Category Archives: Chiropodists

Qualities of a good sandal

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Summer is almost here which means sandal season is here! We can finally get rid of those winter boots and bring out our sandals. Although sandals can be comfortable, there are certain qualities you should look for when selecting the right sandal.

  • Try to avoid wearing flip flops for long periods of time. They do not provide proper support to the foot and can cause heel pain and other foot ailments if worn for long periods of time. Flip flops are good for wearing around the pool, beach, or for short periods of time.
  • Wear a full open-toe sandal as opposed to a peep toe sandal. Peep toe sandals can put increased pressure on your bunions and can irritate hammer toes or claw toes. A foot open toe shoe will minimize pressure on these areas and won’t cause the toes to compress together allowing them to move around better.
  • Try not to wear sandals that have a very high heel. This can put pressure on the balls of the foot causing pain. Find sandals that have a wedge heel or a small platform to evenly distribute the pressure along the foot and avoid increased pressure in one area.
  • Avoid wearing sandals that have a lot of straps around the toes. This can cause irritation to the toes from all the rubbing and shearing from the straps. The rubbing can lead to blisters, corns and calluses around the toes.
  • Find sandals that have a good rubber sole with traction. This will help prevent slips and falls and is good for long distance walking.

For more information on good qualities of a sandal or any other footwear, contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at our Milton office (905)878-6479. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to look after your feet in the heat!

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Summer is here which means walking around barefoot or in sandals. Those of us who like to spend our days at the beach or just walking around on the grass have to be extra careful. Whether it’s walking on the sand or running on the grass our feet are even more vulnerable in the heat. Here are some tips on how to keep your feet safe in the heat.

  • Try to minimize walking around barefoot. This can limit sunburn as well as athlete’s foot, plantar warts, and other bacterial infections.
  • Make sure to wear shoes or sandals around the pool, the beach, gym locker room, and other such areas to avoid injury and to prevent contracting bacterial, fungal, or viral infections.
  • Make sure to apply sunscreen all over your feet and ankles when you are outdoors. Make sure to reapply the sunscreen after you have been in the water.
  • Make sure to wear the appropriate shoes for the type of activity you participating in. This will help prevent injury.
  • Make sure to stay hydrated at all times. Drink lots of water to keep the body hydrated and to help reduce swelling in the legs and feet.
  • If going on vacation to a warm climate, make sure to take an emergency kit with you that includes band aids, antibacterial ointment, aloe vera, pumice stone, flip flops, and an emollient to keep the skin hydrated.

If you would like more information on how to protect your feet in the heat please contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at our Milton office (905)878-6479. Remember happy feet are healthy feet!

Custom Orthopaedic Footwear

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Some of the most annoying pain is when you have a blister or an ingrown toe nail and it’s rubbing against the inside of your shoes. You might try to bandage the wound or the sore, maybe wrap it with gauze, but eventually it’s going to start rubbing and hurting again. This might be a great time to visit Ontario Foot and Orthotics. They are a family friendly clinic in Milton that can help you with all of your orthotic needs. One of the main reasons to visit them is for your custom orthopaedic shoes. These shoes will help to make your feet feel better regardless of the pain or ailment they may be experiencing.

There are many ailments and sores that can affect your feet such as:

  • Painful calluses
  • Corns
  • Pressure sores/ulcers due to diabetes
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • High arches
  • Posture problems due to leg length differences

These can all become nuisances if you have regular shoes. If you go to the chiropodists in Milton, you can change the circumstances for your feet.

A great misconception is that you have to be a senior to get orthopaedic shoes. This is entirely false as you can get orthopaedic footwear no matter how old you are. The Orthopaedic shoes available at our Milton clinic can help your feet at any age and for all problems with your feet. They have many great benefits such as:

  • Offer additional customized protection for your feet, especially when there is a sore, callus or pain.
  • Help to alleviate pain from your feet the more that you wear them.
  • Great for anyone that suffers from pain in their feet from standing for too long.
  • Improve the blood flow and provide support to the arches and the heels of your feet.

These are some of the many benefits to owning and wearing custom made orthopaedic shoes. Your feet are two of the most important parts of your body and deserve the best care possible. Take the time to go to your nearest orthotic clinic in Milton and get a pair for yourself. The staff there will help you get the best orthoapedic custom shoes to not only help with whatever ailment your feet may be having, but with the support that your feet need on a daily basis. Remember that it doesn’t matter what age you are, it matters how comfortable and healthy your feet are.

