Our Practice

You are initially seen our Sports & Exercise podiatrists who will take a detailed history, assess the structure and function of your foot, ankle and lower limbs, review and imaging/surgical reports and arrive at a preliminary provisional diagnosis.

The appointment can take up to one hour. Please wear shorts your appointment if possible. Alternatively you can also wear active tights if preferred. Please be changed and ready prior to your appointment so we can begin without delay. If your practitioner has requested that you should be assessed wearing your shoes and/or orthotics, please bring these along with you to your appointment.

Some common acute and chronic foot and ankle conditions we see, treat and manage:

• Plantar Fascia injuries (fasciitis, fasciopathy, fasciocis, fascial tears)
  • We help people everyday by creating personalised treatment programs. We do this by performing a thorough assessment to identify whether you’re suffering from plantar fasciitis (plantar fascial) or another condition, what is causing your pain and what treatment options would be the best for you.

  • We often see people for second opinions and having tried some treatments previously is really helpful to help figure out what works best for you and in some cases help determine whether you’re suffering from heel pain or another condition. Another consideration is that not all treatments are equal. Foot orthoses can be designed inappropriately, rehabilitation exercises could be inefficient or ineffective for your condition. We can provide a second opinion if you have seen other podiatrists and some treatments have not worked. 

• Achilles Tendon injuries (tendonitis, tendinopathy, tendinosis)

  • People with tendon pain can experience pain when they first stand up, often feeling quite sore and stiff until they start moving. Pain can return after doing sport or physical activity, especially if they’ve done movements like jumping, sprinting or changing direction/cutting. Or sometimes it is too much activity too soon. 

  • Previously thought to be caused by inflammation, it’s now known to be a biochemical change in the tendon which makes it irritated by movement, often in response to suddenly moving more than the tendon could cope. This can be in people pushing themselves too hard, or a reduction in the tendons ability to cope from medical conditions such as diabetes and other metabolic conditions.

  • Tendon pain can get progressively worse over time and sore.  Because of the delayed onset/nature of the pain, it often causes people a lot of confusion and concern, with them finding it difficult to identify the exact amount or type of activity that causes the pain.

  • We will perform a thorough a performance injury assessment and determine whether you’re suffering from tendon pain and if so in which tendon.

  • For some patients, we may need to consider ordering a scan of the tendon and surrounding area which can be helpful at identifying if it is the tendon affected or another condition, as well as the type and amount of change there is in the tendon. The architectural characteristics of the tendon may be critical in determining the plan moving forward. 

  • As part of this assessment we will analyse movement through functional tests to help identify if the way you move is contributing to your condition (which is very important for specific tendons, e.g. posterior tibial tendon), as well as the type and amount of movement you can tolerate.

  • We will give you an honest prognosis of your condition and together we’ll formulate a comprehensive treatment plan. 

• Bony injuries (fractures, stress reactions)
  • We mainly see 2 types of bone injuries here at Peak Performance Podiatry.
    • Type 1 – Traumatic fractures are when a significant or extreme force is applied to a bone, beyond what is capable of tolerating, causing it to break. Common causes include falls, car accidents, but can also be in twisting injuries such as ankle sprains. 
    • Type 2 – Bone Stress Injuries (BSI) are overuse injuries associated with repeated loading of bone by strenuous weight-bearing activities (such as running, jogging, marching) and inadequate recovery periods. It can also occur when the body’s ability to repair bones after exercise is reduced. This can be due to long term use of specific medications, hormone imbalances, rare medical conditions, or most commonly, in women who have or are past menopause.

  • All types of fractures require a period of time immobilised in a boot or cast in order for the fracture to heal. This is followed by a period of exercise rehabilitation, to rebuild the strength in the muscles and tendon lost when not moving, as well as the strength in the bone which is reduced for a period of time after fracture.

  • If you suspect you’re suffering from a fracture, we are able to help identify, diagnose and order the imaging to confirm its presence. Our Sports Podiatrists in Canberra are able to provide an immobilisation boot, help you get used to wearing one and help determine when to come out of the boot.

