It rained, it poured, there were gale force winds and I think even some snow was thrown in for good measure but he did it! Podiatrist Tony completed the 2012 Greater Manchester Marathon despite the appalling conditions and even managed a personal best of 4 hours and 35 minutes! Well done Tony - the hard work has definitely been worth it! The training has been long but Tony battled on to complete all 26.3 miles of the race. The race began in Longford Park in Stretford and took the participants past sporting landmarks Lancashire County Cricket Club and Old Trafford, [...]

Painful corns should be treated by a Chiropodist or Podiatrist as soon as possible. A corn can feel like you have a stone stuck in your shoe and can cause a great deal of discomfort. Do it yourself bathroom surgery is NEVER recommended. We realise that cost may be an issue in some cases and therefore we would advise making an appointment with your GP to request a referral to an NHS Podiatrist. If you are unable to seek treatment for your corn we have put together some advice on how to make a felt pad to ease the pressure [...]

As a runner you will know that taking care of your feet is of paramount importance. You will also know that if your feet are painful or sore, this can make running very uncomfortable and can take the enjoyment out of your sport. Looking after your feet should be a high priority! If you have recurring pain either before, after or during your run it is advisable to see a Podiatrist as pain is our body's way of telling us that something is not quite right. A Podiatrist can carry out a Biomechanical Assessment. A Biomechanical Assessment involves a complex [...]

Working feet can be exposed to many dangers. Accidents and injuries in the work place from un-protected feet can affect your performance in the work place and can prevent you from leading an active lifestyle. On a more serious note, foot related injuries can lead to a potential loss of earnings and employment, and can continue to affect your daily abilities for the rest of your life. Throughout 2010, the Health and Safety Executive had a campaign to reduce slips, trips and falls by 30% in the workplace. Health and Safety legislation includes footwear in the workplace. The basic requirement [...]

Many running and shoe shops offer gait analysis as part of the whole shoe buying experience. However, what do you know about the person assessing your gait? Are they qualified? Do they have experience in dealing with foot conditions and biomechanics? A Podiatrist is an expert in all foot related conditions and ailments. They have undergone intensive training to ensure that they know all there is to know about the foot and the biomechanics of the foot. Before a gait analysis your Podiatrist will physically examine your lower limbs with a particular focus on any current injuries. This physical examination [...]

In order to be eligible for Health Professions Council registration and, therefore, employment within the NHS and to be accepted as a member of The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists you need to undertake a recognised course of study. There are 13 schools across the country that offer full-time and some offering part-time bachelor degrees in Podiatry. The full-time course takes three or four years to complete depending on where you choose to study. The part-time course is usually completed over four and a half years. The structure of the course which leads to the award of a BSc(Hons) Podiatry [...]

The way that you lace up your shoes can have a big impact on how your shoe feels and how it fits to your foot. You do not have to have the laces tied in the same way that you bought them from the shop. Here we offer advice on the different ways to tie your shoes for your specific foot condition: Wide Foot / High Instep If you have a pair of shoes which have two sets of eyelets, lace your shoes using the eyelets closest to the tongue. For more room in your shoe, use the over and [...]

Orthotics are orthopedic devices that are used to treat a variety of biomechanical foot disorders. Whenever a person's foot is not functioning as designed, the weight of the body is not properly transferred and distributed. Custom made orthotics are specifically designed to meet the needs of the individual patient. There are various ways in which custom orthotics can be manufactured: Thermoforming The Podiatrist will insert a pair of flat orthotics into a specialist machine and will then ask the patient to stand on top of the machine and on top of the orthotic underneath. The Podiatrist will align your feet [...]

If you experience pain or discomfort in your feet you need to take action. As we are on our feet most of the day it is very easy to ignore foot pain and put it down to 'one of those things'. However, foot pain is not normal and pain is the body's way of telling you that something is not quite right. If you had a headache you would more than likely take a tablet, but what would you do if you had foot pain? I imagine most of the replies I would receive would be 'nothing'. Almost half of [...]

Podiatrists treat many foot problems which have been caused by the excessive wear of high heels. Whilst we advise against wearing very high heels we do recommend that women wear a shoe with a heel of no more than one to two inches. Shoes with a higher heel should be worn for short periods of time, perhaps of an evening or to an event. Even then it may be advisable to take along a pair of shoes with a smaller heel incase the feet start to ache. Whilst we do what we can to advise, we do realise that fashion [...]