The Negative effects of Diabetes to your feet and how to fix them

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Everyone has foot pain at one point or another in their life. You use your feet everyday so it only makes sense that you might accrue a pain or ailment at some point. What most people don’t know is that if you have Diabetes or have any symptoms of diabetes, it can cause many complications with your feet. The good news is that you can go to the local foot clinic in Milton for help with any pain or complications that you may be feeling due to diabetes.

There are various levels of effects that diabetes can have on your feet like:

Neuropathy – This is a type of nerve damage that can lessen the ability to feel pain, heat and cold. The loss of feeling could mean that you might not feel a foot injury. A great way to take care of this is to contact your local Chiropodist in Milton for special therapeutic shoes.

Skin Changes – The skin of your feet may become dry or may peel and crack. The problem is that the nerves that control the oil and moisture in your feet will no longer work. After you’re done bathing, you can dry your feet and keep the remaining moisture in with a light coat of petroleum jelly, unscented hand cream or other like products.

Calluses – Because of the high pressure areas under your feet, calluses build up faster on the feet of people with Diabetes. If they are not trimmed, they can get thick, break down and turn into ulcers. Do not try to cut calluses or corns off yourself. It can lead to ulcers and infection. Let your health care provider cut them off. A great way to keep them under control is to use a pumice stone on the wet skin of your feet every day. Remember to apply lotion right after using.

Diabetes is a serious condition that you should not take lightly and has many negative effects on your feet. You can counteract them by going to the local foot clinic in Milton. They have a great staff that can help you with any pain or discomfort you may have as well as getting your feet into custom orthopaedic shoes to help the healing process. Treat your feet right and make an appointment today.

All of your foot and Orthotics needs under one roof!

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Whether for an annual checkup or for a random pain, visiting the local foot doctor is almost like visiting the dentist. It’s not something patients like doing yet know they need to in order to keep their feet strong and healthy.

This is why the Ontario Foot and Orthotics is perfect for all foot needs. It’s a local foot clinic in Milton that has all of your foot needs in one place. The Milton Orthotic clinic serves every part of the foot, whether for something as generic as foot pain or for something much more severe like symptoms of diabetes. It’s staffed with great chiropodists so that patients don’t have to run around to numerous different businesses to get all of their foot questions answered.

Ontario Foot and Orthotics also makes custom orthopaedic shoes to fit around any foot ailment patients may have. There are many different types of painful foot ailments like ingrown toe nails, sports injuries and shin splints. Sometimes it can get bad when it comes to diabetic foot care and pain. This is why the custom orthopaedic shoes are perfect for any foot pain or ailment.

The chiropodists in Milton will help to treat any kind of foot pain that you may have. They have specialists local to you that can help in any situation concerning your feet. They also offer services like laser and compression therapy that can help in crucial foot situations. Their orthotics department helps patients with situations like ingrown toenails, fungal nails, plantar warts, bunions, corns and calluses, athlete’s foot, arthritis, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.

They are a local foot clinic that has been serving the community for over 15 years. Their staff has two registered Chiropodists with experience in advanced biomechanics, advanced surgical techniques, diabetic and foot care. Their mission is to provide the highest quality and cost effective foot care in a comfortable environment.

If any patients need a checkup or need help with a pain or ailment they may be having, then please call and book your appointment today.

Get to your local Chiropodist for a checkup today!

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Two of the most important parts of our body are our feet. We need them to stand on, walk with and hold up the rest of our body. So shouldn’t we be taking extra good care of them?

This is why visiting the local chiropodist for a checkup is a great idea. There are many different types of sores, bruises and breaks that could develop into something much more serious if not treated. There is everything from painful calluses, pressure sores, and ulcers as a result of diabetes, corns and other problems like plantar fasciitis, high arches and leg length differences. These are all painful conditions that can affect your posture and the way that you walk.

Look no further than the Chiropodists in Cambridge. They are here to help with all of your foot needs. One of their main services is Custom made orthopaedic shoes. There are many painful foot conditions out there and they are different for each person. This is why the Orthotics clinic and its chiropodists want to help by creating shoes specifically to fit the pain or condition that each foot might have.

There are plenty of ailments that can affect the way your foot may fit into a shoe. They range from general foot pain, sports injuries and shin splints to ingrown toe nails and diabetic foot care. These are all reasons to come in and have your feet checked by the local chiropodists. This way you’ll know what you’re dealing with and how best to heal the ailment and get into a custom pair of orthopaedic shoes.

