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Media Releases
Learning how to give a good foot
rub
Foot surgeons fight for hospital
recognition
Meet the
flying podiatrist
Ill-fitting shoes cripple the
elderly
Walking is the best medicine for
feet
Foot warning for
diabetics
Podiatrist tends to feet of
fairies
Golfer gets swing back
Podiatrist shortage critical
Little feet get special care
Learning how
to give a good foot rub
|
Lilydale podiatry clinic secretary Kerrie
Veldman is more familiar with steel fabrication
than feet.
All
that is about to change as Kerrie begins
Australia’s first podiatry assistants’ course,
which includes a hands-on role for assistants.
The
course, to be run at Melbourne’s Latrobe
University, begins during National Foot Health
Week which runs from October 9 to 15.
It
will produce graduates qualified to attend to
low risk podiatry patients who need simple care
such as having their toenails cut.
“I’ve
been working in a podiatry clinic for 15 months
as well as doing the secretarial work for our
own family steel fabrication business, but I’m
finding I just love the foot work. I love being
associated with the people,” Kerrie said. |
 |
She will
be among the first 13 enrollees in the course which
was created by the Australian Podiatry Association,
Victoria to help ease the growing demand for basic
podiatry services from an ageing population.
Course
designer and Latrobe University podiatry lecturer
Felicity Prentice said the course was very hands-on.
“The
objective is to produce graduates with the skills
required for helping to run and manage a podiatry
clinic practice and for undertaking some
podiatry-oriented work such as infection control and
understanding procedures for sterilizing equipment,”
Ms Prentice said.
There are
five core units and two elective units. Students
will have to complete the first five and one of the
latter. The course runs for 12 weeks and requires
participants to attend university for one day a week
for six weeks.
Australian
Podiatry Association, Victorian president Dr Andrew
Kingsford said Podiatry assistants will be to
podiatrists what dental hygienists are to dentists.
Australian
Podiatry Association (VIC) chief executive officer
Celia Gahan said the course was a welcome initiative
and could help relieve podiatrists’ workloads.
“It’s
adding an extra pair of hands in the system for
people whose foot problems are painful but not life
threatening and frees up podiatrists to attend to
those with more serious ailments,” Ms Gahan said.
“Many
people who need general podiatry can’t see a
podiatrist in the public health system because they
are not considered high-risk.”
Lilydale
podiatrist Bill Mackieson, who runs seven podiatry
practices across outer Melbourne and country
Victoria, plans to pay for three of his staff,
including Kerrie Veldman, to complete the course.
“They can
do basic foot care, such as nail cutting and rubbing
in foot cream. It will be a great help.”
Media
contacts:
Bill Mackieson (podiatrist) 0418 534 871
Celia Gahan, Australian Podiatry Association
Victorian branch executive officer (03) 9866 5906
For details about National Foot Health Week (October
9-15), check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download
PDF
Learning how to give a good foot rub
Download Image
Kerrie Veldman
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Foot surgeons
fight for hospital recognition
State
Governments could look at using podiatric surgeons
to relieve long public hospital waiting lists for
elective foot surgery.
Victorian
foot surgeon and president of the Australasian
College of Podiatric Surgeons Mark Gilheany made
this call during National Foot Health Week which
began on Monday.
Dr
Gilheany said public patients could wait up to three
years for foot surgery, yet experience in other
countries had shown foot surgeons could relieve
waiting times while allowing orthopedic surgeons to
get on with other work.
“A
podiatrist attempting to get a patient operated on
in NSW and Victoria, could wait months for that
person to get an appointment in a public hospital
and, if the health network has the surgical staff
available to perform the operation, the waiting time
between that appointment and surgery can be anywhere
between 18 months and three years,” Dr Gilheany
said.
“Welcoming
podiatric surgeons to the public sector would be an
innovative way to shorten waiting lists. This has
been effective in England’s National Health Service
and would allow the orthopedic workforce to address
demand in other areas. This makes for good health
policy.”
