What is Sports Podiatry?
Sports podiatry is a sub set of the podiatric profession that includes:
- Assessment and treatment of all foot, ankle, knee and lower limb disorders
- An understanding of the potential mechanical causes of lower limb and foot pain
- Prescription of functional foot orthoses to improve lower limb mechanics/alignment
- Prescription of appropriate stretching/strengthening and training programs
- Advice and modification of running shoes, football boots and other sporting footwear
- Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to maximise outcomes for patients
- A Sports podiatrist can determine via biomechanical assessment and specific joint/muscle testing whether the condition of your hip, leg and lower leg complexes are sufficient for performing in your particular sport.
When should I be assessed by a sports podiatrist?
(1) Injury – If you have repeated or long standing lower limb injuries, it may be caused by a mechanical problem or functional imbalance in the body. To relieve the symptoms, the cause of the imbalance must be determined and treated accordingly.
(2) Performance enhancement – For the recreational or elite level athlete who wants to avoid injury and maximise performance.
A Sports podiatrist will often work closely with other health professionals such as Sports Doctors, Orthopaedic Surgeons, Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists. This is because many leg and foot problems are secondary to issues in the lower back and pelvis and may require interventions and treatments that sit outside the scope of Podiatry.
Some of the sports podiatry injuries we see are:
- Plantar fasciitis / Heel Pain
- Achilles Tendonitis / Tendinopathy
- Retro calcaneal Bursitis
- Patella Femoral Pain
- Medial Knee Pain
- Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome / Anterior Shin Pain)
- Posterior Tibialis Dysfunction
- Peroneal Pain
- Ankle Instability / Pain – in particular lateral and anterior joint pain
- Stress fractures
- Dorsal Foot Pain (pain on the top of the foot)
- Intermetatarsal Bursitis and pain in the balls of the feet
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Bunion / 1st Metatarsophalangeal Pain
- Callus and corn formation
- Blisters
What does a sports podiatrist do?
Sports podiatrists are experts in the diagnosis and management of foot and lower leg disorders with a particular focus on injuries associated with foot and lower limb function.
The Podiatrists at AC Podiatry use Dynamic Assessments to come to an understanding of how your body functions in movement rather than using the traditional Static approach. We will provide walking and running assessments to investigate posture and lower limb function which may include a full Biomechanical Examination
Treatment options that the podiatrists at AC Podiatry may use to treat sporting injuries include:
- Corn and Callus Removal
- Taping/Bracing
- Mobilisation and Manual Therapy
- Dry Needling and Acupuncture
- Stretching and Strengthening Programs
- Footwear/Hosiery Advice
- Heel Raises/Wedges
- Orthotic Therapy
- Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
- Referral for X-ray, Ultra-Sound (+/- cortisone injections), MRI
With affiliations to groups such as Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) and the Australasian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM), you can be sure that you’ll receive the most up to date advice and treatment from the podiatry team at AC Podiatry.
