Arthritis refers to inflammation of the joints, and in the feet , is commonly found in the large toe joint (1st metatarso-phalangeal joint) and the instep (mid-tarsal or inter-tarsal joints).
Arthritis in these joints is often related to feet which are weak or highly flexible (over-pronated) or feet which are too rigid and don’t absorb shock well (over-supinated).
Since arthritis pain is aggravated by “bone-on-bone” joint stress, any treatment which can limit movement, stress and strain on the joints will help greatly. For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for adults with this problem to control the underlying poor foot posture and the painful symptoms that result. Arthritis in the feet is not something you just have to live with!
Podiatrists at Foot Life will also give advice regarding “icing” of the affected area, strapping of the affected areas and refer for x-rays where applicable. In very severe cases, surgery by a podiatric surgeon or orthopaedic surgeon may be required to relieve the problem.
Overpronation
Pronation is the normal inward-rolling motion of the foot to absorb shock and adapt to uneven surfaces that we walk on. Overpronation refers to excessive pronation of the feet.
Many painful complaints such as heel pain, bunions and tired, aching feet are caused by poor foot posture, especially overpronation. Poor foot posture often results in major foot surgery for “bunions”, “hammer toes” and collapsed arches.
Your feet are the base for your whole body. Just like the foundation of a building, if you have poor foot posture it will result in poor body posture. This results in uneven stress on your feet, knees, hips and back and can lead to osteoarthritis, scoliosis, back pain and even headaches.
For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for children and adults experiencing foot, knee, hip and back pain. Orthotics realign foot and body posture and relieve stress to injured muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. Improvement of painful symptoms is usually easy and they also help to prevent pain from re-occurring. This means people can return to normal activities quickly and continue to do so for many years to come!
For those children with postural problems such as “Flat feet”, in-toed gait, knock knees, tripping/clumsiness or uneven shoe wear, orthotics realign foot and body posture to make children look more “normal”.
For adults and children with sporting injuries, we believe orthotics greatly reduce the incidence of injuries and results in less “down-time” from sport and training.
Just like eyeglasses, orthotics are prescription-only devices. We don’t believe people should wear “arch supports” bought at shoe shops, chemists, or even those recommended by other health professionals. After all, you wouldn’t dream of “off-the-shelf” treatments for your eyes or teeth, would you?
Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction
Tibialis Posterior is a very strong muscle, which is the deepest of all the calf muscles in the lower leg. The tendon of this muscle forms just above the ankle and runs under the inside ankle bone (medial malleolus) before finishing at the inside of the arch of the foot ( the navicular bone).
The Tibialis Posterior muscle helps to plantar-flex the foot when you push off to take a step and also helps to maintain the arch of the foot. When the Tibialis Posterior tendon is injured or under a lot of strain, especially when people have a low arch height, it becomes very weak and cannot function normally. This tendon has a very poor blood supply in some areas and never heals properly once injured. This can result in the foot rolling inward too much (overpronation) and the arch collapsing.
For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for children and adults with this problem. In addition to orthotics, podiatrists at Foot Life normally give advice regarding exercises to strengthen the tibialis posterior muscle and to stretch the other calf muscles.
In severe cases, surgery by a podiatric surgeon or orthopaedic surgeon to reconstruct the longitudinal arch of the foot is required.
Tired, Aching Feet
Arthritis
Arthritis refers to inflammation of the joints, and in the feet , is commonly found in the large toe joint (1st metatarso-phalangeal joint) and the instep (mid-tarsal or inter-tarsal joints).
Since arthritis pain is aggravated by “bone-on-bone” joint stress, any treatment which can limit movement, stress and strain on the joints will help greatly. For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for adults with this problem to control the underlying poor foot posture and the painful symptoms that result. Arthritis in the feet is not something you just have to live with!
Podiatrists at Foot Life will also give advice regarding “icing” of the affected area, strapping of the affected areas and refer for x-rays where applicable. In very severe cases, surgery by a podiatric surgeon or orthopaedic surgeon may be required to relieve the problem.
Overpronation
Pronation is the normal inward-rolling motion of the foot to absorb shock and adapt to uneven surfaces that we walk on. Overpronation refers to excessive pronation of the feet.
Many painful complaints such as heel pain, bunions and tired, aching feet are caused by poor foot posture, especially overpronation. Poor foot posture often results in major foot surgery for “bunions”, “hammer toes” and collapsed arches.
Your feet are the base for your whole body. Just like the foundation of a building, if you have poor foot posture it will result in poor body posture. This results in uneven stress on your feet, knees, hips and back and can lead to osteoarthritis, scoliosis, back pain and even headaches.
For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for children and adults experiencing foot, knee, hip and back pain. Orthotics realign foot and body posture and relieve stress to injured muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. Improvement of painful symptoms is usually easy and they also help to prevent pain from re-occurring. This means people can return to normal activities quickly and continue to do so for many years to come!
For those children with postural problems such as “Flat feet”, in-toed gait, knock knees, tripping/clumsiness or uneven shoe wear, orthotics realign foot and body posture to make children look more “normal”.
For adults and children with sporting injuries, we believe orthotics greatly reduce the incidence of injuries and results in less “down-time” from sport and training.
Just like eyeglasses, orthotics are prescription-only devices. We don’t believe people should wear “arch supports” bought at shoe shops, chemists, or even those recommended by other health professionals. After all, you wouldn’t dream of “off-the-shelf” treatments for your eyes or teeth, would you?
Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction
Tibialis Posterior is a very strong muscle, which is the deepest of all the calf muscles in the lower leg. The tendon of this muscle forms just above the ankle and runs under the inside ankle bone (medial malleolus) before finishing at the inside of the arch of the foot ( the navicular bone).
The Tibialis Posterior muscle helps to plantar-flex the foot when you push off to take a step and also helps to maintain the arch of the foot. When the Tibialis Posterior tendon is injured or under a lot of strain, especially when people have a low arch height, it becomes very weak and cannot function normally. This tendon has a very poor blood supply in some areas and never heals properly once injured. This can result in the foot rolling inward too much (overpronation) and the arch collapsing.
For many years podiatrists have prescribed orthotics (prescription foot supports) for children and adults with this problem. In addition to orthotics, podiatrists at Foot Life normally give advice regarding exercises to strengthen the tibialis posterior muscle and to stretch the other calf muscles.
In severe cases, surgery by a podiatric surgeon or orthopaedic surgeon to reconstruct the longitudinal arch of the foot is required.