Common problems include: plantar fasciitis, shin splints, achilles tendonitis, painful bunions, corns, calluses, aching feet or specific joints and Morton’s neuroma. These problems often relate to the way your feet and legs are functioning.
Diagnosis & symptoms
Diagnosis is via a physical examination of the affected structures and also by observing how they are functioning whilst standing and/or walking. From this we are able to identify which factors are causing or contributing to your problem.
The most commonly reported symptom is pain. Various joints may also be stiff or may ache.
Typically, few if any symptoms are experienced whilst resting. They are certainly evident on activity. The pain is usually persistent and shows no sign of reducing over time.
If the injury is through a sudden trauma such as spraining your ankle, there may be redness, heat and swelling present. If a traumatic injury results in you not being able to bear weight or walk easily, you should go to your local A&E for investigation just in case you have fractured a bone.
Typical causes
Musculoskeletal problems are many and varied, and so too can be the causes.
It could be that you have a particularly tight muscle somewhere, a difference in the length of your legs, too much movement available around a specific joint or even just through wearing footwear not suited to your feet or activities. You may also be walking or running in a way that overloads / over uses a particular structure causing it to be injured.
Types of treatment available
Treatment for musculoskeletal problems can begin once we have identified the injured structure and factors contributing to, or causing your problem. We will develop a personalised treatment plan which may involve several or all of the following: specific stretching exercises, appropriate medication, footwear advice and the prescription of orthoses (insoles). The orthoses may be prefabricated which can be customised, or a fully bespoke pair of orthoses made specifically for you and your problem. The purpose of orthoses are to improve foot function or reduce pressure away from any problem areas.
