Hurst Podiatry

02/06/2026

🦶 Menopause and your feet — what most women aren't told.

Hot flushes, sleep changes, mood shifts — these get talked about.

What doesn't? What menopause actually does to your feet.

As oestrogen declines, it affects the ligaments, bone density, circulation, and skin throughout your whole body - including your feet. Many women find their shoe size changes, heel pain appears, or their feet just feel more tired and uncomfortable than they used to.

These changes are real, they're common, and importantly - they're treatable.

We've put together a full guide covering everything from plantar fasciitis and stress fractures to dry skin and swelling, and what you can do about each one.

👉 Read the full article here: https://www.hurstpodiatry.com.au/blog/foot-changes-and-menopause-what-women-should-know/

Book in with the Hurst Podiatry team if you've been noticing changes in your feet lately.

Discover how menopause affects your feet from arch changes to heel pain, swelling, and skin dryness and learn when podiatry care can help keep you comfortable.

28/05/2026

Here's something worth knowing: you don't need a dramatic difference in leg length to feel the effects of a limb length discrepancy. Sometimes it's just a few millimetres - and the body spends years quietly compensating, until eventually something starts to ache and you can't quite work out why.

Uneven shoe wear. A hip that sits slightly higher on one side. Persistent pain that always seems to land in the same spot. These are the kinds of things that can point toward a limb length discrepancy, and most people never connect the dots.

We wrote an article going through it properly — what causes them, what they actually feel like, and what can be done:

- Structural vs functional discrepancies and why the distinction matters for treatment
- The causes — from growth plate injuries in childhood to muscle imbalances and degenerative conditions
- How a podiatrist assesses and diagnoses one
- Treatment options ranging from simple heel lifts to custom orthotics, physio and beyond

If you've been dealing with one-sided joint pain, an uneven gait, or posture that's never quite felt right — this might be worth a read. And if it sounds like you, come and see us. 📅

Read the rest of the article here:

A discrepancy in limb length is a somewhat common condition that can affect arms and legs. Learn more about limb length discrepancy here.

26/05/2026

Here's something that baffles a lot of people: both feet do the same job, walk the same distances, live in the same shoes - and yet one of them is completely fine while the other one is making its feelings very known. 🦶

It feels random. It's usually not.

One-sided foot pain almost always comes down to some kind of asymmetry - and there are more ways for that to happen than most people realise.

We wrote an article going through the most common culprits:- Structural differences between your two feet (totally normal, often overlooked)
- Leg length discrepancies — even a few millimetres can shift how your whole body loads
- Old injuries that "healed" but left the body moving slightly differently ever since
- Muscle imbalances higher up the chain — hips, calves, glutes — that change how load reaches the foot
- The foot that hurts might actually be compensating for a problem on the other side

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.hurstpodiatry.com.au/blog/why-one-foot-hurts-more-than-the-other/

That last one trips people up a lot. Pain has a habit of showing up somewhere other than its source.

If one foot has been giving you grief and you can't figure out why, that asymmetry is worth investigating properly — because treating just the symptoms tends to only get you so far. Come and see us. 📅

Learn why one foot hurts more than the other, including limb length differences, old injuries, gait changes, footwear issues and uneven loading patterns.

21/05/2026

Melbourne in autumn: beautiful foliage, great soup weather, and — for some unlucky people — the annual return of red, itchy, swollen toes that show up right on cue when the temperature drops. 🍂

If that's you, you've probably had chilblains and may not have even known what to call them.

They're a vascular response to cold weather — basically your small blood vessels throwing a bit of a tantrum when things get chilly — and they're more common here than most people realise, especially in kids and people with poor circulation.

We put together a full rundown on what chilblains actually are, including:

- Why cold weather triggers them and who's most at risk
- What they feel like at different stages (mild is manageable, ulcerated is very much not)
- Home care tips to get on top of them early
- The clinic treatments we offer, including K-Laser therapy, which can be really effective

The cooler months are just getting started — if your toes have already started complaining, don't just rug up and hope for the best. Come and see us. 🧦

Read the full article here:

Chilblains can be a painful condition that commonly affects people during the winter months or those who live in colder climates. Learn more here.

19/05/2026

Raise your hand if you've ever downloaded a fitness app, decided today is the day, and walked 14,000 steps before your feet had any idea what hit them. 🙋

We get it. Walking is genuinely one of the best things you can do for your health — we're big fans. But we also see a lot of people in the clinic who went from zero to hero a little too quickly, and their heels, shins, and the bottom of their feet have opinions about it.

We put together an article on how much walking is actually too much — not to scare you off your steps, but because doing it smarter means you can keep doing it for a long time.
A few things we get into:

- The surprisingly non-scientific origin of the 10,000 step target
- The injuries that tend to show up when you ramp up too fast (plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, Achilles issues — the usual suspects)
- The 10% rule that sports medicine swears by
- What worn-out shoes are doing to your load distribution (more than you'd think)

Read more here: https://www.hurstpodiatry.com.au/blog/how-much-walking-is-too-much/

If your feet have been sending you signals and you've been ignoring them — this one's for you. And if it sounds like something you're dealing with, come see us. We'll figure out what's going on and get you back to walking comfortably.

