Podiatrists are tertiary educated health professionals who assess, diagnose and treat feet, and foot-related conditions.
Many conditions affecting these areas are best treated when detected at an early stage, so it’s often better to get things checked out sooner rather than later.
Podiatrists assess the biomechanics of the client through analysing the foot during gait and when it is relaxed.
From this analysis combined with the client’s history, podiatrists can advise the best solutions for the presenting problem. This may include footwear advice, temporary inserts or adjustments, or more permanent orthotics.
It’s a good idea to take a pair of shoes that you are currently wearing with you when you see the podiatrist. Alone, or coupled with treatment from other practitioners at Allied Therapies, correcting a client’s biomechanics can be a crucial step in assisting the client back to full health.
Since podiatry involves comprehensive foot care, the discipline of podiatry involves both skin and nail maintenance, and treatment for mechanical aches and pains:
Toenail cutting
Ingrown toenails (including surgery if necessary)
Corns and calluses
Thickened toenails
Plantar warts
Stretching
Footwear advice
Foot, leg and knee pain due to sport and work
Orthoses are devices put inside your shoes that aim to improve comfort, function and alignment of your feet. Orthoses have also been known as arch supports, insole or inserts. Although these may share some of the characteristics with orthoses, things have progressed. Orthoses can be used for many foot, lower limb and back complaints including:
Heel pain
Achilles tendonitis
Osteoarthritis
Pronated (flat) feet
Orthoses are often used in conjunction with other therapies such as, stretching, strengthening, and osteopathic or massage consult. At Allied therapies a range of orthoses are available ensuring that the right device is prescribed for you. These range from custom made devices and prefabricated devices.
These are made to a standard template and come in several sizes, styles and materials to suit your lifestyle and need. They are generally modifiable to your feet. The advantage is cost-effectiveness and speed of implementation, however the durability is the compromise.
To make your customised orthoses, we take a non-weight bearing cast of your feet to construct a device completely specific to you.
The most appropriate material, hard or soft, will be selected for your needs.
The advantages of custom orthoses are that they are made specifically with your foot in mind, and the materials used are generally longer lasting than prefabricated devices.