The Benefits of Podiatric Care for Back Pain Relief

Podiatrists are experts in the biomechanics of the lower leg and foot. They can identify whether your feet and ankles are contributing to your back pain through a biomechanical assessment.

For example, if your lower back pain is related to flat feet or a leg length discrepancy, our podiatrists can provide custom orthotics that will correct this and relieve your back pain.

1. Pain Relief

In addition to treating common podiatric conditions like bunions, ingrown toenails, and heel pain, podiatrists are also able to help you with back problems. The connection between your feet and back might not be obvious at first glance, but the two are closely connected. When something goes wrong with the feet, ankles, or lower back, it can throw the entire weight-bearing structure of your body out of alignment and cause pain.

If you have back pain, a podiatrist can help relieve it by using a variety of treatments, including custom orthotics, shockwave therapy, and therapeutic foot massages. They can also provide advice on proper footwear and lifestyle changes to prevent further pain. Podiatrists can also use biomechanical assessments to determine if you have pronation (an internal rotation of the lower limb that causes increased curvature of the spine), which may be contributing to your back pain.

When you have back pain, it’s important to see a podiatrist right away. They’ll be able to help you get the relief you need, so you can return to your normal routine. Plus, it’s always a good idea to see a podiatrist regularly to keep your feet healthy and free from pain. They’ll be able to catch issues before they become more serious and treat them accordingly. This can help prevent future back pain, and improve your overall quality of life.

2. Reduced Stress

Foot problems such as flat feet and high arches can lead to overpronation (abnormal rolling inward of the foot with each step) or supination (outward motion of the foot with each step). These foot issues can alter a person’s normal walking pattern, leading to uneven weight distribution and excessive stress on the feet and lower legs. This stress can then travel up the body to cause back pain.

Seeing an experienced podiatrist is one of the best ways to prevent back pain from getting worse. If left untreated, back pain can begin to affect a person’s daily life activities. This can include avoiding physical activity, not being able to sleep comfortably and having a negative impact on one’s mental health.

A podiatrist can assess your condition and develop a comprehensive treatment plan to help you feel like yourself again. This may include a combination of treatments, including orthoses, shockwave therapy and/or manual manipulation of the foot and ankle.

Podiatrists are tertiary-qualified doctors who have dedicated years of study to the foot, ankle and lower leg. They work closely with orthopedic specialists, physiotherapists and sports trainers to ensure proper coordination of care and a holistic approach to injury rehabilitation and prevention. This team approach allows patients to receive the best care possible. A podiatrist can also provide education on lifestyle, footwear and exercise to improve overall health and wellbeing.

3. Increased Mobility

Our back and legs have to work together in balance to move us through life. If any one of them is not functioning properly, then the others have to compensate which causes pain, discomfort and even injuries like herniated discs that can have a dramatic impact on the quality of your life. Podiatrists are able to offer long term solutions to these problems.

They can use tools to trim or remove hard skin around the feet, split ingrown toenails and corns and also use cryotherapy equipment to freeze off warts. They can also help with lower leg injuries such as Achilles tendinitis, which affects people who run or play sports like tennis that require frequent stops and changes of direction or who wear high heels for prolonged periods.

The podiatrists at Midland Podiatry are highly trained professionals. They’ve gone through years of rigorous training in foot and ankle care at podiatric medical schools and hospital residencies. This makes them uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat any problems you might have with your feet, ankles, and even your lower legs. They can often be the first to spot signs of underlying medical conditions that affect your feet and legs, and these conditions can even impact your entire body, including your back. For their professional podiatry care you can check out their website: https://www.midlandpodiatry.com.au/podiatrist-high-wycombe/

They can also prescribe custom orthotics to help support your arches, align your feet and alleviate pain in your knees, hips and lower back. They can also help with other health concerns such as diabetes, which may cause reduced circulation to the feet and lower legs causing numbness and tingling, or arthritis which can lead to swelling and stiffness in the joints.

How Clinical Pilates Can Improve Athletic Performance

As opposed to traditional Pilates classes which are generally performed in a group setting, Clinical Pilates is conducted on a 1:1 basis with a physiotherapist. This ensures the exercises are performed correctly and minimizes any risk of aggravating injury.

Physiotherapists at Central Performance are qualified to instruct Clinical Pilates and will assess your injuries prior to beginning a session. All private (1:1) Clinical Pilates sessions are eligible for health fund rebates.

1. Increasing Mental Focus
Having the ability to remain focused during intense training sessions and sporting events is vital for athletes, especially when their performance could mean the difference between victory or defeat. Pilates requires a complete focus on breathing, movements and body alignment which can enhance concentration and awareness, helping athletes to stay on top of their game.

