Foot, heel and arch pain are amongst the most frequently reported and treated conditions world-wide. Yet, there is much misinformation about these conditions often leading to misdiagnosis and incorrect or inappropriate treatment.
One of Australia’s most experienced musculoskeletal podiatrists and foot, knee and leg pain experts, Dr Paul Dowie from Foot and Leg Pain Clinics provided some insight.
“All foot and leg pain needs to be diagnosed and managed correctly by determining the contributing factors, not by simply addressing the symptoms. Even your local GP, orthotist or general podiatrist may not diagnose and treat foot and leg pain and injury correctly, as their scope of practice tends to be more generalised and not specific to lower limb musculoskeletal medicine,” Dr Downie said.
With over 25 years of experience, Dr Dowie explains that ‘plantar fasciitis’ is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed foot complaints, with misdiagnosis often occurring when tissue thickening evident on diagnostic scans is misinterpreted as inflammation. In such cases anti-inflammatory treatments and cortisone are often incorrectly prescribed, which can make the condition worse.
“Most foot and heel pain occurs when the plantar fascia becomes overloaded, resulting in degeneration of the tissues and/or irritation of the nerves. These conditions are NOT inflammatory in nature, so should not be treated as such and this is where misdiagnosis can become very problematic – as degenerative and inflammatory conditions require very different treatment. The most common cause of foot and heel pain is actually faulty foot function or lower limb biomechanics along with environmental factors, and that is what needs to be treated – not inflammation,” Dr Dowie explained.
If you’re struggling with foot, knee or leg pain, you can book a consultation with Dr Dowie at his Foot and Leg Pain Clinic in Williamstown. Call 1300 328 300.
