Understanding netball lower limb injury Passion Podiatry is a proud sponsor of Phoenix Netball Club and hence, it triggers a thought for us to write an entry specifically on how podiatry is related to netballers. Podiatry and netball go hand in hand. Netball is a fantastic sport and there are many different foot and leg injuries that are common to netball as netball involves plenty of sudden stopping, changes of direction, jumping and agile movements. Here are 4 of the most c

Understanding children’s foot development Children foot and ankle problems can often be difficult for parents to identify. Children’s complaints and a change in behaviour can easily be misinterpreted and misunderstood, especially when children are unable to explain what is wrong. As parents, we worry about our children’s eyes, teeth and other parts of the body. We teach them washing, grooming and brushing their hair but what do we do about our children’s feet? Nothing drives

Painful Arthritic Feet There are 26 bones in the foot that help it to adapt to different surfaces we walk on as well as absorbing mechanical shock. Arthritis can result in pain and abnormal joint movement in our feet but not all foot pain is due to arthritis and hence proper examination is crucial. Different types of arthritis can affect different parts of the foot. Rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects the smaller joints whereas osteoarthritis often involves the bigger joint

Understanding diabetes complications of the lower limb Foot complications in diabetes are common but they could post a lifetime disability if no proper foot care is taken. A simple foot ulcer might seem ignorant and non-critical; however, failure of foot ulcers healing can lead to amputation. Of those who have an amputation, about half will experience a subsequent amputation of the other limb. Five-year survival for those who have had limb amputation is poor. Diabetes can aff

Basic guidelines to follow when dressing your foot ulcer STEP 1: Wash your hands thoroughly before you apply the dressing. STEP 2: Cleanse the ulcer with saline (salt water). Once the dressing has been removed, wash the ulcer with normal saline which is available from the chemist. It is important that the foot is not “bathed” as this can increase the risk of infection. You can make a salt solution at home by dissolving a teaspoon of table salt in hot water in a mug and diluti

What is intermittent claudication? Intermittent claudication is a symptom of the vascular disease. It is a predictable pattern of lower leg pain caused by inadequate blood flow to exercising muscles. Intermittent claudication pain has three characteristics: It is a cramping pain in the calves. It is relieved by rest. It is reproducible, almost always brought on by walking a certain distance. The pain may occur earlier if walking uphill or more quickly. Causes of intermittent

Understanding Plantar Plate Injury Plantar plate injury is one of the most common causes of pain in the ball of the foot, though it may be a condition that is not widely recognized by the public. What is plantar plate? The plantar plate is a thick fibrocartilaginous or ligamentous structure of the joint capsule under the ball of the foot. It connects each of the metatarsals to the corresponding proximal phalanges of each toe. It serves to stabilize the metatarsophalangeal (MT