Taking care of your feet in summer is important to ensure comfort and prevent various foot problems. Here are some footcare hints for warm weather: Hygiene: Wash your feet daily with soap and water, paying attention to the spaces between your toes. Keep your toenails trimmed and clean to prevent ingrown toenails and fungal infections. Moisturize: Use a good-quality foot moisturizer to prevent dry, cracked skin. Apply it after washing your feet, especially focusing on the heels and soles. Proper Footwear: Choose breathable footwear made from natural materials like leather or mesh to allow ..read more

A DEFINITION OF PODIATRY.   Podiatry is a branch of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions and disorders related to the feet, ankles, and lower extremities. A health professional who specializes in podiatry is known as a podiatrist. Podiatrists are trained to address a wide range of issues concerning the lower limbs, including: Foot and ankle injuries: Podiatrists can treat fractures, sprains, and other injuries to the feet and ankles. Foot deformities: Conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet can be diagnosed and treated by podiatrist ..read more

While you are spending more time at home, devoting a few minutes a day on your foot care and choosing the right shoes to wear can keep you comfortable and free from pain.  Here are a few things you can do to keep your feet healthy during lockdown. Wash your feet each day with soap and warm water and don’t forget between your toes. If you can’t reach your feet in the shower without over balancing, sit on the edge of the bath or use a foot basin.  After washing, be sure to dry your feet thoroughly especially between your toes. Moisturize your heels after washing. Never put moisturizin ..read more

Heel pain can have several different causes, but some of the most common ones are plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendonitis, and stress fractures. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, and it occurs when the plantar fascia, which is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, becomes inflamed and thickened. This can happen due to an increase in load from overuse or repetitive strain. Heel spurs are bony growths that can develop under the heel bone (calcaneous) when the plantar fascia pulls away from the bone, caused by strain on the fascia and int ..read more

What is Onyfix? The Onyfix Nail Correction system is a versatile and innovative product that enables a painless and surgery free way to assist with restoring involuted or ingrown toenails to their natural shape.  Onyfix uses a hardened composite resin that is cured with an LED light and acts as a brace on the nail plate. Benefits of Onyfix: Pain free treatment. Corrects the nail plate through physiological nail growth. Effective without exerting force on the nail plate. Nail polish can be applied with the brace.  Our Geelong podiatrists at podiatry@belmont have been trained to use ..read more

Geelong podiatrists discuss diabetes and feet Your feet are at risk because diabetes can cause damage to the nerves in your feet, blood circulation and infection. Having diabetes can increase your risk of foot ulcers and amputations. This damage is more likely if: You have had diabetes for a long time Your blood glucose levels have been too high for an extended period You smoke – smoking causes a reduced blood flow to your feet, wounds heal slowly You are inactive. There are more than 4,400 amputations every year in Australia as a result of diabetes.  This is the second highest rate in ..read more

The warmer weather is coming to a close in the southern states, and our Geelong podiatrists are seeing an increase in foot pain due to thongs been the choice of summer footwear.  There are many problems with thongs contributing to foot pathology and subsequent pain.  These include: MINIMAL SUPPORT : Thongs offer minimal support to your arches and heels and cause stress in the heels, plantar fascia and arches leading to foot pain. NO PROTECTION : Thongs offer limited protection for feet, placing the feet at risk of injury and trauma.  Thongs should be avoided by people with diabe ..read more

Podiatry@belmont wholeheartedly supports the combined initiatives undertaken by the Australian Commonwealth Government and Australian National Cabinet to vaccinate Australians in the fight against COVID-19. It is critical that we strive for the highest possible rates of vaccination across the community to facilitate moving to a new COVID-normal state of life. We encourage all staff, clients and family to get vaccinated when eligible, unless otherwise advised by a qualified medical professional. High uptake of vaccination remains our best tool in the fight against COVID-19.   The post Pod ..read more

The weather is changing, and cold mornings are upon us.  It is tempting to place our feet in front of a heater or use an electric blanket to warm them up.  These changes in extreme temperatures can lead to the formation of chilblains.  Chilblains present as red, itchy lumps on the toes that can burn and cause pain.  In extreme cases, chilblains can appear purple and ulcerate and breakdown. Chilblains are the painful inflammation of capillaries (small blood vessels) in your skin in response to cold exposure.  Capillaries constrict in response to cold to conserve heat to ..read more

This year’s Foot Health Week campaign ran from October 12th – 18th, encouraging people to get back on track – “fit feet for a better you”. This year, the global pandemic has impacted Australians immensely, and the aim of the campaign was to promote foot health, thereby encouraging better overall health outcomes for Australians. 1 in 2 Australians have been negatively affected by lower limb pain.  Podiatrists are qualified foot health experts, understanding the structure and function of your feet and lower limbs. Our Geelong podiatrists will assess, diagnoses and treat your foot or lower ..read more