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Introduction - a closer look at forefoot strength Forefoot strength is having a moment. From toe flexor dynamometry to “short foot” drills, clinicians and coaches want to know whether a stronger propulsive foot actually moves the performance needle for athletes, and in which directions. A new single‑blind randomised controlled trial in PLOS ONE (2025) offers one of the clearest tests to date: an 8‑week, periodised high‑load forefoot program in highly trained athletes, with de

Should we be using injections for Tendinopathy? This 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis synthesises 27 randomised controlled trials (n=1,779) comparing platelet‑rich plasma (PRP) with corticosteroid (CS) injections across four conditions: rotator cuff tendinopathy, lateral epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, and tenosynovitis. For clinicians counseling runners and field-sport athletes, two themes matter: the time course of benefit and whether improvements translate to fun

Introduction Every runner has experienced it. You cross the finish line feeling surprisingly strong, only to discover five or ten minutes later that your legs suddenly feel like concrete. This new study investigates exactly that phenomenon by examining how young trail runners respond immediately after competition using two familiar tests; the squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ). Rather than finding immediate fatigue, the authors observed a brief improvement in jump

Introduction Chronic tendinopathy remains one of the greatest frustrations in sports medicine. Whether it's a runner battling mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy, a footballer with patellar tendinopathy, or a recreational athlete unable to shake chronic plantar heel pain, treatment often becomes a lengthy journey of progressive loading, patience and occasionally frustration. A recent systematic review by Maag et al. (2024) examined whether ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Needle

Can Wearable IMUs Replace the Gait Lab? Wearable technology has transformed endurance sport. GPS watches, foot pods and motion sensors now promise laboratory-level biomechanics almost anywhere from the clinic to the running trail. For podiatrists, this is particularly appealing. Imagine performing objective gait analysis during an outdoor run rather than relying solely on a few minutes on a treadmill. A new systematic review and meta-analysis by Bissenov et al. (2025) tackles

Introduction Plantar fasciopathy remains one of the most frustrating injuries faced by runners and one of the most common conditions treated by podiatrists. While extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has become increasingly popular over the past decade, many patients and clinicians still ask the same question: Is shockwave actually better than good physiotherapy? A recent randomised controlled trial published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders attempts to answer exactly that

Introduction Wearable technology continues its relentless march into sports medicine and clinical biomechanics. The latest study by Jung and colleagues proposes something remarkably ambitious: estimating walking energy expenditure using a single sacrum-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) combined with a biomechanically-informed machine learning model. For podiatrists, running coaches, rehabilitation specialists, and sports clinicians, the promise is attractive. If metabol

Introduction Plantar fasciopathy remains one of the most common injuries seen in sports medicine and podiatry clinics. For runners, it can be frustratingly persistent, limiting training volume, altering gait mechanics, and reducing overall quality of life. A recent Norwegian study by Røe and colleagues sought to answer an important question: How do pain, function, and quality of life change over the first year after treatment for plantar fasciopathy, and can we identify who r

Overview This 2026 randomised controlled trial by Zare Bidoki & Haj Lotfalian investigated whether combined balance and perturbation training improves the following in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS): Gluteal muscle activation (EMG) Hip kinematics Pain (VAS) Function (AKPS) Participants completed a 6-week neuromuscular training program (18 sessions) or no intervention. Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) also known as Runner's Knee is a common complaint 🏃 Key

Introduction Kaczor et al.(2025) state that flat feet (pes planus) aren’t just a structural variation they’re often linked to reduced ankle mobility, altered running biomechanics, and increased injury risk. For runners, this can mean anything from plantar heel pain to Achilles tendinopathy. In their 2025 randomized controlled trial Kaczor et al. set out to test whether myofascial release (MFR), a popular hands-on therapy can improve ankle range of motion (ROM) and foot functi