Dr
Gilheany said podiatric surgery had been occurring
in the private sector in Australia for 30 years, yet
few public hospitals were willing to offer it.
“There is
a podiatric surgeon working very successfully in a
public health unit in South Australia and another
has been working similarly in Western Australia but
the take-up has been very small.”
A recent
Productivity Commission discussion paper also
endorsed the idea. The paper cited podiatric surgery
as a good example of an innovative alternative to
traditional models of health care delivery.
Podiatric
surgeons specialise in foot and ankle surgery.
The
profession has slowly been gaining acceptance. Last
year it passed another hurdle when the Federal
Government endorsed changes to health insurance
laws. These cleared the way for private insurance
companies to offer cover for podiatric surgery.
Dr
Gilheany said some private health funds had “come on
board” and now included podiatric surgery in their
cover policies.
“It’s
hoped the role podiatric surgeons play at all levels
of the health sector will continue to increase.”
Media
contacts:
Mark Gilheany,
Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons president
& podiatric surgeon, 0402 072830
Celia Gahan,
Australian Podiatry Association (VIC) CEO, (03) 9866
5906
Download
PDF
Foot
surgeons fight for hospital recognition
Top of page
Meet the flying
podiatrist
|
Most
podiatrists keep their feet on the ground but
for Melbourne podiatric foot surgeon, Andrew
Kingsford, it’s a job that also puts him in the
air.
The
47-year-old is one of only two podiatric
surgeons in Victoria so he spreads his skills
around.
Every
four weeks he packs a six-seater, single-engine
plane with his surgical equipment and flies
north to Albury Wodonga to perform surgery.
“It
takes 50 minutes compared with four hours by
car,” Dr Kingsford said. |
 |
The
multi-skilled surgeon has a full instrument pilot’s
licence which means he can fly in most weather
conditions.
That’s a
bonus for the people of north east Victoria and
south east NSW who otherwise would have to travel
hundreds of kilometres for podiatric surgery.
“I get
referrals from Beechworth to Wangaratta and
Shepparton,” Dr Kingsford said.
“I had one
woman drive six hours from Narromine in NSW to see
me. She came for half an hour and then turned around
and drove six hours back.”
Podiatric
surgeons operate on feet alone and, while they’re
currently few in number, moves are afoot to train
more.
Among
Victoria’s five trainee podiatric surgeons is Amy
Klein, who is honing her skills under Dr Kingsford’s
supervision in Albury Wodonga.
“Amy has
two small children and is trying to have a career as
well as be a mum and run her practice,” Dr Kingsford
said.
“She would
have little chance of obtaining her education
locally without a podiatric surgeon going to
Albury-Wodonga to supervise her,” he said.
Trainee
podiatric surgeons, like medical specialists, have
to spend many years in clinics and operating
theatres to become fully qualified and registered
with the Commonwealth Government.
Media
contact:
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 9866 5906For details
about National Foot Health Week (October 9-15),
check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
For stories and images check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download
PDF
Meet the flying podiatrist
Download Image
Andrew Kingsford
Top of page
Ill-fitting
shoes cripple the elderly
More than 70 per cent of older
people wear shoes that are too small for their feet.
Research by a Melbourne foot
specialist has shown that ill-fitting shoes are
crippling the elderly.
The research also showed that
women are more likely than men to wear ill-fitting
shoes.
La Trobe University research
fellow Dr Hylton Menz said podiatrists had known
about the high prevalence of ill-fitting shoe
wearers among the elderly for some time but that his
latest research was able to quantify the problem.
He said many were victims of
fashion and persisted with wearing problem shoes
despite the pain they induced.
“It’s amazing the amount of
80-year-olds who don’t want to be seen wearing an
80-year-old’s shoe,” Dr Menz said.
Dr Menz interviewed 176
retirement village residents aged 52 to 96.
“We asked people to show us the
shoes they wore most outdoors and indoors.
