Wairarapa Sports Podiatry

Wairarapa Sports Podiatry A boutique Podiatry practice. Specialising in biomechanics, foot, ankle pain and lower limb injuries

27/05/2026

Heel pain in active kids is NOT “just growing pains.” 👣

If your child is limping after sport, avoiding training, or complaining of sore heels after activity, they may have Sever’s Disease — one of the most common causes of heel pain in growing athletes aged 10-14 yrs (sometimes earlier or older)

The good news? Early management can make a huge difference.

Here are 3 things parents can do right away👇

✅ 1. Reduce load before pain gets worse
You don’t always need complete rest — but modifying training volume, jumping and sprinting early can prevent a longer recovery.

✅ 2. Check their footwear
Worn out or unsupportive shoes can increase strain through the heel growth plate. Supportive footwear matters more than most parents realise.

✅ 3. Don’t ignore calf tightness
Tight calves increase pulling on the heel bone. Gentle stretching and appropriate strength work can help reduce stress on the area -

👉🏻IMPORTANT - stretching is only appropriate if ITS NOT CAUSING pain in the heel.

The biggest mistake I see?

Waiting too long before getting it assessed.

Early intervention keeps kids active, confident, and on the field longer 🙌

If your child is struggling with heel pain, book an assessment with me get a proper plan tailored to their sport and growth stage.

25/05/2026

Did you know that walking in the morning light has the following Key Health Benefits 💚

😴 Regulates Your Circadian Rhythm:

Viewing natural light in the morning signals your brain to halt melatonin production and triggers the release of cortisol, helping you wake up feeling alert and focused. This internal clock alignment makes it much easier to achieve deep, restful sleep at night.

🧠 Boosts Mental Health and Mood:

Sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin, a hormone responsible for stabilizing mood and creating a sense of well-being. Combined with the endorphins released during aerobic exercise, it is highly effective at reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.

🫀 Improves Cardiovascular Health:

Regular morning walks strengthen the heart, reduce the risk of stroke, improve blood circulation, and help lower blood pressure.

💪🏼 Enhances Natural Energy:

Walking outdoors in the early sun is more energizing than caffeine. It jump-starts your metabolism, setting a vibrant, highly focused tone for the rest of your day.

🌞 Boosts Vitamin D:

Exposing your skin to the early sun aids your body in synthesizing Vitamin D, which is crucial for immune function, calcium absorption, and maintaining healthy bones.

👉🏻👉🏻 How to Maximize Your Morning Walk

⏰ Timing is Everything:
Experts recommend getting outside within the first 30 to 60 minutes of waking up for the most potent circadian rhythm benefits.

😀 Duration:
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of natural light exposure. If it is overcast or cloudy, increase your outdoor time to 15 to 20 minutes to capture enough ambient light.

😎 Protect Your Eyes:
You do not need to stare directly at the sun, but remove sunglasses during the early morning hours so your eyes can successfully detect natural light signals.

🤩 Consistency:
Making this a daily, predictable habit provides holistic, long-term health improvements

mornings

14/05/2026

💗We stand up against bullying

🩷 We wholeheartedly support

🩷 It starts at home - teach them kindness & show them how to be kind.

💓 If we model this as parents then they will follow.

🩷 If you can choose anything - CHOOSE KINDNESS 🩷

13/05/2026

There’s a LOT of sport (& life busyness) on in Term 2 🏈🏀🏑⚽️

Part of keeping your young athletes healthy & happy is ensuring their RECOVERY BUCKET is FULL 🪣

3 things that fill this bucket are

😴 SLEEP - at least 8-10 hrs every night depending on their age

🥯 FUEL/FOOD - Eating enough protein esp before bed and at breakfast - this helps build, repair and protect their growing bodies

🧘 REST DAYS - 1-2 per week with no structured sport to allow the body to recover, repair and grow

Keeping kids active is great but remember that they need time to recover and keeping their 🪣full with these simple tips helps them be at their best every time they train or play.

If your child is struggling with lower limb or heel pain reach out as we’d love to help them stay doing what they love without pain! ❤️👣

05/05/2026

Thank you Shoe Clinic for another awesome few days learning, connecting and being part of an incredible group of like minded people 👣❤️🌸

Fantastic day spent with the legend Bish The Biomechanics Lab & connecting with shoe clinic, ASICS New Zealand New Balance adidas Birkenstock Mizuno Brooks Running Merrell & On 👣🙏🏼

Plus a bit of much needed downtime by the pool with a book 🌸

28/04/2026

Ready set go 🤪🗣️⚽️🏀🏈🏑

How many sports group chats are you trying to keep on top off (as well as school, work, home & social …actually scrub social there’s no time for a social life 🤣🤣🤪) ??

