How Can a Podiatrist Help?   Podiatry is a very small field in comparison to bigger health fields such a general practitioner doctors, physiotherapists, psychologist and many more.  Our feet are very important indicators with how our body is contacting the ground and whether they’re in good shape or not depends on how the mechanics of the body function. It’s important to take into consideration that age, gender, height, weight, and even family history can play massive parts in the health of your feet, ankle, knees, and spine.  The body works as a whole so it’s no surprise that we...

What is an Ingrown Toenail? From all the problems in the world, how can my toe give me so much pain? Well, it is almost like an accumulative effort of poor footwear choices with a hint of genetics that brought you to this nagging pain down your nail. An ingrown toenail can be painful and in worse cases become infected without the appropriate treatment. This condition can occur on any of the toes in which it is most commonly seen on the big toe on either side cause inflammation and/or infection. Another common cause of developing this condition is from...

Our feet are left in shoes and socks all day that we sometimes forget that they need sunlight too! As little as 15 minutes a day of direct sunlight to the feet can allow for much more Vitamin D to be absorbed to the body considering the amount of receptors we have in them. With over 23% of the Australian population suffering from Vitamin D deficiency that extra bit of sunlight absorption can go a long way.  Studies have shown that there is multiple factors that contribute to the Vitamin D Deficiency we see today in our general population such...

The body is full of bursaes in the body but many aren’t sure as to what they are. Bursa around the body are cushion-like and small structures that act like a smooth gliding surface and padding for two different structures such as that between bones and tendons. As tendons and muscles around the knee there is constant rubbing between the those structures and the underlying structures which is where the usefulness of the bursa comes in. As we move around and create friction at these points around the Patella (Knee Cap) the bursa use synovial fluid incapsulated in it so...

  4 SIGNS YOU HAVE WEAK GLUTES   The glutes are the powerhouse of the lower body, designed to be powerful to produce true base force for the legs and torso. Weak glutes can lead to a ton of red flags  such as :  Increased risk of lower body injury  - Poor posture - Bad running form - Poor balance - Diminished power and strength The glutes should be one of your most frequently trained muscle groups. And I’m not just talking squats and deadlifts. You need isolated glute work: bridges, side steps, clams, leg extensions, glute raises. The combination of strength work (squats, deadlifts,...

Peripheral Neuropathy - What you NEED to know! Peripheral neuropathy is such a complex subject, that it is very common to become overwhelmed. At Foot HQ, we created this brief overview to help clear up some of the confusion.  To be formally diagnosed, your podiatrist will first perform nerve and blood flow examinations – all of which are non-invasive! Simple examinations performed in minutes along with a thorough medical history check can confirm whether or not you have neuropathy. So… You might be wondering, how serious is it? The short answer is VERY SERIOUS.  Neuropathy is permanent. The debilitating effects of...

  Over the years we’ve become more educated on the idea that flat feet don’t just pop out of nowhere. We have come to realize that flat feet are a combination of genetics and environmental factors such as the surfaces we most commonly walk on which in most cases are nice flat slabs of concrete. The following might be an indication that you have flat feet: Collapsed arch  Wearing patterns in shoes similar to that below  Pain in the knees and back Pain in the heel of the foot often felt in the first few steps of the morning These...