Introduction Flexible pes planovalgus (flatfoot) remains one of the most common presentations in paediatric podiatry, thought to account for nearly 90% of pediatric podiatry visits (according to the authors). For clinicians managing young athletes, the real question isn’t whether flat feet exist, it’s whether early intervention improves long-term outcomes in: Running performance Balance and neuromuscular control Injury risk (e.g., tibial stress, patellofemoral pain, Achilles

📄 Paper Overview The study by Gao et al. (2025) proposes a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating an integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (TCAWM) rehabilitation programme for post-acute ankle sprains. Population: 174 patients aged 18–35 Design: Single-centre RCT Intervention: Combined physiotherapy, exercise rehab, acupuncture, and massage Duration: 2-week intervention + 3-month follow-up Outcomes: Pain (VAS, SF-MPQ), function (FAAM, AOFAS), strength (to

🧠 Overview of the Paper The study, titled ' One exercise session a day keeps the physio away: Effect of a newly designed daily exercise programme on injury prevention in youth football' is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing a newly designed 10-minute daily injury prevention programme (IPP) with the well-established FIFA 11+ in youth footballers. Participants: 93 male academy players (ages 8–18) Duration: 6 months Primary outcomes: Injury incidence (per 1000 hours

Introduction: Why This Paper Matters Heel pain in youth athletes, particularly runners and field sport players is frequently attributed to Sever’s disease (calcaneal apophysitis). The reviewed paper, “Conservative Management of Sever’s Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis): A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Efficacy” by Nweke TC (2025), attempts to synthesise evidence and propose a tiered treatment model for clinicians. For podiatrists working with athletic populations, this topi

Introduction Managing Achilles tendon load is one of the biggest challenges in podiatry, sports medicine, and running performance. Traditional heavy–slow resistance (HSR) and eccentric protocols work, but it has been suggested that they are time-consuming, painful, and often poorly tolerated during high training loads. A recent study by Križaj et al. (2025) investigates whether eccentric quasi-isometric (EQI) exercise might offer a more efficient and less painful way to load

Introduction The relationship between ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF-ROM) and landing biomechanics has long interested podiatrists and sports clinicians. A newly published study by Rad et al. (2025) explores this link in female soccer players using a novel statistical approach (quantile regression) to examine how ankle mobility relates to landing quality in both amateur and elite athletes. For clinicians working in sports podiatry, ACL injury prevention, and running p

Introduction Can structured neuromuscular training genuinely reduce lower-limb injuries, and what does this mean beyond soccer, for running performance and podiatric care? A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Journal of Clinical Medicine tackles this question by evaluating neuromuscular training (NMT) programmes such as FIFA 11+ for injury prevention in soccer players . For podiatrists and sports clinicians working with athletes, this paper provides strong

Introduction The 2025 narrative review Dilemma in the Treatment of Sports Injuries in Athletes tackles three of the most consequential injury categories seen in sports podiatry and sports medicine: tendinopathy, acute muscle strain, and tendon rupture. While not foot-specific by title, the paper is highly relevant to Achilles tendinopathy, calf muscle injury, plantarflexor weakness, and return-to-running decision-making. For podiatrists, this paper is valuable not because it

Introduction Custom foot orthoses are a mainstay in managing running-related injuries, foot pain, and lower limb musculoskeletal conditions. As digital workflows become more common in podiatry and sports medicine, a key practical question remains: Does scanning the foot directly actually lead to better outcomes than traditional foam-box casting? A 2025 randomised controlled trial by Barr et al. finally gives us high-quality data to answer this question. Here’s a critical brea

Introduction Short foot exercises (SFE) have gained popularity in podiatry and sports medicine as a way to activate the intrinsic foot muscles, improve medial longitudinal arch control, and potentially reduce running-related injuries. A recently published proof-of-concept study explored whether a single session of SFE could acutely improve dynamic balance and foot kinematics in trail runners. This review aims to critically examine the study’s findings, clinical relevance, and