  • Our Rehabilitation process here at our Canberra Podiatry clinic is:
    • Phase I – Pain control
      • Reducing load and weightbearing and managing symptoms
    • Phase II – Re-Conditioning
      • Cardiovascular Endurance Training: Maintaining conditioning while recovering from a BSI is important for a smooth return to sport. Since endurance training athletes experience cardiovascular insufficiency within 2 weeks after the discontinuance of training, conditioning exercises must be introduced early. There are many ways to sustain cardiovascular fitness while recovering from a BSI, like swimming, cycling, deep-water running, and antigravity treadmill training etc.
      • Referral to a Dietician – Dietary Modifications to improve bone health: Ensure Sufficient Intake of Calcium and Vitamin D. All patients with BSIs should be evaluated to ensure enough calcium and vitamin D intake, preferably through diet.
    • Phase III – Axial Loading Exercises
      • Once an athlete is pain-free for five consecutive days of usual activities, they can start a specific graduated axial loading program that has the goal of introducing controlled, progressive loads to the injured site. There are several variations of graduated loading programs and they can be individually customised. These types of exercises are essential to optimally load the bone so that it can tolerate repetitive, submaximal forces that occur with high-impact activities such as running.
    • Phase IV: Return to sport/performance
      • We are experts with return to sport and performance here at Peak Performance Podiatry with overseeing many bone stress injuries here in the clinic and on the sporting field over the years. 
      • The first stage begins with walking for 30 minutes and progressing to increasing durations of jogging (running at 50% of normal pace) and decreasing the duration of walking. The second stage involves progressively increasing the pace of running until running for 30 minutes at a usual pace, with the third stage consisting of running on two consecutive days followed by a rest day. The final stage includes individualised running until complete return to desired running activities.
• Shin pain (medial tibial stress syndrome, periostitis etc.)
  • Shin pain, shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome are a group of terms commonly used to describe pain and discomfort on the front of the shins during and after activities such as running, jumping or long distance walking
  • Bone irritation in these areas  can usually occur with too much exercise too soon, fatigued footwear or a combination of both and the presence of abnormality with foot and ankle biomechanics. 
  • MRI is usually required if a formal diagnosis is needed, but in most cases can be treated conservatively without a scan. 
  • Choosing good shoes with good shock absorption can help to prevent a new or re-injury. Therefore it is important to change the athlete’s shoes every 350-750km, a distance at which most shoes lose up to 40% of their shock-absorbing capabilities.
  • In case of biomechanical abnormalities of the foot, individuals may benefit from Introduction to Orthotics. An over-the-counter, semi customised for fully customised patient matched orthosis (flexible or semi-rigid) can help with foot pes planus or high positive foot posture type feet based on the Foot Posture Index (FP1-6).  
  • During the rehabilitation period the patient can do low impact and cross-training exercises (like running on a hydro-gym machine). After a few weeks athletes may slowly increase training intensity and duration and add sport-specific activities, and hill running to their rehabilitation program as long as they remain pain-free.
• Forefoot pain (plantar plate conditions, neuromas, bursitis, capsulitis)
• Arthritis (osteoarthritis of foot and ankle joints)
• Tendon injuries (tibialis posterior, peroneals)
• Calf pain (tendinous junction pain, strains and pulls)

Sports & Exercise Podiatry deals with any acute or longer term foot, ankle and lower leg/knee injuries. A variety of management strategies can be involved such as footwear modification, process goals benchmarking, orthotic therapy, exercise rehabilitation, strength & conditioning, load management and much more. 

Initial Consultations involve a thorough musculoskeletal and biomechanical assessment.

This service involves utilisation of computerised gait analysis as well as objective testing. An analysis of your existing footwear will also be done. 

From this process we can develop strategies and plans around treatment options and interventions. Possible interventions such as personalised  prescription and custom lower limb rehabilitation programs in conjunction with footwear advice/prescription.

The diagnosis and treatment of foot, ankle problems and lower leg may occur from the above process or our podiatrists can refer on to other health professionals in Canberra or order diagnostic imaging (e.g. X-rays, MRI, ultrasound, CT etc). 

Our sports and exercise podiatrists are also able to look at your current activity levels and training load and also make modifications/recommendations to achieve your goals. 

Our sports & exercise podiatrist have industry experience in research and development of athletic footwear. We have worked with many leading brands around the world.

