getting larger? Have you ever needed to get wider shoes to stop pressure and rubbing on the side of the big toe joint? If you have, you might have also heard the term hallux abducto valgus, which is a fancy name for bunion. Bunions are deformities of the big toe joint typically characterised by a large hard lump on the side of the foot at the base of the big toe. Commonly, the big toe starts to point more towards your other toes and your 2nd toe might have started to stick up and rest on the big toe. At first, these changes might be so subtle that they are barely noticeable.
Unfortunately, bunions are considered to be progressive. This means without treatment, bunions may get worse with time, sometimes leading to arthritis, pain and great difficulty finding shoes. Genetics can the set scene for developing bunions, particularly if the inherited foot type is prone to overpronation and arch collapse. Add that to a history of injury, poor fitting footwear and some medical conditions and the risk of bunion development increases. We can't treat your DNA but we can do all that we can to help your feet work correctly to delay or suspend your bunion development.
More information
Forefoot pain
Your forefoot (the ball of your foot) is an amazingly complex structure made up of ligaments, tendons, bones, muscles and nerves. These individual components work together to help you walk. If you're experiencing pain, swelling or redness in this area, if can mean that one or more of these components has sustained an injury due to factors such as overuse and poor foot function. The complexity of the anatomy in the forefoot region may explain why internet searches asking "Why does the ball of my foot hurt?" reveal a daunting list of possible causes and conditions. Morton's neuroma is often in such a list and is often characterised by burning, aching and shooting pain, mainly when wearing shoes.
Numbness is also possible. Sesamoiditis is usually characterised by a sharp pain and swelling under the big toe joint. Walking and bending the toe can make the pain worse. Plantar plate injury or tear is often associated with a sharp disabling pain at the base of a toe, frequently the 2nd toe. Gripping the toes frequently makes the pain worse.Whether your forefoot pain is due to an obvious incident of trauma or a longer term cause such as poor foot function, early intervention is often best. This is because conditions such as plantar plate injuries and sesamoditis can require surgery if left for too long.
More information
Heel pain (rearfoot pain)
Plantar Fasciitis, heel (calcaneal) spur syndrome, Sever's Disease and fibro-fatty pad syndrome are just some of the terms you might have come across in your search for what's causing your heel pain. You might have noticed heel pain in the morning, after rest, after long periods of standing or walking. The pain might range from a niggling ache to teeth clenching agony and you might have even developed a limp. The pain might have started after an injury or gradually appeared for what seems to be no specific reason at all.
Heel pain can be a complex condition that requires an accurate diagnosis to ensure the most appropriate treatment plan can be developed. Heel pain can develop slowly for a variety of reasons, including incorrect foot function, specific foot types and worn shoes. Sudden pain can eventuate from a sudden increase in activity or injury.
More information
Hip & lower back pain
Your feet are the foundation for the rest of your body. With this in mind, sometimes hip and lower back pain is related to misaligned feet, gait, leg length differences or many other non-podiatry causes such as arthritis and disc bulges. When your feet aren't working as well as they could be, it can start a chain reaction that moves through the rest of your body.
Your body has to figure out how to compensate for areas of misalignment. Hip bursitis can sometimes be associated with poor foot function. Hip and back pain is especially common after periods of illness or injury when your body isn't as strong as it once was and is no longer able to compensate as well as it once did.
More information
Knee pain
Your knee is a wonderfully complex structure. It's complexity lends itself to a variety of different injuries such as patello- femoral pain syndrome (Runner's Knee), Patellar tendonitis (Jumper's Knee) and Osgood-Schlatters Disease just to name a few. Your knee should ideally be able to bend and straighten with ease. Knee injuries and pain, however short or long they may last, can decrease your mobility.
If you're experiencing knee pain, the source of the problem could be in the knee joint itself, a problem somewhere else in the body, especially the feet or a combination of both. Issues within the knee joint and surrounding areas can result from injury or degenerative changes such as arthritis. Alternatively, excessive pronation or supination can put stress on the knee during walking or standing, and can eventually result in wear and tear inside the knee joint.
More information
Leg pain & shin splints
You might have heard the term 'shin splints' in relation to your leg pain. Unfortunately, 'shin splints' doesn't tell us much about the symptoms or the cause of the pain you might be experiencing. This is because shin splints is often used as an umbrella term to describe a range of conditions affecting the lower leg (above your ankle and below your knee. For example, medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) and compartment syndrome are colloquially known as shin splints. Yet MTSS affects the inside lower leg and is caused by the muscles that attach to the area pulling excessively, particularly with poor foot function and activity.
Whereas compartment syndrome is characterised by restricted circulation in the muscles resulting in leg pain and sometimes numbness, burning or tingling in the shin area that comes on with exercise and disappears with rest. If your symptoms are severe and continue for a long time it can become a medical emergency due to the lack of circulation in the leg.
More information
