Podiatry
Ascot Vale
Our podiatrists are university qualified health professionals who specialise in diagnosing, treating and preventing foot/lower limb conditions or foot related problems that can sometimes extend from underlying health issues (including diabetes and musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis).
Whether you’re making an appointment for yourself, your parent or your children, we treat people of all ages and with all types of foot and lower limb concerns.
Our podiatrists will assess your condition, provide hands on treatment specific to your needs and plan future treatment/management with you which might include tips to self manage. If you suffer from a chronic condition, we’ll develop a care plan for your foot care taking this into account, which may also include working with one of our other services like our dietitian or physiotherapists plus liasing with your GP and other specialists.
It’s a good idea to bring to your first appointment a selection of your shoes, a list of any medications you’re taking and any foot/leg x-rays/test results you’ve had done related to your presenting issue. If you’re a DVA, Medicare Enhance Primary Care (Chronic Disease Management), TAC or Work Cover client, you should also bring your doctor's referral to your first appointment.
What can a Podiatrist help me with?
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Flat feet or high arches
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Foot posture problems such as feet rolling or turning in/out
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Nail problems such as in-grown, thickened or fungal toenails including ingrown nail surgery
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Skin conditions including corns, hard skin (callous), warts or skin infections such as tinea
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Cracked and dry heels
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Heel pain including spurs and plantar fasciitis
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Sore & aching feet
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Foot injuries
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Ankle sprains
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Shin splints or knee pain
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Bunions or other toe deformities
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Stress fractures and broken foot bones
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Children's feet – especially prior to buying school shoes for the year
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Diabetes assessments of sensation and blood flow
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Wound management
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Orthotics & arch supports
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Footwear advice
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Shockwave therapy for plantar fasciitis or achilles pain
When would I get Orthotics/arch supports?
Orthotics are arch supports that are designed to support the foot whilst improving function and posture of the feet and lower limbs. They can also offer pressure relief and shock absorption. Your podiatrist will perform a biomechanical assessment, analysing your walking and/or running style as well as your foot and leg posture. Your podiatrist will then be able to recommend what best suits your needs. This may be an off the shelf device that we keep in stock through to very specialised custom-made orthotics prescribed by your podiatrist and made off site by an orthotic lab.
Ingrown toe nail surgery
Nail surgery (partial or total nail avulsion) is a small procedure that usually takes less than an hour that we perform in our podiatry room. It involves numbing your toe with local anaesthetic, removing the ingrown or damaged part of the nail and sterilising the nail bed to stop the removed nail from growing back. Nail surgery is used as a permanent resolution for nail conditions that are recurring or cannot be conservatively fixed such as painful ingrowing nails.
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive therapy that sends 'soundwaves' (non-electric shocks) to the injured site to reduce pain and promote tissue repair. The soundwaves stimulate the body's natural self-healing, accelerating the healing process through improving blood circulation and promoting cell regeneration. Soundwaves stimulate pain receptors which decreases sensitivity subsequently reducing pain. Shockwave therapy is a useful treatment for plantar fasciitis (heel/arch pain) and achilles pain. Our podaitrists use it in conjunction with other treatments including exercises/stretches, footwear recommendations, orthotics, strapping and more.
Contact
In Stride Health Clinic
Shop 1/2-6 Epsom Road
ASCOT VALE 3032
Ph: (03) 9372 8091
Fax: (03) 9370 2679