News — Physio

For a long time, the plantar fascia (aponeurosis) has been given a leading role as ‘the’ soft tissue for maintaining the foot’s profile in gait and for stiffening the foot during the stance phase through the windlass mechanism (1; 2). More recently researchers have taken a harder look a the plantar intrinsics to see how significant their role is in foot function (3). Our intent is this short article is to answer the question; ‘is intrinsic foot muscle strength important?’ Foot rehabilitation is an integral part of foot orthosis design and provision, both for the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles...

Intermediate Level Biomechanics Assessment & Prescription Writing Course Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan Road, Woodland, Dublin April 2020 24 - 25 Fri - Sat This two-day course has been developed for postgraduate medical practitioners with minimal experience in orthotic prescription writing and will encompass theory and practical workshops. This multidisciplinary course is delivered jointly by Sharon Morris Physiotherapist (MSc. Biomechanics) Galway City Physio and Joanne McKenna, Podiatrist. This intensive workshop-based course aims to enable practitioners to: Understand the principles of functional biomechanics Understand how the main functional units of the foot behave in gait Undertake a comprehensive biomechanical assessment Identify pathological standing...

We have seen a big shift in the construction of football boots over the past 15-20 years. The day of robust and durable leather boots are a thing of the past and are fast being replaced with lightweight synthetic materials. Revolutionary cleat placements have also changed the dynamics and functionality of these boots drastically. The first signs of change were implemented by Adidas in the 1950’s with the introduction of interchangeable cleats. This allowed for customization of the boots based on underfoot conditions and the sport being played. In the following decades, further changes were made to reduce mass and...