By Simon Kay
When it comes to preserving your health and wellness, it’s easy to forget about the two objects that connect you with the ground – your feet! But given you could walk around 128,000 km in your lifetime – healthy feet are an important component of your overall wellbeing. Foot problems can impact on your quality of life – therefore if they do occur, a Podiatrist can be your best friend.
Foot Pain and Looking After Your Feet
Foot pain is experienced by 17 to 42% of the adult population and can have a huge impact on your quality of life. In half of these cases, foot pain is disabling, and can impair mood, behaviour, the ability to self-care and increase the risk of falls – but more importantly it can stop you in your tracks!
Research shows that most people with foot pain do not seek professional treatment, even when the pain is disabling.
What Does a Podiatrist Actually Do?
Contrary to popular belief, Podiatrist don’t have a foot fetish – but where our obsession lies is to help you regain pain-free movement in your feet.
We are health care professionals who have been trained to prevent, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate abnormal conditions of the feet and the lower limbs. We also prevent and correct deformities, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections.
How Can We Help You?
A Podiatrist can give you advice and treatment if you have painful feet, toenail issues, skin-related conditions and sporting/activity related injuries. We can also give you advice on how to look after your feet, what types of shoes to wear and perform a biomechanical analysis of your walking or running gait. We can also treat and alleviate day-to-day foot problems, including:
- calluses and corns
- warts
- fungal infections like athlete’s foot
- smelly feet
- dry and cracked skin
- bunions
- blisters
What to Expect From Your First Visit
At your first consultation, our podiatrists will take a medical history and ask questions pertaining to the reason for your visit. We may perform some basic tests as checking your blood circulation, the feeling in your feet, the way you walk and the range of movement within your lower leg joints.
We will discuss your concerns with you and make a diagnosis or refer on for further examinations like diagnostic imaging if required. We also will start our treatment, whether it be reducing hard skin, dry needling, massage or strapping.
Our consultations are usually completely pain-free (even pleasant) and take between 30 to 45 minutes depending on service. Our services are available in both Barangaroo & Kent St Wellness Centres.
If you have a little niggle that won’t go away, concern regarding the appearance of your feet or are wanting an option regarding footwear or running tips – come in and see one of our Podiatrist.