Common complaints

Common complaints for patients attending the clinic include:

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition where patients complain of severe and often debilitating heel pain classically experienced first thing in the morning. It generally presents in patients ranging from 40+ but can present in younger patients also. In essence it is a degenerative condition and all patients who attend the clinic are brought through a full assessment and are provided with a number of conservative treatment options.

Achilles tendonitis 

Achilles tendonitis/tendonosis can be a common problem affecting runners or less commonly the more elderly patient. It can be insertional (right at the back of the heel) or non-insertional (mid-substance Achilles) and can be a particularly difficult to treat. It is important to determine the true extent/cause of the problem and imaging is often required to determine the extent of the damage, this can be arranged through the Rapid Access Foot & Ankle Clinic if necessary.

Trochanteric bursitis

Patients commonly complain of pain around the outside of the hip (greater trochanter) and experience difficulty standing for long periods of time, getting up from a seated position, lying down or exercising.  Patients are often sent to the clinic by other Orthopaedic Surgeons for Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy which has shown excellent results within 6-12 weeks.

Non specific foot pain 

A lot of patients complain of widespread pain in both or one of their feet. Another common complaint is across the ball of the foot and commonly in their lesser toes. Some times an orthotic (shoe insert) or an ottoform device (toe separator) can help greatly and can be arranged through the clinic. If conservative management fails, x-rays can be obtained in the hospital and the route of the problem can be identified and dealt with accordingly.