Active Podiatry News! July Update
Active Podiatry July Update
Contents
- Lockdown overuse injuries
- More on PPE
- Sandals without the guilt
- New opening hours
- Shin splints survival kit
- Shout out for local businesses
Lockdown overuse injuries
Since the easing of lockdown things have been busy at Active Podiatry with lots of bookings in the past few weeks since re-opening. Many thanks for your support; it has been great to get back to helping people stay active again.
The extra opportunities to do more exercise during lockdown has led to an increase in overuse injuries, or ‘Coverload’ as a colleague of mine put it, and I have been treating a number of runners and walkers with foot, ankle and leg pain as a result of getting a bit over enthusiastic and pushing beyond their capacity!.
Our bodies are strong and adaptable but, if we do not give our body systems time to adapt to increased demand, then overuse injuries are much more likely to occur. Here are some ways you can avoid getting an overuse injury.
- Gradually increase your mileage, frequency and intensity of exercise each week and don’t make too many changes too soon. A 10% increase is a good rule of thumb
- Keep a training log, either using an app such as Strava or just a good old notebook. That way you can compare one week to another and make sure there are no big ‘spikes’ in your training load.
- Include regular rest periods in your training to allow your body systems to recover. Rest is not a dirty word!
- Add strength training to your plan. Simple strengthening exercises such as squats, lunges and heel raises 2 to 3 times per week can reduce your risk of injury by as much as 50%.
More on PPE
I am getting used to wearing the extra layers of PPE which are necessary to keep all of us safe, although the warmer days are a challenge! The ‘new look’ can be a bit intimidating to some, but hopefully you can see that the eyes are smiling above the mask. Thanks to all my patients visiting the Practice who have been so patient and understanding about the new protective measures. Don’t forget your own mask when you come to see us.
We are taking extra time in between appointments to deep clean the clinic areas and avoid social mixing between visitors, so if you are early for your appointment, you may have to wait in your car while we get things ready for you. Why not spend the time saying hello to the rams in the field opposite who are relaxing after their busy Spring!
Sandals without the guilt
It is the Sandal season, and as usual at this time of year we are offering a range of supportive orthotic sandals in different styles for all you fashionistas. These are available by order and sale or return, and the prices range from £60 to £100 depending on the style. Whilst sandals are not ideal for foot support, these are a pretty good compromise, and who wants to be cooped up in sweaty trainers at this time of year? Get in touch if you would like to find out more or download the brochure for free from our online shop here.
https://activepodiatry.co.uk/shop/
New opening hours
We are now fully open Monday to Friday, including late appointments on a Thursday evening while the longer Summer days are still with us. As well as sports injuries, we also offer a routine foot care service if you are having problems with an ingrown toe nail, painful corn, verruca, athletes foot or fungal nail infection.
The Shin Splints survival kit
Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, is a common complaint in runners that can be hard to get rid of. The tibia, along with its smaller companion the fibula, is the long bone that runs from the knee to the ankle and is an important shock absorber in running as it bends in response to load, reducing impact from ground reaction force. Important muscles in the lower limb such as the Soleus and Tibialis Posterior also attach to the Tibia. Excessive stress through the tibia or muscles attached to the tibia can cause the shin type pain commonly complained of by runners. Check out my latest blog by clicking on the link below to find out about 5 things you can do to shrug off shin splints for good.
July shout out for local businesses
This month I want to give a shout out to Mo at P & P Signs in Marden. https://pandpsigns.co.uk/. P & P designed and fitted all the artwork and signs for Active, including the sign outside the Practice which has been a great source of information for people driving by and has led to a number of new patients making a booking since we reopened. Recently they have stepped up to help during the Covid crisis, shifting their production to making medical visors for the local NHS, and also the protective screens you will see in the reception and treatment areas at our clinic. Give them a shout if you need any signage or graphical solutions locally, and tell them I sent you!
That’s it for this months news. Thank you for your continued support and do give us a call or drop us an email if you need any advice or help with your foot, ankle or lower leg pain.
