FOOT PAIN & INJURIES

Foot Pain & Injuries

If you are experiencing foot pain or have an existing injury that you need treatment for, you have come to the right place! At the Gold Coast Foot Clinic we are experts in diagnosing and treating all kinds of conditions and injuries.

Not sure what treatment you need, but sure that something is wrong? Visit one of our Podiatrists for an investigative consultation, we have a wealth of knowledge and pride ourselves in our diagnostic skills.

Joint Pain in Your Ankles, Hips or Knees?

If you are experiencing pain in your ankles, hips or knees this could be a symptom of an underlying issue with your feet. Problems with your feet can also cause shin splints, stress fractures and chronic joint pain. Come see us for full Orthotics .

Children's Feet

Keeping an eye on your children's feet in their early life is very important. Identifying and treating issues early on can help to avoid lower extremity problems later in life. For more information on what to look for in your child please read our article " Children's Feet".

For more in-depth information about treatments within General Foot Care please use the links on the right of this page to see our specifically written articles.

Alternatively if you have a query that you would like to send us, use our contact form on the left to drop us a line, and we will get back to you shortly. Alternatively come see us, we are on the Gold Coast, near Broadbeach & Burleigh.

Children with strong healthy feet often avoid many kinds of lower extremity problems later in life. Parents should watch a childs gait once they begin to walk. Many children have a pigeon in-toe gait and our office can assist with advice on footwear and other forms of gait rehabilitation.

To help with flatfeet, special shoes, custom made or ready-made modified inserts may be prescribed. In some paediatric patients, the early use of prescription orthotics before the bones are fully developed may actually correct the foot problem, or at least ensure that the problem does not develop any further.

Painful Achilles Tendon in Adolescents

Sever’s disease or calcaneal apophysitis is most prevalent in active adolescents boys between the ages of 8 and 13 years. It is the result of an acute or chronic strain of the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel.

A diagnosis is suggested when a teenager complains of pain and sensitivity at the back of the heel below the attachment of the Achilles tendon. The condition is often bilateral. There may be some swelling in the area and wearing shoes may cause pain. The pain is aggravated by playing sport or running.

Treatment involves appropriate footwear, padding, heel lifts or biomechanical control in the form of custom made orthosis.

Painful Feet

Pain in the feet is not normal and it is a result of an abnormal relationship or misalignment of the bones in the feet. After detailed examination and establishment of bony abnormalities/weakness of ligaments, orthotics can realign the bony problems and restore normal function of the foot. An added benefit is reduction of pain and slowing down the progression of structural deformities. We are able to provide different kinds of orthotics based on your age, footwear and level of activity. Orthotics can be custom made (fabricated from a plaster cast of the patients foot) or readymade but modified for each individual patient.

Achilles Tendon Pain

Achilles tendonitis is a common overuse injury producing inflammation of the tendon at the back of the heel. The patient may have mild or severe swelling as well as experience morning tenderness in the area where the Achilles tendon is attached to the heel bone.

Our office will treat the condition conservatively with advice on footwear, padding or appropriate orthotics which will support the muscle and relieve stress on the tendon. Stretching and appropriate exercises are usually recommended. In severe cases diagnostic imaging may be necessary as well as surgical repair.

Ankle Sprains and Pain

Inversion sprains occur when the foot turns in and one of three ligaments on the outside aspect of the ankle strain or rupture. The severity of the strain dictates the treatment.

Our office will treat a mild strain or sprain by immobilization, advice on activity level and follow-up re-training and strengthening. Proper treatment is essential to prevent recurrence and chronic sprains. To prevent ankle sprains it is important to maintain strength, balance and flexibility of the foot and ankle through exercises, stretching and wearing well-fitted shoes.

Arthritic Disorders and Pain

Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are two common forms of arthritis affecting especially those over the age of 45.

Both conditions present in the foot and produce deformities, pain in the joints and weakness of muscles and ligaments. Conservative treatment of painful arthritic foot involves padding, exercises, orthotics and appropriate footwear. In chronic, severe cases surgery may be required.

Ball of the Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia)

Metatarsalgia is a symptom of pain in the forefoot. At first there is tenderness over the metatarsal heads. This may be described by the patient as “walking with a pebble in the shoe”. This condition is most common in middle-aged people who have a pronation tendency and is most commonly seen after an increase in activity levels or weight gain.

Conservative treatment includes appropriate footwear, padding and arch supports which avoid increased pressure on the painful metatarsal heads. All the aspects of treating the pronated foot must be utilised including exercises to strengthen the intrinsic muscles, Achilles tendon stretching and improvement of gait.

Bunion Pain

Bunions are misaligned big toe joints that can become swollen and tender and cause the 1st joint of the big toe to move towards the 2nd toe joint.

Many people with bunions suffer from discomfort and pain caused by the constant irritation, rubbing and friction against the shoe. Over time, arthritis or bursitis may set in and the condition can become chronic. Foot injuries, flat feet and pronated feet can contribute to bunion formation.

Treatment is to relieve the pressure and pain and stop any progression of the deformity. Some ways of reducing pressure include:

Appropriate footwear designed to accommodate the bunion and not contribute towards its growth.
Orthotic devices – both over-the-counter and custom made – in order to stabilise the joint and place the foot in the correct position.
The use of protective padding
Exercises to maintain joint mobility
In young people, splints for night time may be used to help the joint to align properly.

Chronic Ankle Pain

Recurring and persistent pain on the outer side of the ankle can develop after an injury and is the result of incomplete healing after an ankle sprain. Without complete rehabilitation the ligaments may remain weak and produce recurrent instability.

