Our very own Sophronia Kear (known as Saf) completed a Duathlon at Mount Maunganui recently. She competed in the event for the experience and to raise money for the MS Society. Her biggest challenge was training on a bike again - the last time she rode a bike was when she was 9 years old! She finished the duathlon in her goal time of one hour. Saf and her husband are involved with the Bay of Plenty MS Society and she saw this event as a great opportunity to get sponsors and raise money for MS. If you would like to get in touch with Saf and donate money for MS, she has set up a not-fot-profit bank account. Email her sophronia@footmechanics.com for more details.
Another big week for Foot Mechanics - Mike Wu and Aaron Jackson are fitting the Blues, Innes Graham and Michael Johnston are fitting the Chiefs and then Mike Wu flies to Wellington to fit the Hurricanes.
Michelle Herrick from Foot Mechanics Podiatry on site at the registration for the 2010 Auckland Marathon. The team at Foot Mechanics wishes all their athletes well for the race on Sunday.
Wearing Barefoot-Style Shoes
The newest trend in running is about baring it all - kind of. Lately, more runners are logging miles in barefoot-style shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers. As a Podiatrist I have been asked many times recently about these new shoes. Kansas City podiatrist, Brian
Ware says barefoot beginners might be sore after working those muscles and tendons. Ware recommends walking in the shoes a couple of times a week for a few weeks before even attempting to jog. And even when you start jogging in barefoot-style shoes, you should take it slowly. “Don’t just strap on a pair of barefoot running shoes and go run five or six miles,” Ware said. “Your body’s going to rebel big-time.”
It takes time of our bodies to adjust to new forces and movement, so take it easy if you’re trying these new barefoot style shoes! No doubt there will be research to follow on how effective these shoes are for injury prevention. Until there is sound research my advise is stick to what we know works. If you want help fitting running shoes we have Podiatrists available every week in many stores across New Zealand, see our website for locations.
Reproduced from source: Sarah Benson, The Kansas City Star [9/21/10]
TV advertising and in-store promotions at many shoe stores around New Zealand have familiarized consumers with “toning shoes”. As Podiatrists we are asked every day by our patients for advice about these types of shoes.
Leading Podiatrist Dr Kevin Kirby, an Adjunct Associate Professor within the Department of Applied Biomechanics at the Californian School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, says that foot comfort while wearing shoes is more like to come from differences in the foot structure and function than from the “toning shoes”.
Dr Patrick DeHeer, a practicing Doctor of Podiatric Medicine goes further to say that the claims being made by the marketers of “toning shoes” could be described as false advertising.
Researches compared 12 patients walking in traditional walking shoes with 12 patients walking in “toning shoes”
The researchers concluded that there is “simply no evidence” that toning shoes aid in a more intense exercise, help shoe wearers burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone. The research was sponsored by the American Council on Exercise.
The Foot Mechanics Podiatry franchise opportunity will be on display during the Podiatry New Zealand Conference in September this year (2010). This will be the first time the franchise opportunity has been on display for New Zealand Podiatrists at a conference.
John Miller, Carlo Ellis and Michelle Herrick from the Franchise Support Office will be avaliable for the duration of the conference to introduce the company and answer any questions about this new business opportunity for Podiatrists.
For more information;
See us at the Podiatry New Zealand Conference in Wellington, September 2010.
Foot Mechanics Website
Facebook
Lee and Fraser from Foot Mechanics Podiatry in Palmerston North present a lecture on basic foot anatomy and function to students at Massey University.
Recently arriving from Scotland it seemed an opportunity for the two Podiatrists to claim the Highland heritage that is theirs. The students will follow up the lecture with a visit to Foot Mechanics in the Palms to see a more practical view of biomechanics and how Podiatry can help people with foot and leg problems.
We offer foot health presentations on a wide variety of lower limb subjects. If you would like to have us present to your group please fill in the request CME form here.
Foot Mechanics Podiatry hosted leading Podiatrist Dr Uro over the weekend to train 13 Podiatrists in a revolutionary new laser technology.
Dr Uro is a world wide leader in the use of laser for the treatment of fungal nails, a problem that is estimated to affect 10% of the New Zealand population.
The new Foot Laser technology from Patholase is 80% successful in the treatment of toe nail fungus, is pain free and has not know side effects.
“This is a huge leap forward for Podiatry in New Zealand” says Podiatrist and General Manager of Foot Mechanics Podiatry. “We have had very limited treatment options in the past, none of which have the success rate the laser offers and many had significant side effects that made treatment not possible for many people”.
Learn more...
Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14,2009
Leading Podiatry Franchises
As New Zealand faces critical shortages of health professionals needed to cope with its rapidly aging and still active population, one organisation is developing smart ways for attacking the problem.
The country’s largest podiatry provider, Foot Mechanics, with 12 clinics throughout the North Island, intends to expand into more communities faster through a franchising model. This is the first franchise available in New Zealand podiatry.
Foot Mechanics general manager John Miller says the timing is right because New Zealand’s health system is under more pressure than ever before.
He says the Government’s Primary Health Care Strategy creates opportunities for podiatrists but his company has found there is a level of scale needed to make the most of those openings.
“We aim to build an ever stronger team of podiatrists who will play a significant role in primary care in this country,” he says.
“Our network will improve access to health care. We are developing a workforce of competent and committed podiatrists all focused on supporting the health needs of the communities in which they live.”
Miller says New Zealand has many podiatrists working alone which can be a difficult existence as there is always pressure to see patients while also running a business. Our aim is to allow those podiatrists to be able to see more patients while taking some of the pressures of running day-to-day business away from them.
“An individual podiatrist will often spend only half their time seeing patients - some 20 hours per week – with the other half of their week tied up in administrative tasks.
“We believe we can make the system work more efficiently,” he says.
Erica Amon, Clinical Operations Manager for Waikato Primary Health hopes this type of business model will help address New Zealand’s health workforce problems.
“Due to our aging population, demands on podiatrists along with other health professionals are increasing, and there won’t be enough people trained to meet future demands.
“With fewer people to work in the health field we have to be smarter and try come up with innovative ways of getting things done,” says Amon. “It makes sense to let people at the health coalface get on with helping people while the business aspects of their practices are handled centrally by people who are totally focused on that aspect.”
Miller opened his first Foot Mechanics clinic 14 years ago and says one thing he has learned is it is vital to recruit effectively and to retain good podiatrists.
“We’ve developed a comprehensive employee development package especially for podiatrists that provides guidance on how to recruit, induct, train and manage employee performance - this leads to job satisfaction and clinical excellence,” says Miller. “We have refined it over many years and now can share those tools.”
“Our business model enables a podiatrist to grow their business and add three to four podiatrists within one clinic. In turn, we can produce an environment that graduates seek and so keep valuable health care professionals here in our country,” says Miller.
The first franchise is opening in Rotorua next month.
ENDS
For more information contact:
John Miller:
0272 910 608
john@footmechanics.com
