“Ignoring neck pain is like playing Russian roulette with your health; the longer you wait, the more you risk long-term damage.”

 Neck pain is a common complaint that I’m sure we can all relate to having had it at some point or other, but its ubiquity should not diminish the importance of treating it appropriately especially if it is a regular part of your life. Ignoring neck pain or attempting to manage it without proper diagnosis and treatment is a perilous path. When dealing with such a sensitive and crucial part of your body, the stakes are high.Choosing to neglect proper assessment and treatment for neck pain can lead to:

• Chronic Pain: Lack of intervention might result in persistent neck pain, making everyday activities unbearable.
• Restricted Mobility: Inadequate or inappropriate treatment can lead to reduced range of motion, affecting your ability to turn or tilt your head.

In contrast, opting to seek professional help for correct assessment and treatment offers:

• Pain Relief: Accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment can lead to significant relief from pain, allowing you to function normally.
• Improved Quality of Life: Proper treatment can eliminate the recurring cycles of pain and discomfort, helping you to sleep better, work more efficiently, and engage in physical activities.
• Prevention: Understanding the root cause of your neck pain can also prevent further episodes, saving you from future agony and potential complications.

2 Great Tips for Simple Rehab

While nothing replaces the advice of a healthcare professional, these tips from our resident physio can serve as a valuable supplement to your treatment plan:

1. Neck Exercises: Simple neck stretches, like neck tilts and rotations, can reduce inflammation and stiffness. However, consult your physiotherapist for a tailored exercise plan.
2. Ergonomic Considerations: Your sitting posture, especially during work, can significantly impact your neck health. Ensure that your computer screen is at eye level and that you maintain a neutral spine position while sitting.

For the best results, you can’t go wrong with PhysiopodWA, located within The Foot Pod Clinic at Karrinyup. Our resident physiotherapist, Megan Van Selm, is skilled in diagnosing and treating neck pain. With her expertise, you can trust that you’ll receive the proper assessment and personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Megan not only addresses the symptoms but delves into identifying the root causes of your discomfort. Utilizing the most effective treatment modalities, she can significantly improve your quality of life, ensuring a robust and lasting recovery.

Don’t let neck pain dictate your life any longer. Make the smart choice for your health by seeking a thorough assessment and comprehensive treatment at PhysiopodWA.

Book your appointment today for a comprehensive consultation and personalized treatment plan with Megan Van Selm at PhysiopodWA.

Schedule online at www.thefootpod.com.au or call us on (08) 92467292.

Experience the transformation that proper care can bring to your life!

Are you suffering from ankle pain or discomfort?

Whether acute or chronic in nature, podiatrists are often the first step in the management of ankle pain.

Causes of ankle pain

There are many different causes of ankle pain.

• Ankle sprain

Ankle sprain is the most common cause of ankle pain. After an ankle sprain, you may feel pain on the inside or outside of the ankle and notice swelling and bruising.

• Fracture

Fractures in the ankle can result from trauma to the ankle such as a severe ankle sprain, fall and car accident.

• Arthritis

Arthritis in the ankle joint can cause pain and swelling, making it difficult to stay active. There are different types of arthritis that can cause ankle pain. You may experience ankle pain from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and septic arthritis.

• Tendinopathy

Tendinopathy refers to damage to a tendon. The extent of damage can range from micro-tears to complete ruptures, resulting in pain, inflammation and degeneration.

• Tarsal tunnel syndrome

The tarsal tunnel functions as a ‘tunnel’ for arteries, veins, tendons and nerves. These structures can get compressed within the tarsal tunnel, resulting in ankle pain.

Treatment options for ankle pain

1. Ultrasound and laser therapy – helps to reduce pain, swelling and and inflammation.
2. Footwear recommendation – to improve biomechanics of the lower limb.
3. Orthotic therapy – when ankle pain is associated with abnormal biomechanics, orthotic therapy can help to correct the alignment of the foot and lower limb.
4. Rehabilitation program – strengthening and stretching exercises to help increase ankle joint mobility. This also reduces the risk of recurring ankle pain.

The complex anatomy of the ankle means that there can be damage to one or multiple ligaments, tendons and bones. It is important that the underlying cause of pain is accurately diagnosed to ensure the most appropriate treatment program is implemented

Here at The Foot Pod, our experienced podiatrists can assess, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate ankle pain and injuries.

Book online now or call our friendly reception team on (08) 9246 7292 have your ankle assessed by a professional podiatrist.

Do you suffer with Achilles Tendinopathy? Have you got pain and stiffness in the back of your heel that gets worse with activity? This is an important article that could make a world of difference to you.

“The Achilles tendon is the LARGEST TENDON IN THE BODY connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone and is used in all of our weight bearing activities such as running, walking and jumping”

As the largest ‘spring ligament’ in the body the Achilles tendon is capable of withstanding great stresses involved with running and jumping but can be subject to injury and degeneration leading to the debilitating condition of Achilles Tendinopathy.

Starting with pain, swelling and inflammation, the repetitive traumatizing of the inflamed tendon just from normal walking activities if left untreated can lead to micro-tears and eventual rupturing of the tendon.

When you experience the pain of an inflamed Achilles tendon seeing a podiatrist who is an expert in foot function and deals with this problem on a daily basis, is the essential first step to fixing your Achilles problem and getting you back to having  an active pain free lifestyle.

For many people with this debilitating condition, rest, anti-inflammatories and in some cases steroid injections leads to a decrease in pain and so people try to return to their normal activities but then the pain comes straight back often worse than before.

“This then leads to a perpetual cycle of pain and inflammation that is alleviated by inactivity and aggravated by activity.”

Seeking treatment early from a trained podiatrist will limit the amount of chronic tendon damage that can occur and reduce the risk of rupturing the tendon which would then require surgery.

If any of this relates to you then you’ll be glad to learn that here at The Foot Pod Podiatry Clinic in Karrinyup, we have developed The Achilles Action Plan for  both Insertional and Non-Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy, that will get you rapid results in the treatment of your Achilles problem and get you back to pain free activity using a combination of both Focus and Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy and a personalized rehabilitation program.

Listed below is a powerful exercise from The Achilles Action Plan that you can try at home to get immediate pain relief and to help get you started on the road to recovery. This exercise when done correctly will give both pain relief and strengthening.

Isometric Heel Raise – Stand with feet shoulder width apart and place the hands in front of you on a wall at eye level.

Slowly raise both heels up together ensuring the weight of the body rests along the big toe joint and not to the outsides of the foot or the lesser toes.

Hold the stretch for 30-40 seconds

Slowly lower the heels back to the floor in a controlled manner do not allow the heels to slap down

Do the above stretch at least 5 times holding for up to 40 seconds each time.

As part of an Achilles Action Plan this exercise would gradually be personalized and added to so it would become more complex allowing for individual rehabilitation goals to be achieved.

So why suffer with sore feet ? – If you want to fix your Achilles Tendinopathy using the Achilles Action Plan put your feet in the hands of a professional and call us on (08) 92467292 to book an appointment or go to www.thefootpod.com.au and book online.