As a result of strengthening the smaller stabilising muscles, Pilates also improves balance, coordination and proprioception – the ability to sense the position of the body in space – which are all key elements in sport. Pilates also encourages mindful movement which can lead to a greater understanding of the body and how it moves, giving athletes the knowledge to recognise any imbalances or weaknesses in their performance.

In fact, a study found that incorporating Pilates into a running programme can shave seconds off the time it takes to run 5km! This is a huge improvement for runners and highlights the importance of adding strength and flexibility exercises into an athlete’s training regime.

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a weekend warrior, adding pilates Rosanna to your regular workouts can help take your sport to the next level. By promoting core strength, flexibility and body awareness, Pilates is increasingly becoming a secret weapon for athletes around the world. So, why not give it a go and see the benefits for yourself?

2. Strengthening the Core
Whether you are a marathon runner or a casual sports player, having a strong core is essential for preventing injuries and improving athletic performance, especially when seeking professional care like osteo Watsonia. The core muscles, including the abdominal and pelvic muscles, help stabilize your body and transfer power from the upper to lower limbs during movement. A strong core also helps prevent certain muscles from overworking to compensate for weak ones, which can lead to injury and fatigue.

Pilates, which is often incorporated into athletic training programs, provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen the core muscles. The controlled, low-impact nature of the exercises enables the muscles to be strengthened without putting excessive stress on joints. In addition, the emphasis on correct posture and alignment in a Pilates session reduces back pain risk and helps to improve overall balance.

In a recent study, researchers found that runners who took part in a regular Pilates programme experienced improvements in their running economy and biomechanics. This was achieved by enhancing the strength of the core muscles, which improved their ability to generate and transfer force.

Increasing the amount of time spent on strengthening the core can significantly improve athletic performance, especially in weight-bearing activities such as running and jumping. Having a strong core allows the muscles in the abdomen, pelvis, and back to take on more energy and perform better during exercise. It also helps to promote good running posture and reduce the likelihood of injuries caused by poor alignment.

2. Increasing Flexibility
One of the key reasons why runners often benefit from Clinical Pilates is because of its emphasis on increasing flexibility. Physiotherapists with training in Clinical Pilates use a detailed evaluation to pinpoint runners’ imbalances, pain and areas that need work, then prepare a focused strategy for improving these areas and overall running performance.

Flexibility plays a crucial role in various sports movements, including kicking, sprinting and quick changes of direction. Tight muscles can reduce agility, speed and power, so it’s important that athletes take time to stretch and train their flexibility.

Increasing flexibility also helps with injury prevention, as the body will treat poor posture and repetitive movements that decrease or antagonize its normal movement or elasticity as a potential injury. This will trigger inflammation, and as a result, the muscles will tighten to protect the area and increase muscle adhesions. Continuing this pattern increases the likelihood of future injuries and impedes healing.

Moreover, Pilates increases body awareness. This is particularly helpful for athletes preparing to take part in high-pressure or major sporting events, as it allows them to keep their focus on their breathing and movement patterns and reduce the likelihood of making a mistake that could derail their performance. By strengthening core and stabilising muscles, Pilates also improves balance and proprioception (the body’s ability to sense its position in space). Athletes who incorporate regular Pilates training can enjoy greater stability, a lower risk of falling and an improved ability to control their bodies.

4. Reducing Injury Risk
Unlike using a brace for an ankle injury, Pilates looks at how all the body parts work together and how each one affects the other. This helps reduce muscular imbalances which are a primary cause of sports injuries. Rectifying this imbalance is the first step towards injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Increasing flexibility is also a key benefit of Clinical Pilates. This enables runners to move more efficiently, reducing muscle tension and lowering the risk of injury. A physiotherapist trained in Clinical Pilates can also assess and adjust a runner’s running technique, correcting little details like overstriding or poor foot positioning that can increase risk of injury.

Clinical Pilates incorporates the use of breathing techniques, promoting better respiratory function. In addition, the focus on precision and control within Clinical Pilates increases coordination and leads to firmer and flatter stomach muscles.

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or just starting out, Pilates is a fantastic addition to your training regime. With a personalised program that is unique to your needs, a physiotherapist trained in Clinical Pilates can help you improve both your physical and mental wellbeing. Get in touch to find out more about adding Pilates to your routine.

Urologist Treatments for Kidney Stones

Most stones less than 10 mm in size have an excellent chance of passing spontaneously. Your urologist may prescribe medication to help you pass a stone, such as the alpha blocker drug tamsulosin (Flomax).

