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Achilles Tendinopathy Achilles Tendinopathy commonly presents in the form of posterior ankle pain and is the most common overuse syndrome of the lower limb, most frequently occurring in runners. Signs include tenderness on palpation of the tendon, a thickened tendon, palpable nodules and some swelling and wasting of the tendon. It can be the result of repeated injuries to the tendon, overuse of the tendon or wearing inappropriate footwear while exercising. This condition can be incapacitating in athletes and is a degenerative rather than an inflammatory condition. A.T. can be classified as mid-portion tendinopathy (2-6cm proximal to calcaneal insertion) or...

Plantar Fasciosis commonly presents in the form of pain and tenderness in the plantar medial aspect of the heel, where the Plantar Fascia attaches to the calcaneal tuberosity. Patients often report the pain is acute on standing in the morning or following a period of non weight bearing, which progresses to a dull aching pain. Although it is often called fasciitis, and thought of as an inflammatory condition, the fascial degeneration and necrosis found in plantar fascia especially in chronic cases is more similar to tendinosis than tendonitis.   Differential Diagnosis Heel fat pad atrophy with age Calcaneal apophysitis/ enthesopathy/...

Since the release of the now infamous book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougal in 2009, barefoot running and running with minimalist footwear has experienced an unprecedented rise in popularity1. Online bloggers, brand marketing experts and self-proclaimed running experts jumped aboard the bandwagon and without adequate evidence to back up their claims, began proclaiming the benefits of barefoot running2,3,4. Barefoot and minimalist running have been advocated as a means of strengthening foot musculature and encouraging a better style of running5,6. However, it has also been associated with increased incidence of stress fractures and abrasions of the foot7. The foundations of...