Foot and heel pain are extremely common yet there is much misinformation about these conditions often leading to misdiagnosis, resulting in incorrect or inappropriate treatment.
One of Australia’s most experienced foot, knee and leg pain experts and Musculoskeletal Podiatrists, Dr Paul Dowie from Foot and Leg Pain Clinics, who provided some insight.
“Foot and leg pain needs to be diagnosed and managed correctly by determining the contributing factors, not by only addressing symptoms. Most foot and leg pain is musculoskeletal in nature so even your local GP, orthotist and general podiatrist may not have the specific training and experience in lower limb musculoskeletal medicine to effectively manage foot and leg pain, injury and degenerative conditions,” he explained.
With over 25 years’ experience in lower limb musculoskeletal medicine, Dr Dowie explains that ‘Plantar Fasciitis’ is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed foot complaints. This can occur when tissue thickening evident on diagnostic scans is misinterpreted as inflammation, leading to incorrectly prescribed treatments such as anti-inflammatories and cortisone injections. In such cases these can result in worsening the condition.
“There are many different types and causes of foot pain but the most common occurs when the plantar fascia (connective tissues running along the bottom of the foot) becomes overloaded, resulting in degeneration of the tissues and/or irritation of the nerves. These conditions are commonly misdiagnosed as inflammatory conditions when they are NOT inflammatory in nature. Most foot and heel pain is a result of faulty foot function or lower limb biomechanics and environmental factors, and that is what needs to be treated – not inflammation. We need to treat the cause, not the symptom and accurately assess the nature of each condition to achieve long-term healing. Degenerative
and inflammatory conditions require very different treatment, so they must not be confused,” Dr Dowie added.
If you’d like expert advice about any foot, knee or leg pain, you can book an appointment with Dr Dowie at his Foot and Leg Pain Clinic in Williamstown. Call 1300 328 300.
