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Some of you may have done lower limb rehabilitation before by one of our Sports Podiatrists. It’s more than likely you’ve been given calf raises to perform. The humble calf raise is one of the best ways to train your lower limb and leads to incredible performance gains when progressed steadily. According to the Sports Fitness Advisor website, a training program that includes calf raises can help you increase your vertical jump by as much as 12 inches. It uses a vast array of lower limb muscle and is commonly used to strengthen and build up tolerance to the Achilles Tendon and Plantar Fascia. Now there are many variations to these and we perform them barefoot where possible. Now you may have to start with less and build up to this. Beginning on both legs try performing 3 x 10-15 repetitions of double leg calf raises every 2-3 days. Once mastered, progress to performing single leg calf raises and then progress to doing them on a step or holding a weight. Simply put, doing these regularly will see you jump higher, run faster and strengthen your intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. Loading these areas will allow you to tolerate greater force and decrease the risk of injury as well. One of our helpful Sports Podiatrists are here to help you get stronger from the ground up. 

Our very own Podiatrist Ben wrote an blog post mid- last year for local children’s shoe company ‘Little Leather’. It seems more applicable now than ever to get outdoors and get grounded with our kids. Here's a snippet and click on the link at the bottom for further helpful tips. Introducing Benjamin Hodgetts, Functional Sports Podiatrist and advocate of Little Leather soft sole shoes. I first met Ben caring for my own foot health in early 2019, As passionate in his field as I am about our shoes, I just knew we had to collaborate to bring his knowledge and intimate understanding of little one’s feet to you. And wait there’s more…. if you’ve loved what you have read here, we have a free guide you can download with more on foot health as well as some play ideas to grow strong happy & healthy feet. Here is Benjamin to take the floor… My name is Benjamin Hodgetts and I am a Functional Sports Podiatrist and father to a 14-month-old girl. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t wait until my little girl started walking to get her into her first pair of Converse. It was more for a cute Instagram shot, than a benefit to her of course, hell, we are all guilty of it. However, I believe in strong foundations from the ground up…. I encourage you to get your children walking barefoot, to allow the feet to develop the muscles as much as possible. Like anything, developing our children starts with a strong foundation, where better to start than their feet, I encourage you to get creative parents, lead by example and let your children follow in your footsteps (pardon the pun). Let’s get barefoot people, not only is “grounding” itself beneficial on many levels, walking barefoot on as many surfaces and materials as possible, allows the feet to “think” and develop best, in sync with the rest of our little one’s milestones. We understand that when it comes to your little one and advice about their development only the best will do. So we’ve worked with experts in their fields, Functional Sports Podiatrist, Benjamin Hodgetts and Play Advocate Casey Patch to bring you a parents guide to happy & healthy feet for kids. So now you no longer need to research “all the things”. It’s all laid out for you here in our free guide. And you can get back to the fun stuff, chasing after your little ones. Includes- Lets get barefoot 3 Key areas to exercise Benefits to strengthening feet Play for strong feet Get your guide HERE

As Summer sporting activities begin to launch as the weather improves, athletes need to be aware of some of the most common injuries that can occur like stress fractures or plantar fasciitis. These injuries can be devastating if you have a strict training program by sidelining either your training or team involvement while waiting for injuries to heal. The team at Functional Foot & Ankle Group are able to not only treat common sport related foot injuries, but help you avoid them in the first place by recommending careful and gradual training implementation. Here are some of the most common injuries to avoid this Summer: 1. STRESS FRACTURE Stress fractures are most often experienced by athletes that participate in high-impact sports like running, basketball, tennis, football and gymnastics. Stress fractures happen when the feet experience repetitive stress, pressure or acute injuries. This type of fracture is not a broken bone; A stress fracture is a small crack in the surface of the bone. They usually occur in the middle of the foot and toward the front of the foot and should be diagnosed and treated by an experienced podiatrist. 2. PLANTAR FASCIITIS Plantar fasciitis is most often experienced by athletes or people who spend a lot of time on their feet. It occurs when the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) supporting the arch stretches and tears. Once this happens, it becomes inflamed and causes pain and discomfort commonly upon rising out of bed or after periods of rest. Sufferers can experience pain in the heel or in the area of the arch. The team at Functional Foot & Ankle Group have effective treatment plans for Plantar Fasciitis. 3. ACHILLES TENDINITIS Another common sports-related foot injury involves the Achilles tendon. This tendon is the largest tendon in the body, and when it is overused or as it wears down over time, Achilles tendonitis can occur. Many cases of Achilles tendonitis can be treated at home but it’s important that the condition is diagnosed by a podiatrist and a comprehensive treatment plan created to ensure the best final result is achieved. In extreme cases, failing to address achilles tendonitis can result in the need for surgery. 4. NEUROMA If you have recently experienced pain in the ball of your foot or tingling or numbness, chances are you are suffering from a neuroma. This is a foot condition that occurs when there is pressure on a nerve in the forefoot. People who have neuroma also experience pain between their toes while walking, feeling of numbness or tingling in their toes. Neuromas can be a result of mechanical pressure, anatomical shape of the patient’s feet or tight calves, incorrect shoe size or style or trauma to the foot commonly. Athletes will find this debilitating at times and best to get it sorted quickly with simple, often cost effective solutions. 5. BIG TOE PAIN This can be a common and painful problem, as it is your main propulsive leaver during activity. In short, the big toe and its joint provides a lever arm giving your foot the “spring in its step”. If your big toe joint isn’t functioning at its best, there can be osteoarthritis, bunions (Hallux Abducto-Valgus), Sesamoiditis or Bursitis to name a few. Our Podiatrists are experienced in assessing and treating such problems with a variety of methods, providing education, treatment and planning to get you back to sport quickly and effectively. D  on’t let sports-related foot injuries like keep you out of the game. If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, book an appointment with one of our team to properly diagnose and treat your condition and get you primed for Summer training.