FAQ

Not necessarily. When people normally refer to the term ‘over pronation’ they mean their feet roll in from a joint in the foot called the sub-talar joint. One of the issues is that we do not know what the ‘normal’ range of motion of the sub-talar joint is, so can not be sure it is ‘over’ its motion.

With regards to orthoses (insoles) and pronation, there is little evidence to say that pronation directly causes injuries. So the need for orthoses is dependent on the individual and the circumstances.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question, it is important to remember orthoses are used for many different reasons.

In some cases they are used as part of a rehabilitation programme, which once completed, Orthoses can then be removed. Sometimes they are only required for certain sports, and so not essential to wear all the time. However, it is also possible that continuous wear maybe required in some cases.

It is also possible that you could be required to wear two types of orthoses to gain the best results. For example, a set for sports and activity footwear and a set for day to day footwear. This is because the lower limb functions differently between walking and runnning. To try and put it into perspective if you wear glasses, you have different glasses for reading and driving as the eyes function differently between these activities.

Some orthoses can fit into shoes with up to a 3 inch heel; however the orthoses will work best in a sensible shoe, remember orthoses only work as well as the shoes they are in.

The calf muscles, the Achilles tendon and the Plantar Fascia (which runs from the heel to the ball of the foot) are all the same structure, so stretching the calf muscles will have an effect on the plantar fascia functions. This is why stretching the calfs can help to reduce heel pain.

It is extremely important to break your new trainers in slowly before doing any long distance runs. Never buy new trainers the week before your marathon or any distance event. There is no set time to buy new trainers, however do make sure you buy your new trainers at least 6 weeks before the event to allow yourself to break them in gradually with your training.

We are able to offer fully bespoke sandals, so that your orthoses prescription is pre-built into a sandal customised for you. Also more and more companies now offer sandals with a removable foot bed to help with the use of orthoses. We can also offer an off the shelf orthotic sandal.

This is not a straight forward answer, technically there is no difference between Podiatry and Chiropody.

However in the UK, we still use the term Podiatrist and Chiropodist. We use in the meaning that a chiropodist deals with managing nails, corns, callus, ingrown toenails and the at risk foot. Whereas a podiatrist looks pain and how the lower limb functions when moving, this can be walking, running and jumping etc.

over time terms chiropodist shall be phased out and eventually known as a podiatrist. An interesting fact is if you break the word chiropodist down into its Greek meaning the prefix of the word ‘Chiro’ actually means hands.

This is dependent on the person and the problem you’re having. Sometimes treatments may only be one or 2 sessions, with more complex case a couple of months of treatment may be required, how this may be done at home with a self-management plan.

When we look at issuing orthoses, (insoles) treatment may well be short term whilst you are working on strengthening other areas of the body or enough time for the pain to settle, or they may be required for life. Again this is assessed on a case-by-case basis and we shall discuss with you your training programme in full and work with you alongside this.

Most people do not require a regular checkup like the dentists of the optician, however if you have any queries or pain developing within the lower limb see a podiatrist immediately.

Firstly shin splints is not a diagnosis, it is a broad term for pain within the shin. It is important that you see your podiatrist to obtain a diagnosis see this on the correct treatment plan. For more details on ‘shin splints’ please see this blog I have written.

In most cases it is important to continue to exercise, it is about load management, so you may not be able to run 5 times a week, you may only be able to run once a week, however you can pick up some cycling or swimming instead. We don’t use the term RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) we now use POLICE (Protect, Off, Load, Ice, Compression and Elevation)

Morton’s Neuroma, is an enlargement of the digital nerve between your toes. It is very common and presents with a sharp / stabbing pain in the affected toes, which can shoot and send numbness into the tips of the toes. The pain is sporadic in nature and can be described as a light bulb, on or off. Wearing high heel shoes and narrow fitting shoes can aggravated the pain. Mechanical reason, such as irregular metatarsal (toe) length can cause over loading, this is where pressure analysis is helpful to look at loading patterns.

In most cases the sooner you are able to make contact and start treatment, the quicker you can get back to exercise, however this does not mean that every strain or niggle needs attendtion. Look at you volume of exercise, if you have had a hard exercises session the night before and you are getting some soreness the morning after, this is normal and a sign you have pushed your body too hard, reduced you activity levels for a couple of days and it should settle. If not then get in touch.

If you have had a direct injury or trauma (ie twisted ankle) then get in touch straight away.