Podiatry Central Coast

At Coast Sport we believe that your feet play a vital role in everyday activities, and their appearance can tell you a lot about your overall health. Far too often we hear people putting their various lower limb concerns down to a result of their age or thinking it may be “normal”. associated with a particular occupation when in many cases foot and ankle pain can be diagnosed, treated or best of all prevented with a simple trip to the Podiatrist.

It is safe to say that our feet do the bulk of the work for us, they carry us to and from our everyday activities, deal with the hard surfaces and high impact that are placed on them during exercise/sport, help us with long periods of walking or standing at work and get us through those daily monotonous jobs which never seem to end.

Podiatry involves the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various lower limb issues of the foot and ankle. This includes general foot care, diabetes, sports injuries, structural problems such as arthritis, skin abnormalities, paediatrics as well as treatment of the elderly including falls prevention.

Our friendly Podiatrists at Coast Sport offer a various range of treatment options from custom orthotics, footwear advice, general care, nail surgery, gait analysis along with other interventions to help improve your lower limb health and overall well being.

We offer Podiatry services at the following locations: Toukley, Tuggerah Westfield and The Mariners Centre of Excellence (Tuggerah) giving you easier access to ensure your primary feet always have the opportunity of care that they need.

Our friendly Podiatrist’s at Coast Sport specialise in all aspects of general Podiatry care and offer an extensive range of treatment options covering various common foot complaints, as well as Sport Podiatry.

General Foot Care

We offer a range of treatment options covering various common foot complaints. We also provide regular foot check ups and high quality general treatment aimed at the prevention of those common foot ailments which include but are not limited to the following;

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are caused by the introduction of a virus onto the skin. Warts on the bottom of the feet are commonly referred to as plantar warts. These can often be misdiagnosed as corns, however can be distinguished by our Podiatrists. We look to gently remove the wart, and if indicated, apply chemicals which may assist in the treatment of the wart.

Fungal Nails

Fungal nail infections are common infections that affect the nails and often present as a small white or yellow discolouration which can also result in thickening of the nails. We will assess your nails and provide treatment to help reduce the nail thickness, while also providing treatment/advice to help remove and prevent further fungal infection.

Ingrown Nails

Ingrown nails are a common condition that often affect the toenails. This can often be caused by trauma, tight footwear, inappropriate cutting technique or may be a hereditary issue. Ingrown toenails can often lead to pain, or infection and are especially important to treat if you are a diabetic.

Thickened Nails

Thickened nails are a common complaint which often occur due to trauma- either direct or from ill fitting footwear, or due to a fungal infection. They often lead to increased pressure and can make wearing shoes difficult or painful. We offer treatment options aimed at reducing nail thickness to help improve comfort and overall look of your nails.

Corns / Calluses

Corns/Calluses

Corns and callus are caused at areas which are prone to increased pressure or friction which can result from poorly fitted footwear, medical conditions and/or pressure areas related to your walking patterns. We aim to gently remove any painful corns or callus and look to prevent further problems with regular skin emollients.

Tinea

Tinea is a fungal skin infection that is introduced to the skin which often causes dry, itchy and red blotchy skin. Tinea is caused by various factors which include; the environment they are in, such as communal bathrooms, occlusive socks/footwear, inadequate drying between toes or excessive moisture and toe deformities. At Coast Sport we look to address tinea through appropriate education along with treatment to help cure and prevent further infection.

Children’s Podiatry

Podiatry for children is an important intervention as foot and ankle problems in children often go unnoticed. Signs and symptoms can be subtle, excessive crying in babies/toddlers through to overactivity as often children can’t explain what’s wrong. It’s important to protect growing feet and have problems checked out early, whether your children are crawling, just starting to walk or are active school aged children it is important to have specialist care to ensure your child is living a pain free active lifestyle.

Sports Podiatry

Sporting injuries are a regular occurance amongst those elite athletes as well as those who lead an active lifestyle. At Coast Sport, our Podiatrist’s have a special interest in not only diagnosing and treating these injuries, but also provide expert assessment to help prevent further re-injury, keeping you healthy, active and involved in the sport you love.

Gait / Running Assessment

Our assessments involve a detailed gait analysis in which we will watch the way you move, from walking to running, including those specific sporting movements to help develop a treatment plan that best suits you.