Drop your number below 👇🏻👇🏻

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17kiDbZVL8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

27/04/2026

New World Marathon Record 🥇🏆🏃🏾

BUT …I have to just put it out there ….

And don’t get me wrong this is an incredible human athletic feat ….which has been months in the planning…

But how much of this remarkable time was attributed to the (super) shoe - The Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro Evo ??

And this begs the question …at what point does this become more about footwear engineering vs human capacity …..or is this just the two biggest footwear brands trying to outdo each other?

👉🏻 Note - Super shoes (carbon plate + high-energy foam) offer performance benefits for all runners, including a 1–3% efficiency boost, BUT are most effective at faster paces or higher intensity training.

While elite runners gain the most, they still provide significant advantages to mid-pack runners, especially for marathon distances.

However you’ll need a cool $500 + for a pair of the Adidas & studies indicate they offer the most benefit when running faster than ~9:40/mile (6:00/km)

22/04/2026

Been to a nail salon over the summer ? 💅🏼

Do your nails look white? Discoloured or crumbly?

You may have picked up a FUNGAL NAIL INFECTION ….😔

Often this is caused by cross contamination - of the varnish, lacquer or gel that has been applied to your nails.

If the salon is using the same pot of colour for every client then there could have been a client who’s had a fungal infection that has contaminated the container and if this is used on your nails the risk of infection is high.

Top Tip 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Take your own colour in and have the salon use that.

Or

Ask for a new container or buy a new one at the salon & take it home 🥰

👉🏻 If you have picked up an infection the sooner we treat it the better.

Send us a message - we’d love to help if you need it 👣

17/04/2026

RICE is for Eating - Not acute injury management 😱

Do you still run to ‘grab the ice’ when a player comes off the ground injured?

Times have changed it’s all about the (not so new) acronym
PEACE & Love now used for acute injury management that replaces the outdated & no longer recommended RICE or PRICE

Why??? -

👉🏻 Well we now know that when you reduce the body’s natural anti-inflammatory mechanism with ICE and Anti-inflammatory medication this can reduce tissue healing.

👉🏻 Movement- not complete rest is better for healing and return to play

👉🏻 Compression & Elevation are best for swelling

👉🏻 Your body knows best - let nature play its role - Avoid unnecessary passive/manual treatments

👉🏻 Loading is determined by pain. Your body will tell you when it’s ok to load.

👉🏻 Being optimistic about recovery is what your brain needs to recover

👉🏻 Keeping blood flowing by doing some cardiovascular exercise that doesn’t load or hurt the injured limb improves blood flow to healing tissues

👉🏻Recovery is best if it’s active - seeing a sports health professional can help guide and progress your return.

The new acronym is all about PEACE + LOVE ✌️❤️

Image

So when there’s an injury in your team or at home stop yourself or others reaching for the ICE pack as it may do more harm than good!

15/04/2026

Tough news for rising Kiwi talent Sam Ruthe — and a story I see all too often in youth sport.

As a sports podiatrist working with young athletes, stress fractures aren’t just physical setbacks — they’re mental battles too. The sudden stop, the uncertainty, the fear of lost momentum… it’s real.

The good news? With the right load management, nutrition, biomechanics, and patience, athletes don’t just come back — they come back smarter and stronger.

To every young runner going through this right now: healing is part of high performance. Don’t rush it. Your future self will thank you! ❤️🦵🏼👣

06/04/2026

Do you or your youth athlete have the right shoes for this season?? 👣🦶🏼⚽️🏀🏉🏑

One of the things I see a lot in clinic are injuries that could have been prevented with a better choice of shoes for the sport being played.

Common mistakes I see 👇🏻👇🏻

👉🏻 Playing netball in a running shoe - This can increase your risk of foot & ankle injury -

Getting a netball specific shoe is vital for this multidirectional, multi-surface sport

👉🏻 Getting boots that are too narrow or not suited to the ground played on -

Narrow boots will increase pressure on toes causing pain & nerve compression.

👉🏻 Wearing shoes that are the same brand/model as someone famous - but they aren’t suited to your foot shape/type and sporting requirements

Just because your idol wears a certain shoe/boot - doesn’t mean it’s right for you

Shoes are the interface between your feet (arguably your most precious asset in sport) and the surface you are playing on so getting it wrong can have negative consequences …

BUT it right can change the game! 🦶🏼👍🏻❤️

Comment below if you’re unsure about your shoes and need some help

Address

65 Nelson Crescent, (The Core) Carterton
Wellington
5713

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+6463795335

Website

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