It’s very easy to ignore a pain in the foot area. Most assume that if you don’t see it then eventually it will go away. The truth is that it will only get worse. You don’t want to let something go and have it turn into something like arthritis or a sore that gets infected. Take the time and come see the local Chiropodist in Cambridge today and give your feet the custom shoes they need. Your feet will thank you.

What can I do about fungus on my toenails?

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One of the most common concerns amongst people when it comes to their feet are the changes that occur on their toenails. One might get concerned when they notice discoloration, thickening, or crumbling of their toenails. Sometimes one can experience all three events occurring at the same time. What causes these changes and why?

One of the main causes of change of the toenails is a fungal infection, also known as onchomycosis. This is an infection of the nails caused by a fungus. Fungi can live on nails, dead tissues of the hair, and outer skin layers. Fungal nails are more common in adults and in most cases follow fungal infections of the skin. How does one contract fungus in the nails? There are a number of ways this can occur. The fungi that cause infection thrive in moist, dark environments. These include public showers, swimming pools, gyms, and other areas where people sweat a lot. Those who use these facilities regularly are at a higher risk of contracting the fungi. Other things that can increase the risk of a fungal infection include getting manicures and pedicures where the tools used are not sterilized correctly, having moist skin for a long time, wearing closed-toe footwear, compromised immune system, and having a nail deformity or nail disease.

There are many preventative measures one can take to reduce the risk of contracting a fungal infection. These include:

  • Keeping the feet clean and dry on a daily basis.
  • Avoiding pedicures at places that do not sterilize their tools properly.
  • Wearing water shoes or sandals on a pool deck when not in the pool and when using public facilities such as showers, baths, etc.
  • Changing socks on a daily basis.
  • Airing out shoes using a deodorizer to help kill any fungal spores that may live in the shoe.

If you do have a fungal nail infection there are a variety of treatment options available. These treatment options range from topical and oral antifungal medication to laser treatment that is now available to help remove fungus from the nails. These treatment options to take time so please note you will not see immediate results. You must adhere to your treatment plan and should see an improvement within 3-6 months depending on the treatment option.

For more information, or to book an assessment, please contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at one of our two locations: 519-623-3000 (Cambridge), 905-878-6479 (Milton). Or visit us online at www.ontariofoot.ca.

Ankle Sprains: How they can occur and the different treatment options

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Ankle sprains are on the most common injuries of the foot. They can happen at any time to anyone from athletes to adults and children. A sprain can occur when you are participating in a sport or physical activity, or even if you step on an uneven surface, or step down on an awkward angle.

An ankle sprain can be very painful and uncomfortable. I have sprained my ankle on numerous occasions from various sports injuries to stepping on an uneven surface. Luckily for me, all my sprains were minor and required conservative treatment that I could do at home along with some physiotherapy.

The ankle has many ligaments that help hold the bones and joints in position. They are in place to help prevent the ankle from any abnormal positions like twisting or rolling of the foot. Ligaments are like an elastic band; they can stretch within their limits then go back to their original shape. Once the ligament is stretched beyond its means, a sprain can occur. The most severe sprain occurs once the ligament(s) has torn. This brings us to the different types of ankle sprains that can occur.

The two main types of ankle sprains are eversion and inversion sprains. An eversion sprain is more rare and occurs when the ankle rolls too far inwards. This can be accompanied by a fracture of the fibula. The deltoid ligament is one of the strongest ligaments of the ankle making it harder to sprain. That’s why this type of sprain is often rare and is usually a result of a break or fracture of the fibula.

The most common type of ankle sprain is an inversion sprain. This occurs when the ankle rolls too far outwards injuring the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. The two main ligaments that can be injured here are the ATFL (anterior talofibular ligament) and the CFL (calcaneal fibular ligament).

Once you get an ankle sprain it is important to get it checked to make sure it’s not too serious. Once you visit your doctor or foot specialist, there are a few tests that can be done to determine the degree of injury. An x-ray is sometimes done to determine if there is a break or fracture of the bone. There are three grades of a sprain. Grade 1 is a mild sprain, grade 2 is a moderate sprain, and grade 3 is a severe sprain that usually involves a break.

