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Podiatry Clinic, Sports Injury and Running Performance Specialists
Find Your Stride is a podiatry clinic with a special focus on human movement, exercise and sport. Although we do love to see an athlete in clinic, we're also keen to see anyone who needs help with their foot health, no problem is too small or trivial. Read on to find out more about what we do...
Podiatry
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What do podiatrists do?
Podiatrists are healthcare professionals who have been trained to diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs. They also prevent and correct deformity, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections.
They can give you and your family advice on how to look after your feet and what type of shoes to wear. They can also treat and alleviate day-to-day foot problems such as:
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toenail problems, such as thickened toenails, fungal nail infections or ingrown toe nails
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dry and cracked heels
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ageing feet
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sports injuries
How can a podiatrist help?
You may want to see a podiatrist for advice and treatment if you have painful feet, thickened or discoloured toenails, cracks or cuts in the skin, growths such as warts and verrucas, scaling or peeling on the soles, or any other foot-related problem.
Podiatrists can also supply orthotics, which are tailor-made insoles, padding and arch supports to relieve arch or heel pain. The orthotic is put into your shoe to realign your foot, take pressure off vulnerable areas of your foot, or simply make your shoes more comfortable.
Even if your feet are generally in good condition, you might consider having a single session of podiatry. For example, you may want to have any hard skin on your feet removed or have your toenails clipped. A podiatrist can also advise you about footwear (bring your shoes with you!) and check that you're looking after your feet properly.
Podiatrists can also help with more complex foot problems, including preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries related to sports and exercise.
What happens at the consultation?
At your first consultation, the podiatrist will take a full medical history and carry out basic tests, such as checking the blood circulation and feeling in your feet. They may also look at the way you walk and move your lower leg joints. They'll discuss your concerns with you and then make a diagnosis and treatment plan.
Any minor problems that are picked up can usually be treated on the spot, including the removal of hard skin, corns and calluses. The session is usually completely painless (even pleasant) and takes 30 to 60 minutes.
How can I make sure the podiatrist is qualified?
Anyone who says they're a podiatrist or chiropodist must register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Go to the HCPC website to check if your podiatrist or chiropodist is registered.
It's also worth checking whether they're a member of one of the following organisations:
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British Chiropody and Podiatry Association
Please note, to ensure information is impartial some of the above has been copied from the NHS website: Here
Sports Injury
As a podiatrist, sports injuries of the foot and ankle are generally our remit, however your Doctor or health care professional may suggest you see a podiatrist for your knees, hips or even your spine. This might seem unusual, but our expertise extend to gait analysis, human movement (biomechanics) and the entire lower limb. Because of this we are well placed to investigate your pain or recurrent injury.
Foot orthoses and exercises?
A podiatrist might offer foot orthoses (click here to see our prices) to change the way your foot moves, which is an excellent way to alleviate symptoms. We also issue exercises/strengthening programmes, administer steroid injections, perform taping and offer footwear advice. Ultrasound, shockwave therapy and foot surgery are also increasingly common in sports podiatry clinics.
What causes sports injuries?
The benefits of sports and exercise far outweigh the risks, but occasionally injuries do happen. Sports injuries can be caused by:
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An accident – such as a fall or heavy blow
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Not warming up properly before exercising
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Using inappropriate equipment or poor technique
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Pushing yourself too hard
Almost any part of the body can be injured, including the muscles, bones, joints and connective tissues (tendons and ligaments). The ankles and knees are particularly prone to injury.
What to do if you have an injury
If you've injured yourself, you may have immediate pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and restricted movement or stiffness in the affected area. Sometimes, these symptoms may only be noticeable several hours after exercising or playing sports.
Stop exercising if you feel pain, regardless of whether your injury happened suddenly or you’ve had the pain for a while. Continuing to exercise while injured may cause further damage and slow your recovery.
Treating a sports injury at home
You can usually treat common minor injuries yourself by:
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Resting the affected part of the body for the first 48 to 72 hours to prevent further damage
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Regularly applying an ice pack to the affected area during the first 48 to 72 hours to reduce pain and the need for pain killer
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Use compression: A simple 'flight sock' available from most pharmacies or super markets is usually suitable for foot and ankle injuries. Wearing these at rest or even over night can sometimes speed up your recovery
Please note, to ensure information is impartial some of the above has been copied from the NHS website: Here
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Running Performance
Find Your Stride founder Joshua Francois loves running! In fact he decided to study podiatry after a podiatrist filmed him running and talked him through his biomechanics. Ever since that moment he has been keen to work with athletes on their speed and running movement, because running is a skill that needs to be practiced.
Running performance work with Find Your Stride resemble a personal training session and can take place on a treadmill or outdoors. Analysis of gait and running technique is performed before key muscles of the lower limb are assessed and advice provided for improvement with a focus on speed and efficiency or running economy.
This aspect of Find Your Stride is a work in progress, it will develop as the clinic grows and we obtain equipment capable of 3D gait analysis allowing us to accurately measure and assess changes to technique as they are implemented. Currently running assessments are conducted outdoors, we use an action camera to record your running technique before a careful assessment guides exercise prescription and technique coaching.
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Glossary of Terms
Have any of the terms above confused you? Medical wording can get quite annoying if you're not used to it, so if you're not sure about something you've read why not have a look at our glossary of terms. We're trying to compile an alphabetical list of definitions for many of the medical words you might see on our website or hear during your podiatry appointment. Click the link below to have a look.