Seventy-eight per cent wore outdoor shoes that were
too narrow for their feet and 81 per cent wore
indoor shoes that also were too narrow.”
Dr Menz said part of the
problem was that shoe shops generally failed to
cater for older broader feet.
He said wearing shoes that are
too narrow leads to an increased risk of bunions and
corns, which can reduce mobility.
Podiatrists also warn that
wearing sloppy old favourites that offer little
support is also dangerous for the elderly.
“They can cause instability and
lead to a higher incidence of falls,” said
Australian Podiatry Association (Vic) chief
executive officer Celia Gahan.
She urged the elderly to have
an annual foot check, to keep walking and to choose
firm fitting shoes with soft soles.
Media contacts:
Hylton Menz La Trobe University (03) 9479 5801
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 9866 5906For
details about National Foot Health Week (October
9-15), check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
For stories and images check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download
PDF
Ill-fitting shoes cripple the elderly
Top of page
Walking is the best medicine
for feet
Get out there
and get walking is the message from the people
who care for feet, ahead of National Foot Health
Week from October 9-15.
With
the theme, Walking is the Best Medicine,
podiatrists across Victoria and Australia will
be encouraging people to walk more.
Australian Podiatry Association (Victoria)
president Andrew Kingsford says mobility is at
the heart of good health care and that foot
health is vital if people are to remain active.
“Even
though the average person will walk around
128,000 kilometres in a lifetime – equivalent to
three times around the world – there is little
risk of wearing out your feet if you have well
fitted shoes and walk at a reasonable pace,” Dr
Kingsford said.
“It’s
safe, it’s easy and it’s affordable and if your
shoes are well fitted you should be walking
without realizing you have feet at the end of
your legs.”
“Some
of the fatty padding on the under surface of our
feet wears away as we age but by making sure
your shoes fit well and by having good insoles,
you should be able to walk at your leisure.” |
 |
Podiatrists are encouraging people to take at least
10,000 steps a day. Those unable to walk due to
corns, calluses, bunions, ingrown toenails,
injuries, infections and heel pain are advised to
seek professional advice.
“Help is
available and people shouldn’t accept that tired,
sore feet are normal,” Dr Kingsford said.
People can
get into the swing by joining in National Walk to
Work Day on Friday, October 7.
Check with
your local podiatrist or the website
www.podiatryvic.com for more information about
National Foot Health Week.
Media contact:
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer,
Australian Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 9866 5906
Interesting
facts about walking
-
The average person
will walk about 128,000km in a lifetime – that’s
more than three times around the earth.
-
The recommended
number of steps a day for staying healthy is at
least 10,000.
-
When walking each
time your heel lifts off the ground it forces the
toes to carry one half of your body weight
-
Feet usually swell
in the afternoon, so that’s the best time for
trying new shoes
-
The balls of the
feet alone have five joints in them.
Walking keeps your feet healthy and
keeps you mobile. Many foot problems can be avoided
by walking.
Download
PDF
Walking is the best medicine for feet
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Finding
her feet
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Small feet
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Foot warning for diabetics
Australia’s 1.04million diabetics need to take extra
care of their feet to avoid ulcers that could lead
to amputations.
That’s the
warning from Diabetes Australia consulting
podiatrist Jane Tennant during National Foot Health
Week which begins on Monday.
“Diabetics
should take extra care to check their feet
regularly,” Jane said.
“Because
diabetes can constrict blood vessels and damage
nerves on feet, diabetics can lose their sense of
feeling and damage their feet without even knowing
it. For example, they may cut their feet or walk
with stones in their shoes and be unable to feel it.
Unless these problems are picked up and attended to
immediately, serious complications can develop,
potentially leading to amputations.”
Australia’s National Diabetes Strategy (1998)
estimated that 3000 amputations were attributable to
diabetes each year.
A diabetic
with one amputated limb has a 50 per cent chance of
also losing the second limb.
It’s
estimated that 55,000 Australians are diagnosed
annually with diabetes. About 15 per cent are Type 1
or insulin-dependent diabetics and the rest are Type
II diabetics.
