Laura Desjardins, a Downtown Toronto Chiropodist, is passionate about foot rehabilitation, treatment and injury prevention. Here at downtown Toronto chiropodist and downtown Toronto podiatrist, Laura takes deep motivation in helping people get back their foot health. Being an elite runner / athlete, she understands injuries and has had her share of her own experience managing foot and lower limb pain.
Laura realized most of her own injuries were foot and lower limb related, so she chose a field that would help her manage foot and lower limb pain. This has given her first hand experience with foot pain.
Here are a couple tips from Laura , a downtown Toronto chiropodist, who works with an experienced downtown Toronto podiatrist.
Common foot conditions and what to do about them.
It is recommend that if any of these issues still persist to come on in and see Laura Desjardins at our foot clinic downtown Toronto.
Bunions
Footwear
The initial treatment is footwear modification. While you wait to see a chiropodist or podiatrist, it is best to avoid any shoes that makes the pain worse. Simple, it may seem. You may not be aware that most of your footwear could be a source of your pain. In fact changing footwear is the number one treatment people do for their foot pain. Chose a wide toe box and forgiving material without seams across the big toe joint.
Home Treatment
Toe spacers, a certain type, can offer hassle free management to keep the toe aligned. Laura Desjardins also recommends particular splints to help the joint capsule and the muscular imbalance around the big toe. It is hog wash to think a splint will reduce the bunion, it may help improve the space between the big toe and the second and pain, but the bunion will not go away.
Icing and anti inflammatories, oral or topical. These types of medications are to help wth joint irritation and inflammation, as long as no contraindications exist for these medications.
Bunions can arise from other issues other than just the foot. That means there is a more complex issue requiring the help of an experienced foot practitioner, like Laura Desjardins to help you find that missing link .
Plantar Fasciitis
This one is a very painful and stubborn condition once it starts. Laura has personal experience with plantar fasciitis and understands what works and what does not. She also has great insight to guide you through this condition in stages through to recovery. Laura also offers Shockwave therapy along with exercises and treatment for this condition. She also has extra training from Harvard Sports Medicine for rebuilding foot strength.
Footwear
Avoid anything that lacks support and flat. A good test is to attempt to bend the twist the shoe as if you were to twist out a dish rag. If you can completely twist the shoe, it is not good for you! This means you want a stiff sole for plantar fasciiits.
Wide toe box, this is important to allow the foot muscles in the toes to move and strengthen while you walk and move.
Home Treatment
Rest is always best. Laura’s rule of thumb is do not do anything that causes pain. Pain is your best navigation tool in this injury. Towel scrunches, stretching and working on rolling the foot out as well as ice is good in an acute phase. If not contraindicated, anti inflammatories can help.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the foot injuries that can take a long time to heal because of the location on bottom of the foot. If you do not see improvements in a timely fashion, it is recommended to seek help as this condition can become chronic plantar fasciitis and even debilitating.
Laura’s approach to plantar fasciitis includes gauging your individual phase of the condition and your individual biomechanical assessment. There are certain exercises and activities that should be or shouldn’t be done based on where your injury is in the healing phase.
Keep in mind it is not abnormal for this injury to take months to heal. UNFORTUNATELY, the located is right under the foot in a large weight bearing area so it is bound to undergo repetitive stress. However, the chiropodist and podiatrist at our foot clinic downtown can help reduce the healing time and help give you the tools to help manage it.
Our chiropodist, Laura Desjardins, is very keen on foot conditions and being a runner, she understands the value in getting your health back as soon as possible. Her approach is holistic in nature where she really wants to determine your underlying issue and uses Podiatric skills as well as her sports medicine knowledge to help teat those with foot pain.
Here is a link from the Globe and Mail advocating the important of foot health and the body. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-the-feet-run-the-show-in-a-healthy-body/article23790241/
