Our Range of Podiatry Treatments IN DOREEN AND DIAMOND CREEK

Hyperhidrosis is a skin condition that affects the sweat glands and results in abnormal excessive sweating in the hands or feet, more than what is required for normal thermal regulation of the body’s temperature. Hyperhidrosis can occur even when the person is participating in non strenuous activities and occurs despite external temperature influences. Although a benign physical burden, patients often report physical, emotional and often experience mental health issues due to their condition. 

Hyperhidrosis can either be generalised or localised to areas on the body including either/or hands, feet, armpits, groin and the facial areas. This occurs due to a high concentration of sweat glands in these areas. 

Here at EPHC, our Podiatrists understand the social, physical and mental impacts hyperhidrosis experienced in their feet can have on our patient’s wellbeing. We will discuss all treatment options available. Call your EPHC Podiatry Team today.

Our team of Podiatrists understand and appreciate that a myriad of factors contribute to foot pain. These include, but are not limited to; active lifestyles, sporting load, hard surfaces, tight muscles and back pain. Furthermore, choice of footwear and how our feet function in our footwear greatly affect our body’s comfort during the gait cycle. 

Our Podiatrists will help navigate you through all the marketing information and advertising about footwear, and specifically advise you on what shoes are appropriate for your foot type, what to wear during the day at work and the most appropriate footwear for your specific sport.

Wondering if your foot requires more than just footwear modifications? 

Following a thorough foot posture and gait analysis (biomechanical assessment), our Podiatrists will discuss footwear options that will give you the best support and stability for where it’s needed and if not enough, what type of orthotic you will require. As footwear choices provide a good foundation alone or aid in housing an orthotic.

Orthotics are devices which replace the insole of your shoes. They are designed from either an EVA material or nylon 3D printed plastic with cushioning top covers to provide extra support, stability or offload areas that are overloaded or causing pain. Many Patients require specific correction to their lower limb mechanics which can only be achieved through an orthotic device. Orthotics prescribed by a Podiatrist play a significant role in reducing load, to achieve recovery and aid in preventing injury risk. 

There are all different types and materials, including flexible, semi-rigid, cushioned, off-the shelf, generic and fully customised prescription devices. Our role at EPHC is to work with you and discuss the right orthotic option that is most appropriate for your injury, to achieve a pain-free return to sport while taking into consideration footwear, sporting load and surfaces for work, along with costs and private health coverage.

At EPHC we use the leading orthotic laboratory in Australia for our semi-custom and customised orthotics with its state-of the art machinery and technology to ensure the highest quality arch matched and semi-custom orthotics are delivered to our patients. 

Our Podiatrists take the time to ensure that the orthotic will achieve the results as discussed, that it accommodates the arch well, performs as expected and provides the pain/ offloading where required. Our Podiatrists won’t issue your orthotics if they are not satisfied with how they function or fit. Yes, we are fussy, but that ensures the best experience and treatment outcome for you! 

Our Podiatrists will ensure that you understand the wearing-in process at your Orthotic Issue appointment and are regularly reviewed to ensure comfort and improved function is achieved. We ensure you are happy!

Ingrown toenails, though common, can be incredibly uncomfortable and painful. At EPHC, we can provide effective solutions to relieve your discomfort.

What Causes Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin instead of over it. Several factors can contribute to the development of ingrown toenails: 

• Improper Nail Trimming
• Tight-Fitting Footwear
• Injury or Trauma
• Genetics

Treatment Options

Our experienced Podiatrists offer a range of options to address ingrown toenails. Here are some treatment options we offer:

Conservative Care: Removing the nail spike to alleviate pain and encourage it to grow correctly by providing nail trimming education.

Partial Nail Avulsion: If ingrown toenails are chronic, severe and/or causing infection, our podiatrists can perform a simple in-clinic procedure to permanently remove a portion of the nail, allowing it to grow without pain.

Don’t let ingrown toenails disrupt your daily life!