Part of our sports & exercise podiatry service in Canberra is that we can assess your existing footwear to see if they are suitable for your needs. 

We can also prescribe your footwear for activities you plan on doing as well as specific footwear for sport (cycling, running, football, soccer, netball, golf etc).

Our Sports & Exercise Podiatrists have experience in commercial footwear distribution as well and professional development relationships with local footwear retailers such as The Athlete’s Foot and The Runner’s Shop. We regularly provide in-service training for local footwear retailers 

Strength & Conditioning is developing your physical capabilities to be stronger, fitter and faster than where you were previously. 

Our Sports & Exercise Podiatrists are Australian Strength & Conditioning Association (ASCA) accredited coaches. The ASCA Coach Accreditation Framework is registered with the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS), administered by Sport Australia (SportAus) and identifies individuals who possess the knowledge and skill to design, implement and review safe and effective S&C training programs.  

Your programs will be designed and coached by Principal Podiatrist & Founder Patrick Doan who is a registered ASCA Level 2 and PCAS Professional Strength & Conditioning Coach, ESSA Level 2 Sports Scientist and Exercise Scientist. This comprehensive service ensures that programs are prescribed to the highest level.

 All programs to be custom to the individual with one-on-one coaching and objective testing can be recorded to ensure you are on track. 

We work with all workers compensation and insurance companies in Canberra but also Australia wide. 

If you had a workplace injury and need a return to performance plan involving podiatry assessed footwear, orthotics, exercise rehabilitation or even just another set of eyes we are in prime position to assist. 

We work with your primary practioner (GP, surgeon or specialist) as well as your case manager and insurer. Please contact us for more details and have your claim number and approval for treatment referral ready. If you are unsure please contact us. 

Our orthotic point of difference is that we use multiple orthotic laboratories around Australia. 

We offer a range of orthotic options including fully customised or semi-custom orthotics. These orthotics can be manufactured from a range of processes including traditional pouring, 3D printing of CAD CAM milling. 

We also use special carbon that is either uni-directional or bi-directional for stiffness in the right areas for our custom cycling orthotics.

We have access to TGA approved orthotic material suppliers to ensure you are getting the appropriate medical grade product. 

We have state of the art video and computerised gait analysis software. This can be slowed down frame by frame to get an in depth look at your walking/movement pattern. 

This information can help inform what sort of treatment can be ideal and also what footwear can be suitable. 

Here at Peak Performance Podiatry we have access to the latest objective lower limb technology to keep you on track!

We have a mix of strength based testing as well as force plates to ensure you have tangible baseline makers to base your progression. 

These data sets can help with your exercise programming as well as changes to lifestyle and training load. 

Initial musculoskeletal assessment.
• In-clinic treatment and exercise.
• At home exercise prescription.
• Reassessment and review.

Every step is recorded and analysed in real-time, then communicated back to you  with live data visualisation and reports; making for a seamless experience for you and faster, easier decision-making.

We work with many local foot and ankle surgeons in Canberra to best optimise your post operative outcomes.

We have strategies to test and give your baseline capacity with strength and range of motion for before and after surgery. 

This service is assessment of your cycling history, ability, current and historical training loads, injury history and current goals/targets.

We will then look at your strength, flexibility, mobility on and off the bike, musculoskeletal screening and specific cycling tests.

Cycling analysis and lower limb bike fit will be performed with video technology. We will also measure your current basic bike set up (seat height, crank length, pedals, cleats etc). Our recommendations and prescription of shoes and orthotics (if necessary) will be based on the above.

We can also design your cycling orthotic wearing in program on Zwift (or other cycling indoor software) or have riding outside to get used to your cycling orthotics. 

We can also look at current bike fits and see if modifications to exisiting equipment or changes to existing equipment can help you ride more comfortably on the bike (e.g. different kits, shoes, pedals, insulation clothing etc.). We consistently test the latest. industry products so you can get the best advice to help you enjoy your cycling comfortably. 

We can also look at previous GPS data (e.g. Strava/Garmin/Wahoo) to help inform your progression and if they can make meaningful changes to your riding or associated to your foot and ankle function on the bike.