Advance Foot Clinic Mount Isa is offering free foot consultations for children this week in the hopes they will start wearing better shoes to school.
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Practice owner and podiatrist Angela Holland is passionate about children’s foot health, and has been trying to get Ascent footwear, the only brand endorsed by Australian Podiatry Council, to Mount Isa for years.
“Til now there’s been no footwear available here that is suitable for kids to wear to school. The shoe that children wear 8 hours every day, 5 days a week is the most important shoe in their cupboard,” Ms Holland said.
Ms Holland who specialises in paediatric podiatry is offering free fittings and assessments on January 10 - 12 at 112 Miles Road.
Dale Hardingham from Ascent Footwear will be at the clinics, offering several styles of school shoes, trainers, and sports shoes.
$5 from every pair sold will go back to the child’s school.
The clinic’s newest podiatrist Fiona Murphy says a lot of children need orthotics and even if they don’t, supportive footwear is very important, especially in the outback.
“People tend to wear thongs and go barefoot a lot, and a lot of children here have problems with plantar fasciitis. A supportive shoe allows for better control of that, it doesn’t progress as quickly and in later life you tend to have better outcomes,” said Ms Murphy.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful but common condition associated with the band of tendons that runs along the base of your foot, and can develop at any age.
Around ten per cent of the clinic’s patients are children, and Ms Murphy said most of the problems are preventable.
“There’s a lot of orthotics and injuries; muscular problems, taping and strapping, ingrown toenails. There’s a large population of dancers here and they tend to have things like that,” Ms Murphy said.
Free clinics are running from 8am - 4pm this Tuesday 10 - Thursday 12 January at 112 Miles Street, Mount Isa. Bring your child’s current school shoes along, and book in advance to avoid waiting.