Did you know that we aren’t born with all 26 bones of the feet? A child’s foot is mainly made out of cartilage and growth plates making it more malleable. Correctly fitted footwear is important to protect the growing foot, ensuring there is not too much cushioning to prevent the development of proprioception that is required for walking. A child’s foot posture develops up until the age of 10-11 with shoe sizes continuing to grow up until 18, where final growth plates of the 5th metatarsal are fused. Size changes but the structure without injury is formed earlier. Hence ensuring your child’s feet are well protected and allowed to function correctly is significantly important for their growth and development. 

The team of caring Podiatrists at EPHC take the time to assess and treat your child’s feet including conditions like infant/ toddler nail and skin concerns, alignment issues observed during the gait cycle in-toeing (pigeon toes), balance and fall issues, external rotation position (duck position), uneven wear patterns of shoes, growth plate issues like Severs disease and Os Good Schlatter’s disease, footwear advice for your child’s foot posture and sporting requirements, along with taking into consideration any underlying conditions contributing to your child’s foot pain. 

You will be provided with a plan to look after your child’s foot health and more importantly improve their development. Your child’s treatment plan can include footwear advice, exercise/ routine exercises, discussion of orthotics or padding. Ultimately, the focus of treatment is to get your children back to enjoying life pain free.

Hard skin, also known as Callus or Hyperkeratosis is thickened or hardened layers of skin that can develop on our feet as a result of the body’s natural response to protect itself from pressure or friction. Callus is usually painless and typically develops on high contact areas such as the balls and heels of our feet. Corns, also known as Heloma Dura are smaller in size and sit deeper within the skin. Corns have a hard centre that causes most patients pain and discomfort. 

Here at EPHC, our Podiatrists use sterile tools and equipment and sharp debridement techniques to reduced build-up of hard skin and remove painful corns. We ensure patients leave our practice comfortable, pain free and with happy feet!

Diabetes Mellitus, more commonly known as Diabetes, is a medical condition that affects the Glucose (Sugar) levels in the blood stream. This is a direct result of the Pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin (Type 1 Diabetes) or the body becomes resistant to the hormone insulin (Type 2 Diabetes).

How does Diabetes affect your feet?
If your blood glucose levels are reading too high for too long, this can lead to permanent damage to the Nervous System, Cardiovascular system, Musculoskeletal system and the nails and skin on the feet.

At EPHC we encourage patients with Diabetes to have their feet assessed annually via a Foot Neurovascular Assessment. During this appointment your Podiatrist will assess the nerves and blood supply to your feet, as well as assessing your skin and nails, foot structure and footwear. Thorough diabetes foot education will also be explained and provided during this appointment.

Warts, also known as Verruca Pedis, are a common contagious viral infection that usually present as rough growths/raised bumps on the feet. Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and present on high pressure areas, such as the balls and heels of the feet. Warts can be difficult to resolve without medical treatment, as the HPV evades the body’s immune system.

At En Pointe Health Centre we have the Gold Standard Treatment that is used to treat warts: SWIFT Microwave therapy. The SWIFT machine emits a microwave signal (non-ionising radiation) into the skin, at a predetermined depth to ensure only the wart is treated. During treatment the wart is heated to 42-45 degrees Celsius, this process is called ‘heat shock’. Heat shock enables the wart to release certain proteins into the circulatory system which, in turn, triggers the body’s immune system to recognise and fight off the viral infection (HPV).

Other treatments available at EPHC include Silver Nitrate, Salicylic Acid (cauterisation) and/or liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy).

During your consultation, we will discuss and develop an individualised treatment plan to resolve your wart!

Having a sore foot is so annoying, it affects your ability to walk comfortably and participate in activities and exercise. Tendon injuries (tendonitis, tendinosis and tendinopathy) occur when there is an acute or chronic overload placed on the tendon. As this structure anatomically does not contain a high blood supply unlike bone and muscle, tendons are therefore prone to overload and chronic injuries. The tendon becomes inflamed and as the overload continues there can be structural changes within the tendon and biomechanical changes to the musculature surrounding the injured area.

EPHC team of podiatrists will ensure that your injury is thoroughly assessed and correct diagnosis confirmed before commencing offloading techniques, along with reducing pain and excessive inflammation with laser therapy, Shockwave therapy or dry needling before helping to correctly re-load the tendon.

Call the friendly and knowledgeable EPHC team today.

Archies thongs/ slides, sandals and a range of creams and tinctures.