Foot & Ankle Pain Management Services in Canberra

Superficial dry needling involves the insertion of sterile, acupuncture sized needles into myofascial trigger points within a muscle. Trigger points are hyperirritable points within a muscle. Pain can refer from these points causing pain at the site of the injury. By dry needling these sites the muscle can relax and switch off the referring pain.

A hands on technique that isolates each joint and moves the joint through its range of motion. Foot mobilisation targets stiff and dysfunctioning joints to improve their natural range of motion and restore function. Joints with normal range of motion will function better and are less painful. There can be an increase in joint fluid production to further improve joint integrity.

Orthotics are medical devices inserted into the shoe to improve the functioning of joints, muscles and ligaments. Orthotic therapy may be issued for treating a condition, preventing reoccurrence of the condition or both.

Massage therapy is the practice of manipulating a person’s soft body tissues. Pressure is applied to muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments to normalise dysfunctional tissue. Myofascial cupping is massage in reverse; the tissues aren’t pushed into but rather pulled away into the cup. Suction is achieved with a pressure handle (not a flame) and the cup is moved over the skin. This technique shouldn’t leave any long term visible marks on the skin.

Shockwave therapy involves sending high energy acoustic (sound) waves through injured tissue via the skin surface. It is non-invasive which means there are no needles or surgery.

The application of taping and padding to the foot and/or shoe often reduce pain by offloading and deflecting pressure away from the site of pain. FS-6 socks are foot compression sleeves that assist in the management of injury swelling and may be prescribed for when ongoing taping is being harmful to skin. Silicon heel cups provide superior in shoe cushioning for heel pain conditions.

Stretching, strengthening and/or balance exercises are prescribed to rehabilitate joints, ligaments muscles and tendons. Equipment that assist in stretching such as a foam roller or foot roller are available for purchase.

We work with you to modify activity and manage load. Many injuries are linked to poor load management – this is when your bones and soft tissue may not have enough capacity to take on increased or cumulative loads. Podiatrists are here to explain if you need to stop or reduce a certain activity. Rarely do we get patients to stop an activity because we are concerned about mobility and strength loss with activity cessation.

Did you know you can reduce pain levels by changing the way you think about pain? This is particularly important around activity avoidance as it is movement that often gets an injury better. Our podiatrists provide education around the types of pain and how to respond to them.