Sports podiatry encompasses looking at the particular actions required by your lower limb for your chosen sport. Any irregularities or inconsistencies in your foot posture may be hampering your ability or making you more susceptible to injury. Sports podiatry is about looking at this foot posture along with your footwear and correcting any potential issues.
Sports podiatry covers 2 areas:
(a) foot & lower limb overuse injuries
(b) mechanical performance enhancement to minimise injury and to maximise efficiency.
A podiatrist can determine via running assessment and specific testing whether your leg alignment and leg stability is normal and is sufficient for performing in your particular sport.
(a) Injury. If you have a niggling injury , it is likely to be caused by a mechanical problem or imbalance in the body. To relieve the symptoms, the cause of the imbalance must be determined and treated accordingly.
(b) Performance enhancement. For the recreational or elite level athlete who wants to avoid injury and maximise performance.
A podiatrist will often work closely with a sports physiotherapist as many leg and foot problems are secondary to problems in the lower back and pelvis.
The most common sports podiatry injuries are : Shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, Knee cap pain (runners knee), Calf strain, Plantar fasciitis/arch pain.