For grade 1 and 2 sprains the practitioner will probably notice tenderness and swelling at the site of injury. This is usually accompanied by bruising. You may also have limited range of motion of the ankle and should not try to force it in any one position. With a grade 1 or 2 sprain there will be a microscopic tear to partial tears of the fibers of the ligaments. With a grade 3 sprain you will most likely have a complete tear or rupture of the ligament.

There are a number of treatment options available for each type of sprain. Here are a few for each grade of sprain:

Grade 1 Sprain

  • RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Make sure you rest and only weight bear as tolerated. Ice the area daily until the swelling comes down. You can use a tensor band to aid with compression and lastly elevate the ankle to help reduce swelling and inflammation.
  • Full range of motion stretching and strengthening exercises as tolerated.
  • Do not immobilize the foot by casting or splinting, as this won’t allow for any stretching exercises.

Grade 2 Sprains

  • Immobilize foot with an air cast or splint to prevent further injury of the ligaments.
  • Physical therapy with stretching and icing exercises as well as strengthening exercises.

Grade 3 Sprains

  • Immobilization of the foot.
  • Physical therapy similar to a grade 2 sprain but for a longer period of time.
  • Surgical intervention if necessary.

Ankle sprains can happen at any given moment so it is always important to be aware of your surroundings and to wear proper footwear to help stabilize and support the foot. If you do sprain your ankle it is very important to get it checked out to determine the extent of the sprain and the appropriate treatment option necessary.

For more information, or to book an assessment, please contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at one of our two locations: 519-623-3000 (Cambridge), 905-878-6479 (Milton). Or visit us online at www.ontariofoot.ca.

My Body Changed When I was Pregnant, Especially my Feet!

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During pregnancy, there are many changes that occur in the body. The one change that most women don’t realize is the change that occurs in their feet. Some of the main changes you may notice are swelling of the feet, flat feet, and pain in the arch and heel.

During my pregnancy I noticed that my feet started to look like they were getting flatter and I started to develop pain in my heels. This pain started to occur in my second trimester when most of the weight gain tends to happen. I had a hard time fitting in to some of my shoes and it felt like my feet had gotten bigger. Let’s discuss why these changes occur and ways we can manage the pain and discomfort.

Swelling (Edema)

We will start with swelling of the feet. Swelling, also known as edema, occurs when excess fluid collects in your tissues. A certain amount of swelling during pregnancy is normal because you are retaining more water. During pregnancy there is an increase in blood volume that helps you to carry extra oxygen and nutrients to your baby. Pregnancy hormones cause changes in blood vessels that can result in swelling. Gravity pulls all of the extra fluid down to your feet and ankles, causing the swelling.

Here are some tips that can help reduce swelling. Many of them worked for me!

  • Keep your feet elevated as much as possible. If you are working, place a stool under your desk to help elevate the feet.
  • Stretch your legs frequently if you are sitting for long periods of time. Make sure you stretch before walking or participating in any form of exercise.
  • Wear comfortable shoes that allow for stretching.
  • Do not wear socks or stockings that have a tight ring around the calves or ankles.
  • Wear compressing socks or stockings to help keep the circulation going and to prevent pooling of blood.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Exercise regularly.

Flat feet and plantar fasciitis

Flat feet occur because during pregnancy there is an increase in hormones in your body. One of these hormones is called relaxin and it does just that, relaxes the ligaments in the body including the feet. Relaxation of the ligaments plus weight gain contributes to collapse of the arches causing flat feet. When this occurs you may end up having to go up half a shoe size and unfortunately this does not change post pregnancy.

When I noticed my arches starting to collapse, I made sure that I wore good supportive footwear. I also tried to avoid walking barefoot to help reduce pressure on the joints of my feet. I have hard wood floors and ceramic tile throughout my house so I always made sure I was wearing supportive sandals in the house, which helped prevent foot pain. This also helps prevent plantar fasciitis, or heel pain. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia is overstretched causing pain at the insertion point in the heel. When the arches collapse, they put a lot of strain on the plantar fascia, which can lead to inflammation of the fascia causing heel pain. Stretching and icing exercises can also help reduce heel pain.

These are the main changes that occur in the feet during pregnancy. Not all pregnant women experience these changes, however most will experience at least on of these changes. The changes can be mild or can be severe causing an increased amount of pain and discomfort. By following these tips on prevention and treatment of these symptoms, you can manage your pain level and still enjoy a happy and healthy pregnancy!

