We spend roughly a third of our day in a workplace, but how much thought do we put into what impact our footwear choices have on the health of our feet over the course of our days – let alone our careers?
Sonia graduated from La Trobe University in 2019. Sonia has aspired to work in the health professional field, but always had podiatry in the back of her mind. This was stemmed from her first visit to the podiatrist when she was 5 years of age when she started toe walking, where she was given orthotics and exercises. It was from this encounter she developed an interest in podiatry.
Sonia enjoys all aspects of general podiatry and has a keen interest in ingrown toenails, diabetic foot care, management and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions such as plantar heel pain and Achilles’ pain.
In her spare time, Sonia enjoys keeping fit by going to the gym and involving herself in boxing and F45 classes, watching TV shows and movies and playing video games. She also enjoys spending time with her little nephew.
Hayley graduated from Central Queensland University, Rockhampton in 2020. She has been living in Central Queensland for the last 14 years, relocating from the Blue Mountains of NSW. Hayley has prior experience in customer service, with many roles in hospitality, nursing, beauty therapy and as a business owner. She has since found the best of both her passion for nursing and beauty therapy in podiatry, incorporating her many years of experience.
Hayley is dedicated and enthusiastic in sharing and providing podiatry to everyone in the community. She is driven to helping her community with excellence, empathy, energy and education. She hopes to get more involved in community events such as Rocky River Run and the Yeppoon Marathon. You will find Hayley outside of work hanging in Pilates studios, enjoying hikes and trail walking.
Hayley has a special interest in podiatry for children foot health and development, much as Sever’s disease, toe walking, in-toeing walking, flat feet, leg length discrepancies and everything in between. She enjoys working on challenging sports injury cases and incorporates these skills such as foot mobilisation therapies, dry needling and shockwave, with custom foot orthotics and appropriate footwear.
Hayley’s passion reaches into managing and treating complex cases, including but not limited to; above the ankle patients and patients that requires more specialised devices, such as Supramalleolar devices, Ankle Foot Orthoses and Custom Medical Grade Footwear. She has completed multiple comprehensive post-graduate training programs, too. Additionally, Hayley is skilled in the removal of ingrown toenails and performing podiatry pedicures. She has knowledge of gold-standard care principles for the diabetic foot to enable better care for those with high-risk feet. Hayley can also provide general nail and foot care, diabetes assessments, shockwave, laser therapy for fungal nails, Kery flex for nail aesthetics, and creating custom foot orthoses.
Hayley works from the Rockhampton and Yeppoon My FootDr’s and will be found occasionally working from the Mackay My FootDr clinic.
Do you have swollen feet or ankles after you’ve been sitting, standing or walking in a hot environment? You’re not alone. Medically known as heat oedema, this uncomfortable swelling generally occurs because the heat from your environment causes your blood vessels to naturally expand (dilate). As they do, fluid can leak into the surrounding tissues. Pair this with gravity encouraging the passage of larger volumes of fluid down into the legs, and you’ve got swollen feet, ankles and even legs.
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Every year, the average Australian takes over 2.7 million steps. That’s a lot of weight, pressure, heat and kilometres for our feet to cover – and often with little rest or breaks in between. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought we’d swap out the notion of roses and chocolate with a thoughtful gift that will be very welcome by your partner or yourself – caring for your feet.
Here are five ways that your local My FootDr clinic can help care for and pamper your feet this Valentines Day – while doing your feet a world of good medically speaking to keep you going through all those steps.
Cosmetic nail restoration is loved by both men and women, and those that:
It’s also the perfect solution to improve the appearance of toenails in one appointment for those that don’t want to risk substandard safety and hygiene protocols, and hence infection risk, reported to be found in many traditional nail salons due to a lack of sterilising instruments between use on multiple people.
Using the KeryFlex proven nail restoration system, our experienced and board-registered podiatrists create a flexible, non-porous and realistic looking nail over your existing nail. It is durable and is unaffected by acetone, nail polishes or detergents – meaning you can paint it as you please! Aside from the immediate improvement in appearance, your natural nail will continue to grow out beneath the new nail.
Learn more about Keryflex here.
Our skin and nail care appointments, often referred to as ‘general or clinical podiatry’, are comprehensive and all-inclusive appointments that immediately care for your nail and skin concerns, give your feet a fantastic tidy-up, and leave you feeling much more comfortable on your feet than when you first walked in.