Larger stones are treated with a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Under general anesthesia a urologist makes an incision big enough to pass a telescope into your kidney and locate the stone. The urologist uses surgical instruments to break up the stone and suction it out of your kidney.

Ureteroscopy
Ureteroscopy is a minimally-invasive procedure that can remove most kidney stones. During ureteroscopy, a doctor inserts a telescope-like instrument called a ureteroscope through your urinary tract opening and up into your bladder and a tube that connects the kidney to the bladder (ureter). The urologist can then see the stone inside your bladder, locate it, and use the ureteroscope’s slender shaft to break it apart or remove it.

The urologist will give you a general anaesthetic before performing the surgery. You should not eat or drink anything for 4 to 6 hours before the operation to ensure that the anaesthetic is working properly.

During ureteroscopy, your urologist will often place a small plastic tube into the ureter at the end of the surgery to help control inflammation and keep the ureter open until the area heals. The stent is usually removed at a follow-up appointment in your urologist’s office.

When considering ureteroscopy, it’s crucial to consult with an experienced urologist like Dr Marlon Perera. Because ureteroscopy is minimally-invasive, it can be performed even when you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin or aspirin. However, it’s best to discontinue these medications for 10 days before the procedure, if possible. Be sure to our urologist about any medications you are taking that may affect your platelet function or ability to clot, and report any signs of pain, bleeding or infection immediately. Ureteroscopy is the only non-invasive stone removal surgery that can be done while you are on anticoagulants

Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a noninvasive treatment that uses ultrasound and a series of high-energy shock waves to break up kidney stones. The goal is to pulverize your stone and make it small enough that it will pass through your urinary tract without causing an obstruction. The procedure typically takes about an hour and can be done on an outpatient basis. A urologist will use a special machine to send shock waves through your skin and into your kidney or ureter to target the stone. X-rays or ultrasound imaging will help your provider locate the stone and position you to aim the shock waves accurately. You may be under light sedation or local or regional anesthesia for comfort and safety.

You will be asked to drink a lot of water after the procedure. You may also be given a medication to take at home to relax your ureters and help your stone fragments pass with urine. You will be able to resume most activities after one to three days. Some patients experience blood in their urine or have minor discomfort after ESWL, but this usually does not last more than a few days.

Some stones, based on composition and size, do not break up sufficiently with ESWL, so your urologist might recommend another treatment such as ureteroscopy or a ureteral stent to assist in the passage of your stone fragments.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL)
If you have large kidney stones, a urologist will use kidney stone treatments Melbourne to remove them. This surgery uses a thin tube called a nephroscope, which is inserted through a small incision in your abdomen. This procedure is done under general anesthesia.

After the nephroscope is inserted, your doctor will break up any large stone fragments with a laser or ultrasonic energy. Your urologist will also use the nephroscope to clean out any stone fragments left behind.

The urologist may then insert a JJ stent and/or nephrostomy tube to hold the kidney until the urine passes through the ureter. If your urologist suspects that you might form more kidney stones, he or she will do a metabolic evaluation, which is a series of blood and urine tests. This will help identify what causes you to form kidney stones, and your urologist will recommend preventive measures and medications to reduce your risk of developing more stones.

In some cases, your urologist might be able to perform PNL through a small incision in the back of your belly (supracostal approach). This method may be a safer option for older patients who might have a higher risk of complications with the prone surgery. This technique can also be used for lower pole stones and staghorn or partial staghorn calculi. In a recent study, patients treated with PNL had a better stone-free rate than those with ESWL or ureteroscopy.

Laser Lithotripsy
If a stone is lodged in the ureter (the tube that connects each kidney to the bladder), laser lithotripsy can be used to break up the large stone into small pieces that may then pass through the urinary tract. This procedure is done under general anesthesia, and a urologist will use a scope called a ureteroscope to locate the stone. A laser fiber is then passed through the ureteroscope, and the energy of the laser breaks up the larger stone into smaller pieces.

During this treatment, you will have a feeling of burning when you urinate for several hours, but drinking plenty of water should help to minimize the discomfort. Your doctor may also place a stent in your ureter after this procedure, and the stent will remain in your body for a few weeks.

If the stent is not removed, it could block your urine flow and lead to pain or swelling in the affected area. To avoid this, your doctor will remove the stent after the broken kidney stone has been removed from the ureter. After the procedure, you will need to follow up with your urologist to make sure that there are no further issues. You will also need to continue to drink plenty of fluids, so the stones can pass easily through your ureter.