Welcome to the October 2012 issue of Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy's newsletter.

This autumn sees us saying goodbye to a glorious (& rather damp!) Olympic summer and with winter coming this newsletter focuses on a common problem bound to bother some of us in the months ahead.

The move from summer to winter means a change in footwear and this often brings patients in to the practice with ankle and foot pain. Top Tips to avoid damaging ones' feet hopefully will end some of the pain and frustration of foot pain.

 
 

Foot & Ankle Pain

There are 26 bones in each foot with multiple tendon and ligament attachments and so it is hardly surprising that at any time we are likely to experience foot and ankle pain.

Functional pain where movement hurts needs to be diagnosed carefully as there are many causes of foot and ankle pain. Most common are:

Your Osteopath at Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy will help you in diagnosing the cause of the pain and then a treatment plan can be initiated with advice for you as an individual. Please contact us if you have any queries on Foot and Ankle Pain on 02089776396.

Top Tips for Foot and Ankle Pain

Number One and most important is Good Supportive Footwear.

For day to day life, wearing supportive good shoes is a must. Ideally, soles should not be totally flat if you have any signs of falling arches (eg Ugg style boots; Converse style Plimsolls) and there should be good shock absorption under the heel and front sole of the foot. Children especially need well fitting shoes. Ideally, Ugg style boots should only be used as slippers around the house as too often you see children wearing shoes where the inside half heel of the boot has collapsed. Orthotic Inserts for fashion conscious adults/children wanting to wear Converse style sneakers can mitigate the problem and provide good support.

For men wearing hard leather soled brogues at work, shock absorption can be added in the form of Sorbathane insoles (www.sorbothane.co.uk) which are readily available from sites such as amazon etc.

Number Two is Apply Ice Therapy.

Should you be suffering from any foot or ankle pain then applying Ice Pack Compresses can really help reduce joint inflammation and plantar fasciitis. 10-15 minutes little and often will greatly reduce symptoms and help the area recover. Talk to us at Kingston & Teddington Osteopathy for the best approach to your care and rehabilitation.

This newsletter cannot cover all the myriad causes of foot and ankle pain and is not meant to be an aid to self-diagnosis. Should you suffer from Foot or Ankle Pain please contact us to make an appointment so that we can provide a full professional examination in order to diagnose accurately.

 
 

For any queries please do contact us at the practice on 0208 977 6396.

Best wishes
Carragh

 

General Osteopathic Council Registered