There are a number of potential causes for chronic ankle pain. Our office will pinpoint the diagnosis beginning with a physical examination. In some cases x-rays have to be ordered and additional tests such as bone scan, CT scan (Computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance image) may be needed.

Treatment will depend on the final diagnosis and conservative treatment will include:

Physical therapy
An ankle brace or other support
Temporary immobilisation
Custom Orthotics to improve biomechanics

Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses are protective layers of thickened dead skin cells. They are caused by repeated friction from skin rubbing against bony areas. Tight fitting shoes as well as abnormal biomechanics contribute to the development of corns.

Corns form mainly on the toes and in between the toes , while calluses form due to increased pressure on the soles of the feet. The friction and pressure can produce burning and be painful. To prevent corns from becoming infected they require specialised podiatric treatment. In most cases protective padding is required as well as change of footwear. Painful corns no matter how much they are cut down or debrided, they will return because they are the result of abnormal position of the underlying bone.

Diabetic Feet

Foot care is especially important for the patient with diabetes. People with diabetes need to act in the early signs of foot symptoms of foot problems. Some foot conditions can lead to infection, pressure points, nerve damage and tragically, amputation if not cared for early on

Most common diabetic foot related conditions:

Infection
Ingrown Toenail
Peripheral vascular disease leading to poor circulation
Neuropathy (nerve damage and loss of feeling in the foot)
Pressure points
Foot ulcers that do not heal
Changes in foot shape

Gold Coast Foot Clinic has 3 certified podiatrists with over 20 years experience in prodiatry. We provide a full assessment of foot complications, risk factors and a foot care program for patients with diabetes that includes:

Routine nail and skin care
Patient education
Painful lesion care and advice
Therapeutic shoes (which can be purchased in our SHOP).
Custom-made orthotics or ready-made shoe inserts
Referrals for special care if required eg. vascular surgeon

Hammertoes

Hammertoe is a structural deformity in which abnormal biomechanics cause the toe to contract at one, two or three of the joints within that toe.

In its early stages the deformity is flexible, but with inappropriate footwear can cause irritation in the dislocated joint and eventually form a corn.

Our office can relieve the painful symptoms with debridement, use of topical medicaments and protective padding as well as advice on footwear. In severe cases surgical correction may be necessary.

Heel Pain/Plantar Fasciitis

Heel pain is usually caused by Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Spur Syndrome.

Plantar Fasciitis is caused by an inflamation or excessive pull of the Plantar Fascia - the tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot which connects your heel bone to your toes.

Plantar Fasciitis is usually felt first thing in the morning with with heel pain, but it might return after long perids of rest, or standing up for long periods of time. Pain usually starts as sporadic but can progress to constant heel pain.

Our clinical podiatrists can recommend several different types of treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: Shockwave Therapy, strapping, padding, exercises and orthotics.

Heel Spur Syndrome, while more uncommon, is a calcium deposit on the bottom of the foot. In most cases, strapping, anti inflamatories, and orthotics can help aleviate heel pain caused from spurs. In extreme or chronic cases, surgical intervention may be necessary.

Fungal Nail Conditions

Fungal Nail conditions are common and usually begin with a white or yellow spot under the nail which grows across the nail. In some cases to several nails. They can cause nails to become crumbly, cause pain or other issues like Athlete's foot.

Gold Coast Foot Clinic have several different pain free treatment options available for fungal nail conditions. One of our most popular treatments is our pain free Lunala Laser. Lunala Laser cold laser therapy for the toes that kills fungus in and under the toenails.

If you believe you have a Fungal Nail Condition, call to book in with one of our podiatrists today.

Additionally, we also offer KeryFlex, a cosmetic nail restoration procedure to improve the appearance of Fungal Nails.

KeryFlex is a safe, in-practice application that restores the appearance of nails affected by fungus, defects and trauma. The composite resin creates a flexible, non-porous nail that allows the remaining nail to grow. The KeryFlex nail is an immediate cosmetic improvement providing a natural looking nail.

Knee Pain

In many cases knee pain may be related to increased pronation as well as muscle imbalance. Other causes of knee pain are repeated trauma or an untreated previous ligament injury.

Depending on diagnosis and the cause of knee pain, some cases respond well to shoe changes as well as stretching and strengthening exercises. Custom made orthotics play an important role in reducing the knee pain as they correct abnormal biomechanics.

Neuroma

In the majority of cases, pain in the ball of the foot is is due to a benign growth of nerve tissue. This is commonly found between the 3rd and fourth toes that cause pain and a burning sensation and/or tingling or numbness between the toes and the ball of the foot.

Our office will establish the cause of the pain and advice will be given on footwear and conservative care in the form of padding, exercises or orthotics .

Seniors Foot Problems

The senior patient has many of the same foot problems as the younger patient but their condition is often complicated by inflammatory joint disease, chronic systemic disease and poor circulation.

Our office will establish specific problems and recommend modern foot care. Your feet should not hurt because you are older.

Shin Splints

These are painful and can occur in the front and inside of the lower leg. They are caused by running on hard surfaces, overdoing your stride and abnormal biomechanics. Long term treatment in persistent cases will include:

Strengthening and flexibility exercises to correct muscle imbalances
Physical therapy.
Patients with shin splints often require orthotics.
Appropriate arched footwear. See our SHOP for more.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are incomplete breaks or cracks in a bone caused by repeated trauma and are most common in the foot. When stress fractures are ignored the result may necessitate surgery or prolonged disability.

Diagnosis is made on the basis of a physical exam and x-rays. Treatment involves immobilisation and non-impact aerobic activity. The return to athletic activity should be delayed for as long as 4-6 weeks.