Running Shoe Advice

The type of footwear that is worn can play a major role in sporting injuries, this is why the Podiatrists at Coast Sport are experts in footwear assessments, and can help you pick the most suitable footwear for your sport and foot type. At Coast Sport, we work alongside experienced physiotherapists and exercise physiologists to help provide a multidisciplinary approach for your sporting injuries.

Chronic Conditions

Diabetes Management

Diabetes can cause a range of related complications, however one of the most important complications associated with Podiatry are damage to the nerves and arteries in the legs and feet.

This can lead to reduced protective sensation which results in wounds or ulcerations on the feet and legs, which if left untreated can result in infection, further tissue damage and amputation.

It is recommended that a diabetic have a regular foot check up at least every 12 months as well as have regular visits for general podiatry care to help maintain their foot health.

Our Podiatrist’s at Coast Sport conduct regular diabetic foot screening, and utilise the latest equipment to ensure your feet stay healthy.

Arthiritis

Arthritis is a broad term used to describe many different pathologies that can affect any joint in our bodies, commonly involving some type of joint pain or disease. This affects not only adults, but also children and people of all ages. There are many different types of arthritis, however the most common types are Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms you may be experiencing are;

Foot and Ankle Conditions

The most common conditions would primarily include pain in your feet/ankles. Our dedicated Podiatrist’s are experienced in diagnosing and treating all causes of foot/ankle pain using the latest evidence based treatment options available. This can include use of exercises/stretches, custom orthotic devices, taping, footwear education and activity modification to help get you back on your feet.

Ankle Pain

Ankle pain affects a large number of people which can occur at any stage of their life. Often overlooked and hard to describe, ankle pain is often put down to a previous injury or age when frequently there may be an underlying condition that is the cause. This is where the Podiatrist’s at Coast Sport step in to help. Ankle pain often occurs after an injury such as twisting and spraining your ankle, however other common foot/ankle problems that regularly occur are;

Heel Pain

Heel pain is something we see far too often here at Coast Sport, and is a broad term used to describe various conditions that affect the heel. Heel pain is one of the most common foot complaints, and has a wide range of symptoms which are often very painful/chronic problems that may limit your ability to get through day to day activities. The most common causes of heel pain are;

Factors such as inappropriate footwear, walk/run pattern, sport and lifestyle factors can all contribute to heel pain. The Podiatrist’s at Coast sport offer various treatment options depending on the cause of the heel pain and type of lifestyle you lead.
This is through the use of designing a patient care plan which best suits you which may include; custom orthotic devices, taping, activity modification, footwear changes/modifications and muscle strengthening/stretching which may be used in combination to achieve the best results.

Bunions

A bunion is a common foot condition our Podiatrist’s see here at Coast Sport, usually characterised by an often swollen bony bump which develops on the side of the big toe joint causing the forefoot to widen over time. There is often pain associated with bunions, which may result in the lesser digits to retract leading to abnormal walking patterns and painful pressure areas as a result of these bony changes in the foot.
Our Podiatrist’s offer various treatment options such as custom orthotic devices and footwear advice aimed to reduce pain, pressure, increase comfort and potentially slow the progression of bunions.

Footwear and Custom Orthotics

Custom Orthotics

Here at Coast Sport, our Podiatrist’s have been using Custom orthotics successfully to treat a wide range of lower limb problems, treating children through to adults from varying lifestyles and activities. These may include;

A Custom Orthotic device is a specially moulded form that is created specifically for each individual's foot shape and lifestyle. We determine if a custom orthotic device would be beneficial only after one of our experts goes through a complete biomechanical assessment with you to determine if a custom device would be suitable for you.

At Coast Sport, we use state of the art technology to assess and prescribe you with 100% customised comfortable orthotic devices to relieve pain and restore function, allowing you to stay on your feet to enjoy all those activities you love pain free.

Footwear Advice

Selecting the correct footwear for your sport, work or lifestyle is an important factor in not only maintaining healthy feet, but also injury prevention.

At Coast Sport, we are experts in specific footwear selection for your needs and your body! We can educate you and provide advice on how to make informed choices about footwear by looking at the shape of your feet, walk/run patterns and work/lifestyle factors that all contribute to the health of your feet.

Our Podiatrist’s at Coast Sport have experience with fitting footwear to all age groups, including selecting and fitting appropriate school shoes, picking the right sport shoes, through to orthopaedic or DVA footwear.