Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your pancreas no longer produces enough insulin to meet the requirements of your body. As the human body requires insulin to transport sugar into your cells, diabetes is associated with high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) and can have several detrimental effects on your body.

The human ankle joint primarily consists of two bones; the Tibia (shin bone), and the Talus (small articular bone that sits beneath the Tibia). When this joint is placed in maximal plantar-flexion (toes pointed to ground), the posterior (behind) aspect of the joint can become compressed or impinged.

Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) refers to damage to the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), i.e., the nerves that transmit signals from your brain and spinal cord to your extremities. This damage distorts these signals and results in reduced sensation in your feet and lower limbs. As the PNS is a complex interwoven system, the symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy can be varied however the most common presenting complaints are; numbness, tingling, burning, aching and muscle weakness of the extremities.

An acute lateral ankle sprain is a common injury that occurs when the foot rolls outward, causing damage to the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle. It’s prevalent in sports involving rapid direction changes, like basketball, soccer, and football.

Situated just behind the ankle bone, the tarsal tunnel is a complex pathway that is made up of multiple arteries, veins, tendons and nerves. Due to its high level of contents, it is not uncommon for pathology to occur within the area, the most common being nerve compression or otherwise known as Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS). Symptoms of TTS are very similar to those experienced with Carpel tunnel syndrome and generally consist of altered sensation, burning, tingling and intermittent pain.

Achilles tendinopathy is a chronic condition involving degeneration of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone. This tendon is crucial for activities like walking, running, and jumping, and it can suffer from degeneration due to repetitive stress and other risk factors. The condition typically affects two main areas: where the tendon attaches to the heel (insertional tendinopathy) and midway along the tendon (mid-portion tendinopathy).

Commonly used to describe damage or a sprain to the ligaments surrounding the big toe joint.  Normally, the sportsperson complains of localised pain, swelling, redness at the big toe joint following the classic 'bending' injury (refer to photo).  Pain can be reproduced by any weight bearing movement on the big toe. 

It is a traction apophysitis (tendon pulling on an un-fused growth plate) of the tibial tuberosity and is a common overuse injury seen in young active children.  Inflammation and pain are caused from the excessive pull of the quadriceps tendon on the patella tendon which attaches to the tibial tuberosity (see images below).  It usually occurs in 12–15-year-olds which is generally the time in which growth spurts occurs, where the bones are growing faster than the muscles and tendons. 

Hallux Abducto-Valgus is a progressive disorder that is characterised by a large

bump on the inside of your big toe (hallux). With the condition, the hallux is forced

to lean towards the 2nd toe and causes the head of the 1st metatarsal bone to not sit correctly in the big toe joint (1st MPJ). As individuals with HAV often walk differently to reduce pain levels, the joint progressively becomes more unstable and can eventually lead to severe arthritis. Although often pain free in its early stages, HAV can be a debilitating condition later in life and therefore early treatment to slow the progression is recommended.

It is a common fracture of the shaft of the fifth metatarsal.  The fifth metatarsal is a bone located on the outside of your mid-foot.  A Jones’s fracture occurs at the base of this bone approximately 1.5cm from the base of the bone.  It is normally mistaken for a sprained ankle or avulsion fracture (base of the bone being pulled off by a tendon).  Due to the specific nature of the fracture, being 1.5cm from the base of the bone, the blood supply is limited and as a result can take a lot longer to heal than a normal fracture.  Therefore, it is vital for a correct diagnosis to be made.   

Calcaneal Apophysitis is the most common cause of posterior heel pain in active, growing children. Often described as a bruising 'pulling pain', the condition is caused by repetitive micro-trauma to the growth plate (apophysis) of the heel bone (calcaneus), hence the term Calcaneal Apophysitis.

Corns can be painful and annoying, but don’t worry, there are effective ways to treat them right at home. Here’s a few things that may help:

1.     Moisturise.

2.     Protect the area.

3.     Wear Proper Footwear.

4.     See a Professional. 

Taking care of your feet is essential for overall well-being. Share this post/blog to help others find relief from corns!

Do you remember your growing pains?

Is your child complaining of pains in the legs or feet especially at night when they are going to bed?

We love treating runners here at Podiatry Mackay. Running assessments are an area we excel in, and we are always trying to refine our skills in this area.

An important part of your treatment is hearing about your running journey and learning your ‘why’, which in combination with a running assessment allows us to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.

So, what to wear to your appointment?

Gait analysis is a crucial part of our initial assessment when a patient presents to us with lower limb pain.

Performed on either our in-house walkway or treadmill, we use a video camera and specially designed insoles (Podosmart and Parotec) to record you walking barefoot and with shoes. This gives us vital information on how your body moves when you are walking or running.

Video is particularly important as it allows us to watch your foot frame by frame,

Socks - simple, right?! Occasionally smelly things, you put them on your feet to protect them from blisters and rubbing when wearing shoes. If you are a runner ankle height socks might be your go-to and if you’re a triathlete or cyclist, they must be at least mid-calf height (rules are rules).

But did you also know that certain socks are designed to help with performance and recovery, and others to promote foot health for diabetics?

OS1st have a range of socks that do just this. These performance socks use compression and are made with high-quality materials, helping empower people with active lifestyles keep their feet happy and healthy.

Did you know that 280 Australians develop diabetes every day and there were more than 120,000 Aussies that have developed diabetes in the past year?

Did you also know that every year there are more than 27,600 hospital admissions in Australia for diabetes-related foot ulcers in Australia? Many will end up having a limb, or part of a limb, amputated.

A very important part of our job as Podiatrists is to screen diabetic feet for anything that may be a risk factor for developing problems in the short term.

Our assessment involves, but is not limited to, the following checks

We treat a lot of diabetics here at Podiatry Mackay and one of the most frequently asked questions we get is about footwear.

When it comes to diabetic feet it’s much easier to implement measures to prevent foot complications, rather than treat them once they’ve started. Your annual diabetic foot check is a good starting point to identify anything that might be a risk factor for foot complications – this includes your footwear!

So what shoes are best for diabetics then? We advise people with diabetes to wear footwear that fits, protects, and accommodates the shape of their feet. One brand that ticks all those boxes is Anodyne.

So, your best friend has mentioned that they have Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis and that they wouldn’t wish it on their worst enemy.

Plantar Fasciitis is painful under the heel, especially when you rise from sitting or resting.

If anyone is familiar with triathlon, they’ll be aware of elastic laces for their running shoes. When you transition from the bike ride to the run, you want to do it as quickly as possible. One way to speed up this transition, is to eliminate the need to tie your shoelaces.
Replace your standard laces to elastic ones before the race and when the time comes, slip your running shoes on and off you go.