As the owner of, and a chiropodist (foot specialist) at, Ontario Foot and Orthotics, I welcome any of your questions or concerns. For more information, or to book an assessment, please contact Ontario Foot and Orthotics at one of our two locations: 519-623-3000 (Cambridge), 905-878-6479 (Milton). Or visit us online at www.ontariofoot.ca.

Running The Distances

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Do you like to run? Run for stress relief, health benefits, or the challenge? Signed up for a race?

Running is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise, but it can put a great deal of repetitive stress on your body; on your bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments; on your knees, hips, lower back, and of course, your feet!

Whether you are new to running, returning from injury, making a long awaited comeback, or a seasoned runner, there are a number of things to keep in mind when it comes to your training and keeping yourself on the road:

Training errors (eg: too much too soon)

It is very easy to increase the mileage too much in a short period of time. Or to run all your training runs at the same or a high intensity. Remember the 10% rule when it comes to building up the mileage (increase training by no more than 10% each week), mix up you training runs throughout the week (you don’t have to run them all at the same pace), and alternate the routes so they are not all up hills or on the same pavements each time.

Poor fitting or worn running shoes

There’s great debate on how often you should replace your running shoes (or after X amount of kilometres), and lot of it comes down to how often and far you are running. Remember that with regular use, all those miles you are pounding the pavement with, will slowly wear out and break down the materials in the running shoes, that give you all that great support and cushioning.
Have a look at what you are wearing at the moment. Check to see how worn the soles are, how much of the tread has been worn away?
Are your feet starting to feel less comfortable in the shoes or have any new aches or pains started to develop?
Maybe it’s time to head down to your local specialised running store for a proper fitting and a fresh pair of shoes! One piece of advice I give all my patients is that you want to be walking out of that store with the most comfortable pair of shoes, even if that means trying on half a dozen pairs to get it right!

Biomechanical stresses / imbalances

When external factors such as training errors and footwear have been addressed, and there’s still a problem, then maybe it’s your biomechanics (how your body is structured and functions).
Excessive pronation (rolling in), pesplanus (flat feet), pescavus (high arches) and ligamentous laxity (hypermobile or flexible ligaments) are just some biomechanical factors that can create imbalances or extra stresses on our feet and lower limbs. And when you run, you put up to 4 times the stress through your body and joints, so it’s understandable that sometimes it can become too much!
Common running injuries that can occur include: achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis / heel pain, patellofemoralpain syndrome “runner’s knee”, iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, stress fractures, bursitis, sesamoiditis, medial tibial stress syndrome “shin splits”, just to name a few.
In my personal experience, I have been running on and off for many years, but in the past 7 years I have increased my running from 5km races up to now training for my 2nd full marathon (42.2km) this October! I developed knee pain (patellofemoral pain syndrome) whilst training many years ago and it was my biomechanics that were a major contributor to the injury. I had Custom Foot Orthotics made for me to wear both day to day, and when exercising, to help improve my alignment, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Orthotics are certainly something that have helped me, but every foot is different, so not everyone requires them, and having an assessment done by a qualified health professional is by far the best way to establish what is going wrong, what may be causing the issue (quite often multiple factors) and the best path of treatment.

If you do require Custom Foot Orthotics to help treat a sports injury, here are a few of tips I recommend:

  • Gradual wear in period – get used to wearing them in your day to day shoes (adding an extra hour each day over a 1-2 week period), before even considering wearing them running/exercising;
  • When buying new shoes (regular or running shoes) always bring your orthotics with you for the fitting, and mention to the staff member assisting with your shoe fitting that you wear them, as this can alter the amount of support/correction you will need from the shoes;
  • If you notice any squeaking of the orthotics when walking/running, I have found Body Glide to work well at eliminating this!

If you are experiencing any lingering aches and pains, or injuries that just won’t resolve, it may be worth a visit to your local Chiropodist/Foot Specialist. At Ontario Foot and Orthotics we provide lower limb biomechanical assessments to ensure the right path of treatment is established.
Treatment options available at Ontario Foot and Orthotics for lower limb sports injuries include but are not limited to; Custom Foot Orthotics (to help correct alignment issues and redistribute plantar pressures), MedXLaser Therapy (to promote healing, and reduce inflammation/pain), plus footwear and training advice.

For more information, or to book an assessment, contact us at one of our two locations: 519-623-3000 (Cambridge), 905-878-6479 (Milton). Or visit us at www.ontariofoot.ca.

Written By Kirsty Millwood B.Pod
Chiropodist/Foot Specialist