Helping you recover from injuries and resulting pain in your feet and legs is at the heart of what we do. We treat the whole family – from kids to athletes to those in their golden years. Injuries don’t just mean those sustained in sports or physical activity – if you have any pain or discomfort in your feet or legs, we’re your team.

While relieving your immediate pain and discomfort is always the first step in your rehabilitation, it should never end there. Every injury always has one or many causes, and if these causes are not addressed, you may continue to become injured in the same way after your current injury has healed. This is a frustrating cycle that many people spend years in before seeking help and putting a stop to the problem – or at least significantly reducing the risk of it recurring.

When you’re injured, your appointment starts with a biomechanical assessment to understand the extent of your injury and the structures that have been involved. Often, multiple muscles/tissues are affected by the same injury. 

Next, we perform a series of painless tests to uncover exactly what is happening with your muscles, ligaments, bones and joints every time you take a step. This almost always provides some key insights into why that particular muscle or joint has become damaged. We’ll check your foot posture, muscle strength and show you a video recording of your gait analysis, carefully explaining what we’re seeing and how it relates to your injury.

Based on all our findings, we’ll then create a unique treatment plan that is geared to:

1. Relieve or reduce your painful symptoms as much as possible
2. Support and encourage the damaged structures to heal and repair completely and in the best way
3. Help prevent this problem from happening again in the future

Case study: Fiona experiences regular ankle sprains, she estimates 2-3 times per year. She puts it down to clumsiness, not watching where she’s walking, and not wearing the best shoes at times. Fiona accepted that this was normal for her – even when she’d have to strap her ankle and endure the pain for a week or two following the sprain. 

Her injury assessment revealed that the ligaments supporting Fiona’s ankle have weakened and loosened, so are no longer effectively doing the job of keeping the ankle firm and stable. This explains Fiona’s recurring sprains – the weakening of the ligaments over time led to a condition called chronic ankle instability. 

Now that we know the real cause of her sprains, we can put the right measures in place to both rehabilitate and help strengthen the ankle, like the EXO-L brace proven to prevent ankle sprains, or custom foot orthotics that are designed to help stabilise the ankle and prevent it from rolling out as she walks. Fiona does not have to put up with regular ankle sprains or accept them as the ‘norm’. Foot pain and recurring injuries are never normal.

Injury Treatment Page FAQ’s

How long will it take for my pain to go away?

Many of our treatments can give you instant relief with temporary methods like strapping, but your pain won’t go away for good until the damage is repaired and you have strong and fully functional muscles, ligaments or joints again. The time it takes for full recovery depends entirely on the severity of your injury and how closely you adhere to your treatment plan, and can fall anywhere from weeks to months. Your podiatrist will give you a better approximation at your assessment, once they’ve gotten to know the problem and what has caused it.

Do I have to stop playing sports while I recover?

For a short time, you’ll need to either modify or pause the activities which directly aggravate your injury – and therefore can make it worse and prolong your recovery time. Our golden rule of thumb is that if it hurts to do it, you’ll likely need to pause until you’ve made progress on your recovery. Your podiatrist will be able to give you all the details and recommendations for a fast recovery.

Can I be treated under ACC?

If you meet ACC’s eligibility requirements, then yes we can submit a claim on your behalf to receive subsidised care. A small fee still applies. Note: your eligibility must be confirmed by ACC before receiving any subsidised care.

Will my injury come back?

The treatments we perform at Masterton Foot Clinic are designed to not only fix the problem and alleviate your pain and symptoms, but also to reduce the likelihood of your injury recurring in the future. With that said, you need to ensure you take practical steps to avoid putting yourself in the situation that caused the original injury.

I have arthritis. Can you still help me?

Absolutely. We work extensively with patients with arthritis to help them live and move comfortably, and keep enjoying the sports and activities they love. For some, we are able to help them move from experiencing joint pain, to being pain-free. For others, even a 30% reduction in their pain levels and improving their comfort on their feet can make a massive difference to their quality of life and happiness. We’ll discuss all your options at your first appointment.

Read about how foot mobilisation therapy is greatly helping our patients with osteoarthritis, as well as how foot orthotics are proven to help with pain from knee osteoarthritis.

Do I have to stop wearing normal shoes when being treated?

This depends on what you consider to be ‘normal’. In most cases, when recovering from foot or leg pain or injury, we’ll recommend wearing shoes that support your feet and your recovery, as opposed to those that impede your recovery and may even set you backwards. These often look like joggers or sneakers, but we understand that many workplaces have dress codes, so will recommend the most appropriate shoe for your unique circumstances as part of your consultation.

Will I have to have orthotics?

Not at all. Orthotics are fantastic medical devices – when they’re genuinely needed. We only ever prescribe orthotics when our experience and expertise tells us that they can significantly help your recovery and often long-term health by assisting future injury prevention. Not all injuries require orthotics. We’ll let you know during your appointment if orthotics are recommended for your injury type.