Podiatry
Biomechanics is the science of how bones
and muscles enable the body to move, these principles are
used by podiatrists to help improve the alignment of the body.
Good alignment helps the body move efficiently,
reducing the potential for muscles and joints to become injured.
Poor foot posture such as over
pronation may compromise how you walk or run. The alignment problem may
be very subtle and the foot itself may not be painful but a slight
fault repeated with every step can become very debilitating. Foot
function can be improved very effectively using custom made
'orthotics'.
When is there a problem?
Pain and injury can arise when structures of the
lower limb are not quite in line with each other when you are walking
or running. This is referred to as ‘malalignment’.
The slightest individual variation in alignment can be the cause of the
pain. Orthotic shoe inserts prevent pain and further problems by
re-aligning the limb.
Lower limb problems are surprisingly common in all
ages, yet many go untreated or are treated unsuccessfully because the
cause of the symptoms is not treated, and so pain may reoccur.
The lower limb
Do your children suffer from:
Knee pain? Osgood Schlatters Disease
Heel pain? Severs Disease
Arch pain? Kohlers Disease
Forefoot pain? Freibergs Infarction
Do you suffer from?
Knee pain? Chondromalacia patellae, Patellofemoral
syndrome, Pes anserinus, ITB bursitis
Shin pain? Shin splints front, back, side, Medial tibial stress
syndrome, Compartment syndrome
Heel pain? Plantar fascitis/heel spur
Back of heel pain? Achilles tendonitis
Foot ‘in rolling’? Pronation
Fallen arches/Flat feet? Pes planus
Are you starting to develop bunions? Hallux Abducto Valgus
There are many other conditions in the lower limb,
including hip and low back, which are caused by poor foot mechanics.
Just because the feet do not hurt, does not mean they are not at fault.
The bones of the foot
The way that you walk affects the function of the
26 bones in each foot. This may effect the function of the joints
further up the limb and in the back. Very slight individual variations,
which are only visual to the trained eye, will determine the cause of
individual problems.
What can be done?
The Podiatrist will undertake a biomechanical
examination which involves assessing joint range of motion, gait and
muscle tests. Then the cause of the condition can be established, and
the Podiatrist will be able to formulate an appropriate treatment plan
to suit the individual case.
In most cases of malalignment, ORTHOTICS are the
treatment of choice.
Orthotics are custom-made functional insoles that
fit inside most shoes, made from a plaster impression of the feet, held
in the correct position. They are a non invasive method of
‘realigning’ the foot and lower limb to an optimal
position and help improve posture. They effectively relieve pain and
prevent further joint damage in the long term.
Temporary orthotic devices will often be
prescribed prior to the issue of a custom made orthotic so that the
foot is slowly re-aligned and changes are gradually introduced to the
body.
Practitioner
Penny Claisse, BSc
(Hons) MChS HPC Registered Podiatrist
After several years working at the Middlesex
Hospital, London as a Research Scientist on a Cancer Research UK
project, Penny retrained at Southampton University gaining a 1st Class
Podiatry degree in 2001.
She joined the NHS in Hampshire and worked at
Basingstoke, Andover and Hythe Hospitals and also at Odstock Hospital
near Salisbury. There she quickly specialised in Musculoskeletal
Diagnosis, Biomechanics
and Orthotics. She also used these skills
at the Nuffield Hospital Chandler’s Ford, Sarum Road Hospital
Winchester and The Hampshire Clinic Basingstoke, as well as
Therapeutics Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic Eastleigh.
She has published in national and international
Podiatry journals and lectures at Southampton University. Her patients
range from children to active adults of all ages and include amateur
and elite sportsmen and women. She is currently applying for BUPA
registration.
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