At CWG, we believe that many foot problems can be prevented. We look for structural faults and habits that will have a significant impact on long-term health.
Caring for foot related problems means managing how people move. If you don’t move, can’t move or don’t want to move it produces a vicious cycle. Too little motion increases body weight while strength decreases, often resulting in injury that reduces motion further. Too much activity or poor structure results in less motion and the same spiral. We treat all the elements because we have the training to break up the cycle.
As certified pedorthists in Canada, we offer complete Pedorthic services. We strive to understand and identify the patient’s structure and pathology with a clinical and biomechanical assessment. We believe this evaluation is the key to proper treatment, orthotics design and footwear prescription.
Most importantly, pedorthists treat the mechanical causes of pressure, shear and strain that lead to callusing and injury. It is common to see calluses reduce or disappear after using proper footwear and orthotics.
At CWG Footcare, the added past experience in profession of Athletic Therapy augments assessment and treatment skills. Whether you are a runner, walker, golfer, downhill skier or just having pain, we can advise you on your activity and returning to it safely.
Here is a list of the most common conditions we treat. Any one condition will have some common elements, but each individual is often unique in how they are affected, which in turn determines how they should be treated.
| Common Foot Related Conditions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patellofemoral Syndrome | Pain in and around the patella (kneecap). Often referred to as P.F.S., called a syndrome because there is usually more than one factor producing the symptoms. Feet that hyperpronate, (the arches flatten out excessively) are often the cause of part or all the malalignment that produces the symptoms. The feet should be one of the first components of any examination for P.F.S.. | |||||||
| Plantar Fasciitis | Heel and/or arch pain. More than one version exists and that changes everything; by far the most common foot problem. | |||||||
| Metatarsalgia | Another non-specific term that relates to several conditions in the forefoot. | |||||||
| Bunions | Not always the case, but you probably inherited your tendency to have bunions. Although they cannot be eliminated, there is no reason why they have to be painful or progress rapidly, given the right advice. Surgery is controversial. | |||||||
| Hammer and Claw toes | Related to metatarsalgia, corns, and calluses, hammer and claw toes may or may not be painful. Proper footwear advice is critical and orthotics are often helpful. See the CWG Newsletter “Metatarsalgia” and look for future issues to cover these topics in detail. | |||||||
| Hallux Rigidus | Arthritis of the great (big, or 1st) toe joint is common after the age of 30. Symptoms can usually be controlled with orthotics, footwear choices and footwear modifications. See our newsletter “Hallux Rigidus” | |||||||
| Shin Splints | Yet another non-specific term for lower leg pain related to activity. | |||||||
| Hip pain | Multiple causes and may occur in any part of the hip area, but the feet are a common source of several types. | |||||||
| Spinal pain | Some feet actually create spinal pain while others do not. Hyperpronated feet usually increase spinal symptoms, even when they are not the primary cause. Orthotics made without consideration for leg length differences however, can cause or augment spinal problems. | |||||||
| Ankle pain | Hyperpronated feet can actually cause a “jamming” of the soft tissues and even the bones on the outside of the ankle. A tendency to invert, or twist the ankle to the outside on a regular basis (chronic inversion sprain) is also more difficult to treat if the foot hyperpronates. | |||||||
| Achilles Tendinitis | Hyperpronation and underpronation (typical of a rigid foot that lands too far to the outside, also known as supination) can excessively strain the fibers of this debilitating condition, causing the problem or preventing them from healing. | |||||||
We understand that healing is a process, and we support our patients with aggressive follow-ups, education and encouragement.