Learn how much walking is too much, the signs of overload in your feet and legs, and how supportive footwear and gradual increases can help prevent pain.

18/05/2026

🎉 Welcome to Hurst Podiatry! 🎉

We're delighted to announce that Joseph Frenkel will be joining our Kilsyth clinic starting June 11th!

With over 20 years of extensive clinical experience, Joseph brings exceptional expertise to our practice. Joseph has an extensive background in Dermatological Podiatry in addition to his Podiatry degree he has completed a Master of Science specialising in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair from Cardiff University, and a Professional Diploma of Dermatology from Bond University.

Joseph has worked extensively across private practices, aged care facilities and hospitals, and is the Consulting Podiatrist at the Skin Health Institute where he manages complex nail and dermatological problems and only consults in the dermatological space making him one of the foremost experts in this area.

Renowned for his friendly and vibrant personality, his caring and thorough approach ensures each patient's foot concerns are managed appropriately and individually.

Joseph specialises in:
✓ Podiatric dermatology
✓ Wound care and tissue repair
✓ Complex nail conditions
✓ Lower limb dermatological issues

We're thrilled to have Joseph's expertise and passion for foot health join the Hurst Podiatry team.

Bookings are now available for his speciality Dermatology appointments at our Kilsyth site from June 11th! If you have been dealing with a persistent tinea, toenail issue or any other skin or rash conditions on your lower legs this is a great opportunity to get some help from a true expert in the space without all the cost of a Dermatology and the nuisance of getting a referral first!

📞 Call us today 8799 4426 to secure your spot with Joseph.

14/05/2026

Ever feel like your ankles just… don’t move properly?

Maybe your calves are always tight, your heels ache, you walk on your toes a bit, or your feet feel exhausted after a normal day. It could be something called ankle equinus — a condition where the ankle has limited flexibility and struggles to move through its full range.

The tricky part? It can contribute to a whole bunch of other issues like:
👣 plantar fasciitis
👣 Achilles pain
👣 shin splints
👣 bunions
👣 ankle instability

In this article, we break down:
✔ what ankle equinus actually is
✔ common symptoms and causes
✔ how it’s diagnosed
✔ treatment options that may help improve movement and reduce pain

If you’re in Melbourne and dealing with foot, ankle, or lower limb pain that never quite settles down, come see the team at Hurst Podiatry. Sometimes the problem starts higher up the chain than people realise.

Read it all here:

Find relief from ankle equinus, a restrictive condition causing limited foot flexibility. Learn about causes and treatments now.

12/05/2026

Most of us learned how to tie our shoes at about age six… and then never questioned it again 😅

But weirdly enough, the way you lace your shoes can actually help with things like:
👣 heel slipping
👣 bunions
👣 pressure on the top of the foot
👣 black toenails
👣 heel pain
👣 wide feet or narrow heels

A tiny change in lacing can completely change how pressure sits across your foot — and sometimes it’s the difference between “these shoes are awful” and “oh… that’s way better.”

In this article, we break down different lacing techniques for common foot problems and explain when to use them.

And yes… there’s apparently an actual science to shoe laces.

👉 Have a read if your shoes have been personally offending your feet lately. Check it out here: https://www.hurstpodiatry.com.au/blog/lace-shoes-for-different-foot-problems/

If you’re in Melbourne and dealing with foot or lower limb pain that’s not improving, come see the team at Hurst Podiatry. Sometimes small changes make a massive difference.

Learn how to lace your shoes for different foot problems, including heel pain, bunions, wide feet, toe pressure and heel slipping.

07/05/2026

High arches aren’t always a “good thing”… 👣

A lot of people think having high arches just means having “nice feet” — but in reality, it can lead to:
• foot pain
• ankle instability
• calluses and pressure points
• difficulty finding comfortable shoes

Because of how your foot distributes weight, even everyday activities can start to feel harder than they should.

In this article, we break down what’s actually going on with high arches, what causes it, and what can help.

👉 Read the full article to understand your feet a little better:

If something doesn’t feel right with your feet, it’s usually worth getting it checked early.

High arches (Pes Cavus) are a common foot condition that can cause other foot concerns, learn how to manage high arches here.

05/05/2026

Your feet do a lot for you… are you returning the favour? 👣

Whether you’re on your feet all day, hitting the gym, or just trying to stay comfortable, looking after your feet properly can make a huge difference.

In this article, we cover practical tips to keep your feet healthy at every stage of life, including:
• choosing the right shoes for different situations
• simple habits that help prevent common issues
• how foot care changes as you get older

👉 Read the full article for easy, everyday foot care tips: https://www.hurstpodiatry.com.au/blog/tips-and-tricks-for-maintaining-healthy-feet/

Because healthy feet aren’t about doing one big thing — it’s the small habits that add up over time.

Taking care of your feet isn't difficult but there are some key things you should do. Find out how to keep your feet healthy here.