Useful Information
Podiatry Services
What is a Podiatrist?
A Podiatrist is a health professional who diagnoses, treats and manages foot and related lower-limb conditions.
We follow a holistic approach in our practice and work as a team. Your experience starts when you make the enquiry or book the appointment. Our aim is to assess and treat you to our best abilities while accommodating your individual needs and expectations.
Why do we get foot pain?
Your feet were designed to follow a certain pattern when walking and when that pattern is not followed for whatever reason, you may experience pain or discomfort in your feet.
Your entire body is connected through muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood and nerve supply, and the position and function of your feet can affect the rest of your body.
Conditions that result from faulty biomechanics or incorrect footwear:
Plantar fasciitis
Heel pain/bruised heel syndrome/medial plantar nerve entrapment
Achilles tendinitis/tendinosis
Recurrent calf strain
Metatarsalgia/Pain over balls of feet
Morton’s neuroma
Peroneal tendinitis
Posterior tibial tendinitis
Plantar plate strain
Patellar tendinitis
Iliotibial friction syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome
Bunions & Tailor’s bunions/ Hallux abducto valgus
Intoeing gait
Sever’s disease
Flat feet
High arched feet
Biomechanical examination and video gait analysis.
In our assessment we look at the cause of your foot or leg discomfort and treat that. We take an in-depth look at the structure of your feet, your posture and the function of your feet during the gait cycle.
The aim in treating you is to restore the function of your feet, be it through correct footwear, foot exercises, innersole adjustments, custom-made orthotics and/or following a rehabilitation program.
Restoring the function of your feet often alleviates the pain and discomfort. The aim of footwear advice, innersole adjustments or custom-made orthotics is never to act as a crutch for your feet but rather to position your feet correctly to encourage correct kinetic chain activation, which will lead to energy efficient gait and correct use of your soft tissue and joints.
Footwear
It is important that you bring along a bag with shoes that you most often wear. We can then assess the wear pattern on your shoes and that would guide us in diagnosis and treatment. It gives us an idea of what you have been wearing and how it could have influenced your gait. We will advise you on the correct footwear taking your needs, daily requirements and style into consideration.
Custom-made orthotics
Orthotics are custom-made in-shoe devices that should address your individual biomechanical issues and restore foot function. If we establish during your assessment that your condition could be treated with orthotics, we will assess which type of orthotic will address your needs best and also advise on what footwear will be best suited with the orthotics to achieve optimal functionality.
Orthotics should be custom-made, address yourspecific needs, be worn in the correct shoes and fitted correctly. The style of shoe can have an influence on the function and comfort of the orthotic. Orthotics should last you two years but that depends on the wear. Professional sportsmen, those who are heavy on their feet and wear the orthotics 24/7 might need to replace them annually.
Simple innersoles (Running innersole adjustments)
Adjustments can be done onto existing innersoles or innersoles can be made to address specific mechanical issues. This can only be determined once an assessment has been done. The aim of an adjustment will be to encourage your feet to maintain the right alignment to activate your kinetic chain correctly and encourage an energy efficient gait.
Cost
You will be formally quoted when you make an appointment. We are contracted out of medical aid and appointments need to be settled in full after the consult. We accept cash, credit cards and debit cards (regret no Diners Club or American Express).
Once we have assessed your feet and establish the need for additional treatment (running innersoles, orthotics or nail surgery), we will provide you with a quote and all the necessary ICD10 codes and procedure codes to submit to your medical aid.