With the majority of our patients having these appointments every 6-8 weeks to keep their feet feeling great and in tip-top shape year round, we welcome you to experience this foot care, completed by our experienced podiatrists, as a one-off treat, too. Your podiatrist will take care of any lumps, bumps and even the thickest or curliest of toenails. This includes:
We love these appointments due to the immediate relief patients feel when they put their feet down on the floor after this care – which is often the difference between feeling like they’re constantly walking on a pebble (of hard skin beneath their feet) and feeling like they’re walking on air.
While some people get away with minor cracks that can be cared for in a skin & nail care appointment (above), after a long summer and many months of wearing thongs – which many still wear daily – cracked heels are a big problem around this time, that we see and treat very effectively with these specific appointments.
As cracked heels start with hard, dry skin that thickens and worsens over time, our podiatrists work to remove all the excess dead skin – a process that is usually simple and painless using our sterile instrument range. We ensure that no sharp edges are left that will catch on your carpet or socks, which could otherwise pull the skin, creating significant damage.
Treating cracked heels now, and not at the end of the summer, is a great preventative measure to stop cracks progressing deep down into the healthy, supple skin beneath. We call this the danger zone, as deep cracks in this area can quickly leave you vulnerable to infection by creating portals of entry for bacteria, fungus, viruses – and a great deal of pain – that you often can’t reach on your own.
Our shoes become the ground we walk on and determine what and how our feet feel. That’s why if you choose your ground to be a hard plastic, the chances of your feet feeling tired and achy, or the chance of you developing foot pain, is much higher.
This is exactly why so many of our clinics offer a footwear range so you can try on and get the best shoes for your feet – and not just that feel great, but fit your foot type, too. We have podiatrists and trained staff available to ensure you get the best fit and maximum comfort.
Don’t have a My FootDr near you? That’s okay! We have an online store too.
Finally, the best way we can think of to treat your feet this Valentine’s Day – or help your loved ones treat theirs – is to care for those lingering aches, pains or injuries. You know, the ones you may be hoping will get better on their own, or that you know you need to have seen, but it’s been a crazy last 12 months (which it absolutely has!).
This is done through a biomechanical appointment, where our experienced podiatrists look at:
Alongside your history and a series of other questions, this consultation will determine the how, what and why of what’s going on – followed by an optimal plan to get you pain-free and feeling great!
Our podiatry team are ready when you are! As the largest podiatry provider in Australia, we’re proud to be your trusted local podiatry providers, committed to delivering exceptional service, every time. Book your appointment with us online here or call us on 1800 FOOT DR.
Don’t let your feet stop you from dancing!
The performance of dance is a highly athletic pursuit that involves movement demands from the whole body. In every dance style, healthy, strong feet are vital to moving you around the dance floor in a smooth and comfortable way, free of pain and without putting you at a high risk of injury. Read more
With the new school year just around the corner, it’s fantastic to see the kids decorating their school books, getting their bags and uniforms ready and getting excited about what classes they’ll be in. But what about their feet?
Having the right gear and care for their feet is an easy and simple way to help your child get the best start to the school year! Two healthy feet can keep your student feeling comfortable, out of pain, able to run and play with their friends, and not miss out on school activities and sports.
To help, My FootDr has put together our top 5 ways to start this school year on the right foot!
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Hi, I’m Matthew! I look forward to aiding you with any foot and ankle problems you may have. Having had my chronic foot pain treated successfully by a podiatrist as a child, I understand the impact that pain can have on a person’s general well-being, and the positive impact that podiatry can have on people’s lives.
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Genetics, age, foot problems, trauma, pregnancy, foot swelling and wearing unsupportive footwear for too long are just some of the reasons why your feet may be wider than the ‘average’ person that shoe companies manufacture shoes for.
Having our toes suddenly turn red can be alarming – especially when we can’t pinpoint a specific cause. Alongside the redness, you may also experience some pain, swelling, and wearing your regular work shoes or joggers may now feel uncomfortable. As the cause of the redness can range from problems with our skin and blood vessels to problems with our muscles and bones, our podiatry team has shared the top five causes of red toes that we see and treat here at My FootDr.