Vereeniging podiatrist

13/09/2025

Thank you ☝🏼

Beets promote a healthy cardiovascular system by helping support healthy blood pressure levels and circulation!

21/07/2025

Your body deserves the best care, and sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. Start by applying magnesium oil to your feet each night and watch how it helps balance your insulin and cortisol levels. This simple routine can have a profound impact on your metabolism and overall wellness, giving you more energy, better sleep, and improved vitality. A small step for better health—because you deserve to feel your best every day. 🦶✨

17/07/2025

Hallux valgus, commonly referred to as a bunion, is a progressive deformity that affects the alignment of the big toe. In cases where conservative treatments fail, surgery becomes necessary. Recent innovations include minimally invasive techniques that reduce soft tissue trauma and improve recovery times.

Procedures such as the minimally invasive Chevron or scarf osteotomy have gained popularity in the UK and Australia. These approaches offer reduced scarring, shorter hospital stays, and quicker return to function when compared to traditional open procedures.

In South Africa, such procedures may not yet be widely available due to training limitations or equipment costs. However, podiatrists can play a crucial role in pre-operative evaluation and post-operative care, ensuring that patients are referred appropriately and rehabilitated correctly.

Keeping abreast of international surgical advancements allows South African podiatrists to advocate for improved services and guide patients in understanding their options, even when surgical care is referred externally.

While surgical scope remains outside podiatry in South Africa, podiatrists are central to managing bunion cases pre- and post-operatively. Awareness of modern surgical techniques supports better patient education and outcomes.



Source: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Hallux Valgus: A Review – Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. https://f.mtr.cool/zmsoygdiwf

22/06/2025

07/06/2025

29/05/2025

29/03/2025

The sural nerve doesn't get a ton of attention, but it's actually one I have to work on pretty frequently. It's a sensory nerve arising from the common peroneal and tibial nerves. It provides sensation to the back of the calf, the achilles area, and the posterior portion of the lateral foot. I've seen sural nerve entrapment masquerading as achilles tendonitis and misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis. The most common area of entrapment is just lateral to the achilles tendon. The nerve is pretty superficial and people often irritate it when rolling out the calves. In clinic, I use Active Release Techniques to address this. At home, self-massage to the tissues around the nerve would work better than stretching or rolling.

12/03/2025

The Connection Between Jaw Position, Posture, and Balance: What Science Says

Recent research suggests that the position of the lower jaw (mandible) plays a crucial role in overall posture and balance. While this may seem surprising, the jaw is closely linked to the musculoskeletal system through the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), cranial nerves, and even muscle chains that extend down the body.

The Science Behind Jaw Position and Posture

Studies have shown that an imbalanced or misaligned jaw can influence head position, neck muscle tension, and spinal alignment. A study published in Clinical Biomechanics found that alterations in jaw position can affect cervical spine posture, leading to compensatory changes in body alignment. When the lower jaw is misaligned, it can cause asymmetrical muscle activity in the neck and shoulders, potentially leading to postural imbalances.

Additionally, research in Gait & Posture has
demonstrated that jaw clenching or dysfunction in the TMJ can impact balance and stability. The study found that participants with TMJ disorders had increased postural sway, suggesting that jaw alignment plays a role in neuromuscular control.

How Jaw Position Affects Balance

The connection between the jaw and balance is likely due to the nervous system’s integration of proprioception (body awareness). The TMJ is closely related to the trigeminal nerve, which interacts with other sensory systems responsible for posture and equilibrium. Dysfunction in the jaw can lead to altered neural input, affecting how the body maintains stability.

06/03/2025

This is interesting.. 🤔

From birth, your tongue is actually connected to your toes through an intricate network of connective tissue known as fascia.

If your tongue is not resting correctly in your mouth due to mouth breathing, things can get out of alignment in your mouth and the rest of your body.
Tongue posture can lead to a foot imbalance and vice versa because the tongue guides all myofascial continuity structures that run from the inner arch of the foot up through the middle of the body to the tongue and jaw muscles.

When the tongue sits on top of the palate, it seals the oral cavity and holds the throat open like a tent. These muscles support the neck, keep your posture straight, help you breathe, and maintain your posture upright.
Your tongue also acts as a rudder and support system through a fascial line, and when the tongue is down, we breathe through our mouth, and the head falls forward due to lack of support, which leads to poor posture and increased energy expenditure.

CTTO:

02/03/2025

03/11/2024

This made me laugh. So true! Hope it starts your day with a giggle.

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With love
Fiona
www.earthmonk.guru

Shared from the FB Group Kind Humour