Overweight
people aged 45 years and over who have high blood
pressure are particularly susceptible to Type II
diabetes, which is often known as lifestyle diabetes
because it can be prevented by living healthily.
The good
news is that people can halve their risk of
developing Type II diabetes simply by doing an hour
of moderate physical exercise such as brisk walking
every day.
Jane
Tennant urged people in the high risk Type II
diabetes category to be on the lookout for the
disease and ensuing foot problems.
“These
people are particularly susceptible to diabetes and
they may not even know they have it until they
present to a podiatrist with pins and needles in
their feet.”
Jane urged
diabetics to visit their podiatrists annually and to
check their feet daily.
“If they
can’t feel their feet every day they should ask a
relative to check them for any swelling,
discoloration or redness and at the first sign of
these they should make an appointment with a
podiatrist.
“A
low-fat, low-salt diet that maintains good blood
sugar levels is the best way to avoid foot problems
like ulcers from developing.”
SOME FACTS ABOUT
DIABETES AND FEET
-
Diabetic foot
disease is associated with increased mortality and
is the major cause of hospitalization among
diabetics
-
Twenty per cent of
diabetics will develop a foot ulcer
-
Four per cent of
diabetics with foot ulcers will have limbs
amputated
-
Once an ulcer
occurs, the risk of it recurring is high, about 70
per cent
-
People can halve
their risk of developing Type II diabetes by doing
an hour of moderate physical exercise, such as
brisk walking, every day.
-
Diabetics with
chronic foot problems can claim up to five
podiatrist visits on Medicare if they are referred
by a GP.
Media
contacts:
Jane Tennant, consulting podiatrist, Diabetes
Australia, phone (03) 9496 2017
Celia Gahan, Australian Podiatry Association (VIC)
CEO, phone (03) 98665906
Download
PDF
Foot warning for diabetics
Top of page
Podiatrist tends to the feet
of fairies
|
It’s
said that it takes about 10,000 steps a day to
keep the feet of an average person healthy.
But
while dancing fairies Leanne Stojmenov and
Natasha Kusen do thousands more, it’s a constant
battle to keep their feet healthy.
The
two danced the parts of fairies in The
Australian Ballet’s recent production of The
Sleeping Beauty in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Like
most dancers, their feet are showing more than
average wear and tear and as awful as it might
sound, these fairies are dogged by corns,
calluses and bunions.
“My
feet look a little deformed,” says Leanne, 24,
who, like her colleagues, can spend up to six
hours a day rehearsing and performing in
pointe shoes, those hard toed shoes that
give ballet its tip-toed elegance.
“I get
corns between my toes too,” she adds. |
 |
Hardened
blisters over 11 years of dancing have developed
into calluses, but far from wanting them removed,
Leanne says they protect her.
“When I go
to the podiatrist she always wants to cut them away
but I need them. They’re my protection against
soreness.”
Natasha,
21, who dances the water fairy, recently had a corn
removed.
Podiatrist
Sally Child from the Olympic Park Sports Medicine
Centre sees many ballet dancers in her job.
“A lot of
the girls spend so much time in pointe shoes
that it affects the structure of their feet, so they
need lots of care,” Sally said.
“Like most
people who work in occupations that require them to
spend a lot of time on their feet they’re prone to
developing calluses and corns.”
Podiatrists recommend that people with corns and
calluses check their shoes fit well.
Just like
the dancing fairies, they should also seek
professional advice as soon as they develop.
Media
contacts:
Podiatrist Sally Child (03) 9427 0366
Australian Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 9866
5906For details about National Foot Health Week
(October 9 - 15) check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download
PDF
Podiatrist tends to the
feet of fairies
Download Image
Fairy feet
Download Image
Leanne Stojmenov & Natasha Kusen
Top of page
Golfer gets his swing back
|
Professional golfer Stuart Leong is proof that
healthy, well-placed feet are the key to a good
golf swing.
