Pedigait 4 camera system and treadmill My colleague and good friend Brian Cragg from Markham Footcare has produced a very informative YouTube video (shown below) outlining the benefits of using the PediGait synchronous 4 camera gait analysis system.   We both introduced this technology into our offices in April 2012.   Gait analysis is used on a daily basis by chiropodists/podiatrists  as a  component of the physical evaluation of the presenting patient.  Typically, gait analysis consists of watching a patient walk back and forth in a hallway.   The information observed in the gait analysis helps to reveal the the cause the patient's presenting symptoms.   Hallway gait analysis provides valuable information to the practitioner but provides no visual feedback for you "the patient" relating to the way you walk or run.   Gait analysis in hallway Since the introduction of PediGait into our Whitby office,  we have eleva...

The summer is coming to a close and flip flop weather will come to a close as the weather gets cooler. Wearing flip flops can be difficult on your feet. The design of flip flops do not allow the foot to be properly secured to the foot. If you have flat feet (pronated foot) your heel will shift off of the flip flop (watch the video).  Furthermore, your toes will have to grip the flip flops to keep them from falling off while you walk. Over time( successive summers) this can result in clawed or hammered toes leading to pain in the ball of your foot. This can lead to metatarsalgia or pain in the ball of the foot. The American Podiatric Medical Association has a seal of approval section which lists recommended  flip flops. These APMA approved flip flop sandals have a molded foot bed and more secure straps that help to minimize foot problems. www.footcarewhitby.ca

This is the final day of the Olympics and one of the last events is the marathon run of 26 miles.   This event brings together the 100 best marathon runners from all over the world.   The trio of runners from Kenya: Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, Abel Kirui and Emmanuel Mutai could sweep the marathon medals. The eventual marathon winner will be the runner most able to keep a constant speed throughout the race over the varied terrain.   The best marathon runners have a body type best suited for marathon running but more importantly, they can minimize their injury rate by proper training and recovery. Many recreational marathon runners develop many foot and lower leg injuries because of poor training methods, improper footwear and poor lower extremity biomechanics.   Structural problems occurring in the foot and lower leg can cause plantar fasciitis , shin splints , Achilles tendinitis , and ilio-tibial band syndrome .   If these problems occur should be addressed as...

This morning I have been watching the 2012 Olympic men’s soccer/football finals. It has been an excellent game between Mexico and Brazil. You can hear the Samba beat in the stands at Wembly Stadium. I have been impressed with the speed of the players. I know from treating soccer player in my practice that some of these players are participating with some type of foot injury. Plantar fasciitis , hallux limitus , bunions and ankle sprains are some of the most common foot injuries that occur while playing. Women soccer players’ tend to develop patellofemoral syndrome if their feet are flat or if the Q angle is large. I am sure the therapists and trainers involved in the Olympic soccer tournament have minimized these foot injuries. If you have any of these foot injuries as a result of playing recreational sports or due the repetitive nature of your job you should not delay getting treatment for these injuries. Congratulations to the Canadian Olympic Women’s soccer team for their bronz...

Tonight in the main stadium at the London games in front of 80,000 spectators the men’s 100 metre final will held, The final 8 runners are Richard THOMPSON, Asafa POWELL, Tyson GAY, Yohan BLAKE,   Justin GATLIN, Usain BOLT, Ryan BAILEY and Churandy MARTINA.   This is considered to be a dream final and a much anticipated event at the games.   In watching the semi-finals and preliminary rounds it was amazing to see the fluid mechanics of running demonstrated by the top runners.   Usain Bolt is the favorite to repeat as champion.   As a chiropodist/podiatrist I am amazed at the power that he unleashes using his long legs and arms. His feet act like well-oiled springs that transmit the power from his upper and lower leg muscles for push off from the track.   Unfortunately, recreational runners can damage their muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones if their feet cannot properly act like springs to transmit power. Plantar fasciitis is one such problem that preve...

Over the next 3 weeks the London Summer Olympics will be showcasing thousands of athletes from all over the world. These athletes have been training for years to hone their performance to meet summer game standards and strive for a podium finish.  There is no doubt these athletes have injured themselves during their training while running, walking, jumping, lifting, aiming, throwing, diving, vaulting, rowing and swimming. Some athletes may even be competing at the London games with some type of injury.  The good news is that Olympic athletes have access to many different health professionals to treat their ailments to help them get ready for competition.  Some of the lower leg extremity problems that can hamper an athlete included: Hip pain ·          Bursitis ·          Leg length difference Knee pain ·          Jumper’s knee (patellar tend...

Y esterday on the on the drive home from the office I was listening to “Here and Now” hosted by Laura Di Battista on CBC radio. She was talking with Michael Bhardwaj (@radiobhardwaj) the national science columnist for CBC Radio. He was discussing  a flip flop fungus experiment that was reported by Jason Feifer in the New York Magazine . Michael outlined the variety of fungus and bacteria found on the upper surface of flip flops to Laura’s horror. Michael stated even though there are many bacteria and fungus on the surface of your feet and flip flops, our healthy immune systems can deal with the bacteria and fungus. He suggested washing the upper surface of your flip flops touching your feet with soap and water. This gets rid of 99.9% of the bacteria and fungus. Foot fungus is a common complaint that I treat on a daily basis in my office.  A fungi is a microscopic plant like organism that thrives in moist, humid and dark environments. A mushroom that grows on a l...

The Euro Cup is an exciting time for soccer/football fans. Soccer is a very good sport for keeping young people active.  Unfortunately, with all the running that occurs during a game, injuries can occur to the foot and lower leg. The list of injuries include: knee cap pain; ankle sprains; shin splints; heel pain; arch pain and forefoot pain.  Some of these injuries are caused due to an underlying structural problem that puts stress on the supporting soft tissue structures such as muscle, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules. If your child is suffering from any foot or lower leg problem we can evaluate your child's running style.  We can record your child running on a treadmill which allows us to observe if there are any structural problems causing the foot or lower leg complaint via Pedigait slow motion analysis.   Enjoy the Euro cup during the month of June and we hope your favourite Euro cup team is victorious.