This week, we have the pleasure of getting to know our fantastic podiatrist, John, through some good old Q&A! For those of you that are yet to meet John, he’s the newest addition to the Sole Motion team and he’s an absolute rockstar. With a wealth of knowledge from his years in Sydney, it’s a privilege to have him join our team and help our patients feel fantastic on their feet.

 

What do you enjoy most about working at Sole Motion Podiatry?

Sole Motion Podiatry is largely dedicated to functional foot rehabilitation; which focuses on the root cause of foot and lower limb issues. I enjoy this unique approach and seeing our patients recovering and becoming stronger and fit.

 

What is something that you do as a Podiatrist that most people may not know?

I spent many years in training and providing alternative treatment options that most traditional podiatrists may not provide. This includes foot mobilisation techniques (chiropractic work on feet), prolotherapy (regenerative injection therapy), laser therapy, shockwave therapy and dry needling therapy. This enables me to provide a wider variety of beneficial treatment options for those who may not have had success with previous therapies or were not eligible for them.

 

What is a new skill that you’re currently learning or wanting to learn in the near future?

I am currently going through further training in scheduled medicine endorsement supervised by a Foot & Ankle surgeon; which I have completed half of the program so far, and I am hoping to complete this in next 12 months. Once this training and qualification process is completed, I will be able to provide a much wider scope of podiatry practice to our community, including the prescription of medications for podiatry conditions, cortisone injections and stronger anaesthetics. I am also planning to get into research and publish papers in the future.

 

What do you enjoy most about being a Podiatrist?

I like puzzles and talking with people, and being a Podiatrist seems to satisfy all these criteria. In addition, it feels great to see good progress and recovery of my patients and smile on their face.

 

What has been one of your personal goals for this year and have you achieved it?

My personal goal this year was to move to Melbourne, and yes, I did it!

 

What’s something that most people don’t know about you?

While I may sound very technical and heavily information-driven, I am quite frank and I like a simplistic approach. I believe if one can’t explain a problem in simple terms, then one didn’t well understand the problem. In other words, you won’t need to bring your encyclopedia or dictionary when you come to see me.

What’s one thing that people can do to better look after their feet?

Do not neglect ankle sprains or rolled ankles. This will eventually get you, even the small injuries. Get your ankle assessed and treated as soon as possible as your outcome is much better and the treatment time will be less with a “fresh” injury. Within the first 24 hours is best.

 

What would you say to someone interested in getting into Podiatry?

Podiatry is a rewarding and great profession. You will be challenged with various clinical cases on a daily basis and it’ll be a lifelong learning experience. There are four major specialities in the podiatry: 1) Paediatric, 2) Sports/biomechanics, 3) High-risk & wound, 4) Surgical; or even General which you will be exposed with all these cases. I suggest visiting a speciality podiatry clinic to sit in and observe what happens in the clinic and see what interests you the most.

 

What advice would you give to someone who has never visited a Podiatrist before if they begin developing foot pain?

Foot pain is not normal. Feet are strong and complex machines that have ¼ of all our bones (same as hands) and takes most of the weight from the body – this allows them to control the pressure and balance the body effectively without pain. If your feet are starting to feel sore, just like a toothache, make sure to get seen as soon as possible because the result of your treatment is better the earlier you start. Once it gets worse, it will affect your work and daily life.

 

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Fingers-crossed that I will be a house owner and have a beautiful family.

 

What are your favourite sports or activities around Melbourne?

I love playing soccer (real FOOT-ball), tennis, and table tennis. Melbourne is full of culture and great people; my favourable activity being exploring hidden bars in Melbourne.

 

What is your favourite podiatric condition/problem to treat and why?

While I like all the foot and lower limb conditions except ticklish feet; if I have to choose three podiatric problems:

Forefoot pain (metatarsalgia, neuroma, plantar plate injury, Freiberg disease etc) – this is such a delicate area and can quickly progress into permanent bone/joint deformity without appropriate intervention. While the right diagnosis and investigations are crucial for this condition; the most important advice for these conditions is to get them checked ASAP.

Chronic ankle instability – this is quite challenging and on-going condition because it can involve various conditions that lead to this problem; and this problem also leads to foot, ankle, knee, hip and back problems.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome – Surprisingly many knee conditions can be affected by foot and hip problems.

 

Now that you’ve familiarised yourself with John and his extensive range of interests and expertise, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like John to help you with your lower limb problems or you have any concerns about your feet. You can give us a call on 1300-FX-FEET or use our online contact form here.