A
repeating back injury drove the promising
30-year old from the professional golf touring
circuit 18 months ago.
With
the help of a Melbourne sports podiatrist,
Stuart discovered what caused his injury and now
he’s back on course and aiming to play in this
year’s Australian Open.
“I had
to stop playing because every time I’d swing I’d
compress my ribs and damage the joint where the
ribs attach to the spine,” Stuart said.
“I’d
just get better and get back on the course and
it would happen again. Two months ago I couldn’t
play more than two days in a row whereas now I
can play almost every day.”
Podiatrist Rohan Coull discovered Stuart’s right
foot had a greater than average tendency to turn
out. |
 |
“While
most people’s feet naturally turn out at a 15 degree
angle Stuart’s right foot turned out at 45 degrees,”
said Rohan, who is also a fellow of the Australian
College of Podiatric Sports Medicine.
This
affected Stuart’s swing. Unaware of his
idiosyncrasy, he had used a conventional
straight-footed golfing stance, but then he had to
compensate by tilting his body away from the ball in
the backswing. On his down swing he’d collapse into
his ribs and squash them altogether causing the
injury.
Rohan, a
keen golfer and skier, who is fascinated with
biomechanics and how the body moves, spotted
Stuart’s foot idiosyncrasy and recommended he change
his stance to compensate for it.
Now Stuart
is back swinging and has renewed hopes of clinching
a big title. The former Australian Open and
Australian PGA qualifier, who played the Indian Open
and the West Australian PGA in June last year, is
raring to go.
“It’s
pretty hard being a professional golfer and not
being able to play for 18 months or so, not even
socially,” Stuart said.
“I’m going
to play a couple of small pro-ams in Victoria and
then I’d love to try and qualify for the Australian
Open and the Australian PGA later this year,” he
said.
Media contacts:
Rohan Coull (03) 9890 2212
Stuart Leong 0409 144784
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 9866 5906
For details about National Foot Health Week (October
9-15), check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download PDF
Golfer gets his swing back
Download Image
Stuart Leong
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Stuart Leong gets his swing back
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Podiatrist shortage critical
|
Victoria has a critical shortage of podiatrists
that must be addressed to meet the needs of the
state’s ageing baby boomers.
The
president of the Victorian branch of the
Australian Podiatry Association (APODA), Dr
Andrew Kingsford, said that podiatry vacancies
were almost impossible to fill.
“We’ve
been lobbying politicians and bureaucrats for
changes but progress is slow,” Dr Kingsford
said.
“The
Australasian Podiatry Council has also been
lobbying for an increase in the number of
podiatry places at universities and while
student intakes are increasing, the growth is
happening slower than can meet the demands of
our ageing population.”
“We
have to get more podiatrists on the ground.”
According to the Department of Employment and
Workplace Relations, the shortage is
Australia-wide with just 47 per cent of podiatry
job vacancies filled annually. |
 |
APODA
(Vic) Chief Executive Officer Celia Gahan said the
need for more podiatrists in the public health
system in particular was urgent.
“Our
office is inundated with calls from people who can’t
afford private podiatric services and it’s these
people who are missing out,” Ms Gahan said.
Just 65
(full-time equivalent) podiatrists work in
Victoria’s hospitals and community health centres,
making one podiatrist for 76,923
Victorians.
Victoria
has 704 qualified and registered podiatrists, but 70
per cent work in the private sector.
The
shortage is likely to become more pronounced as the
population ages because foot problems become more
common as people get older. Later onset diabetes,
for example, can pose a high risk of limb amputation
if it produces foot problems that remain unattended.
Australian
Bureau of Statistics figures show that the
proportion of the population aged 65 years and over
– when foot problems typically begin to show – is
set to increase from around 12 per cent to 18 per
cent by 2021.
“We are
getting a higher proportion of elderly in the
community and we are going to have to have more
podiatrists to handle that workload,” Dr Kingsford
said.
The
Caulfield Community Health Service podiatry unit
confirmed it has a 12-week waiting list for new
patients.
Unit
podiatrist Shan Bergin said low risk patients such
as those wanting simple nail care, hygiene and
footwear advice often missed out completely as
podiatrists scrambled to deal with those with more
serious foot problems.
“Community
health centres quite regularly close their books
altogether because waiting lists are so long that
it’s actually pointless continuing to accept any
referrals, particularly low-risk referrals. This
means that in some instances even those people with
serious foot problems miss out”
Podiatry
is a four-year, full-time degree that’s offered in
Victoria at LaTrobe University’s Melbourne campus
and at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury
Wodonga.
La Trobe
has increased its student intake from 65 to 80 in
recent years.
CSU is
expecting to turn out 14 graduates this year, up
from 12 last year. It hopes to boost its intake from
35 to 45 in 2007.
“With La Trobe and CSU
graduating more podiatrists in the next few years,
there is a great opportunity to create more
positions because there will be more podiatrists who
will be looking to work in the public sector,” Ms
Gahan said.
Media contact:
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Podiatry Association (Vic) Ph (03) 9866 5906National
Foot Health Week runs from October 9 - 15. Check
details at
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download PDF
Podiatrist shortage critical
Download Image
Podiatrist shortage critical - checking pulse
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Podiatrist shortage critical - cutting nails
Top of page
Little feet get special
care
|
Tending to little feet that need extra care is
Nik Nikolopoulos’s special skill.
The
Director of Podiatry at the Port Phillip
Specialist School in Port Melbourne gets lots of
requests for help from parents of children with
Down syndrome.
“Typically children with Down syndrome will
present with increased joint movement which we
don’t see to the same degree in other children,”
Nik said.
“These
issues come to the fore when the children start
walking as certain physiological differences are
compounded by gravity,” he said. |
 |
“For
example, if a joint is unstable and you add gravity
to that, it just gives the joint greater license to
go where it wants to go and do what it wants to do
which affects the muscles and the rest of the body.
The child’s concentration and fatigues levels can be
affected which can flow on to changes in activity
levels and willingness to participate in activities.
As with all children, group activities are an
important part of socialization.”
Nik, who
advises on foot care for children with Down syndrome
nationally, says medical advances have increased the
life expectancy of those with Down syndrome, making
good feet care more vital than ever.
“Children
and people with Down syndrome are living longer,” he
said.
“Their
average life expectancy has moved from the middle
50s several decades ago to 70 to 75.
“When you
take into account all the advances in modern
medicine, plus the fact children with Down syndrome
are rightfully included in society and are
undertaking a greater range of activities, it is
more important than ever to ensure that not only
their feet but that everything else is functioning
well.
“From a
socialization point of view, children with Down
syndrome enjoy play and everything else other
children do, so as health professionals it’s our
goal to ensure they are able to do what they want to
do when they want to do it and to try and address
any relevant problems.”
Wendy,
mother of Nicole, 12, who attends the Port Phillip
Specialist School, finds Nik’s advice comforting.
“Nicole
has had orthotics fitted. Without them, she’s fairly
unstable and they’ve helped improve her gait,” Wendy
said.
“Nik also
keeps an eye on the shoes Nicole wears. It’s good to
have that reinforcement because often you wonder if
you’re doing the right thing.”
The CEO of
the Australian Podiatry Association (Vic) Celia
Gahan said it was important that all children have
their feet checked especially if they trip easily or
have tired legs.
Media contacts:
Nik Nikolopoulos, Director of Podiatry, Port Phillip
Specialist School, Richmond Podiatry Centre 0402 909
537
Celia Gahan, Chief Executive Officer, Australian
Podiatry Association (Vic) (03) 98665906
For details about National Foot Health Week (October
9-15) check
www.podiatryvic.com.au
Download PDF
Little feet get special care
Download Image
Little feet get special care
Download Image
Nik
and small feet
Top of page
For further details on
national events for Foot Health Week 2005 see
www.feet.org.au
|
