Greetings

Andrew Wilson • October 8, 2020

How to start? What do I say? Who the hell will read this? What good, could it possibly do? 

Questions I asked myself when I came across the topic of “blogging”.


“It is an important marketing strategy” says one article, “Gets your voice out there” said another, “People just want them” shouts a guy on a how-to video. 


So, still no further forward with my understanding, but 3 hours later, and after reading countless sites, I figure “there must be something to it?”. 


Right! I’m here at the computer, my clinic has been open for 7 days, let’s give this a go!

Who am I?

For those that know me & for those that don’t, here is my 11 second elevator pitch/bio/self trumpet blowing (I hate doing it, so I'll make it quick).  


Do I mention my age? Why not! I’m 26 almost 27. I grew up overseas (Asia), landed in Aus for high school and that whole jazz. I went on to do my BSc and then persevered for another 3 years to complete my DPM at UWA (I think that sounds so terribly elitist, so no more of that). My parents are British, therefore I have unavoidably picked up odd phrases & accents (like garage as in fridge, not garage as in large). I play a bit of piano, even used to dabble in teaching it, but those days are long gone. 


Now onto the professional side. I graduated from the UWA DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, to sound super posh) I spent 4 years working around Perth. Over the years, I have tried to not focus on a particular field of practice but keep general and across the board. However I always get drawn to the complex cases commonly involving pain. I find the body such a fascinating subject and am humbled when reading knowledge from far smarter minds than I. 

Why start up my own practice - The Foot Science Clinic? 


After 4 years working for others, I got fed up with the overall lack of progression and development within the Podiatric community. I felt whenever I’d bring up a new technology or way of working, I would most often be met with “interesting, but it works as it is”. So with enough money saved, I decided to take the plunge and literally put my money where my mouth was and bring my ideas to life! 


There are researchers around the world, producing papers on topics such as pain science, shockwave therapy, laser therapy, patient driven care and much more. There are new technologies discovered and their treatments discussed. Obviously it would be impossible to stay on top of it all, but my goal is to move with research, investing in the treatments that are shown to achieve results. 


What will I blog about? 


This was a hard one, there is already so much out there online. Just a quick google search for “Podiatry blogs” and you’ll find a plethora of hits. However the closer you look, more and more of them begin to follow the exact same formula and arrive at the same point…..”book an appointment NOW!”. 


Will I make that same conclusion at times, undoubtably, but I also want these blogs to be a discussion. I don’t want these blogs to be a transparent gimmick aimed at booking patients in. I want to encourage patients to ask questions, to keep me asking questions, to shed light on topics people actually ask about in clinic. I want to take the reactive approach and respond to questions I actually get asked, not those that I want. 


Reading that back to myself, it almost sounds like a 60 minutes/A current affair breaking news headline. 


Wrapping it all up


I look forward to embarking on this bloggers journey with you, bringing insights, answers, theories etc to the table. I love to chatter, so if I ramble on and these articles become too long, please, tell me! I have read it is important to be consistent with blogs, and to not over commit. So I am going to aim for 1-2 a month, I haven’t decided on a particular day, or even the next topic, but what I do know is that I will stick with this “dear diary” format, keeping it informal and easy to read. 


As always, if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. If don’t have the answer, I am sure we can find someone that does. 


Bye for now,


Andrew Hadley


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Wart you need to know about Warts

By Andrew Wilson • May 5, 2021
Now, firstly, I should probably apologise. Not, for that rather awesome pun (which, I rather am pleased with). But rather, the 6 months it has been since the last blog. Rest assured, I haven’t just been watching Netflix (well the odd episode here and there) but also working hard to help more and more patients get on top of their bothersome foot troubles. New Paragraph 

Have you tried Shockwave Therapy? A shocking question!

By Andrew Wilson • October 27, 2020
“Would you like to stick your toe into the mains socket !?!”

Be a Podiatrist - Said no one ever!

By Andrew Wilson • October 14, 2020
"Eww! I couldn’t do that job!" We have all been there, admit it, you know you have. You look at the person opposite you, and you think to yourself, “I couldn’t do that job!”. This fleeting thought will generally bring about that blunt question I’m sure you can already hear yourself thinking……..“What made you want to do that profession?”. I had a patient today, and halfway through the consultation that question reared its head. Now, unlike most people (speaking mostly about my peers/colleagues), I invite the question, in fact, I love it! What better opportunity can there be to teach someone about the actual job you do, not the one people think you do. Have you ever seen those memes, the ones about different professions, the ones with “what my parents think I do, what society thinks I do…what I think I do”. Well the Podiatrist is no different, in fact, it is probably one of the most boring. Why……because pretty much our starting point is “cutting toenails”. Yes, I said it! “Cutting toenails” In fact I would be lying if I said we didn’t. But just like a hairdresser does more than just cut hair and a GP deals with more than just coughs and colds, cutting toenails is just the tip of the iceberg that is, Podiatry. Now, back to that moment when I got asked “why would you want to be a podiatrist”. It’s almost like the split second just before a race, you go through your game plan and visualise the execution. Well, sort of. For me it's a little more embellished, in my head I am thinking “this is it! This is the moment I convert them into a believer! Don’t F it up! Make them see the light!” Ok Maybe that is a little over the top, but, nevertheless, it is a chance to showcase what you do! The quick witted reply This changes depending on the instigator of the question. But, for the most part, I simply say “I can think of worse things out there……DENTISTS…..you feel me!” Now, I am not hating on Dentists, in fact, what they do is extremely important, however it highlights the preconceptions we have of almost everything. I then will generally follow up with “my sister works in childcare…..nappies…..POO…..!” At this point there has generally been enough said that poor questioner has become, just that little bit shocked. Going in for the kill! I don’t know at what point I have decided to tell this narrative in the frame of mind of a hunter, but let’s run with it. With my victim stunned, and contemplating the existence of the phrase “in one end….out the other”, I take my time and carefully illustrate the joys of the Podiatry profession. How to sum up a whole profession in a few quick sentences? In reality, when I get asked “why would I be a podiatrist” I generally only have a couple of minutes before the consultation will come to an end. So with that In mind let me tell you, what I say in clinic. Our feet are quite literally the connection to the world around us. As a Podiatrist we have the privilege to help maintain and improve that connection. We get to provide care to a part of the body many forget about. While cutting toenails is certainly a simple part of the job, the fact is, it can facilitate a deeper conversation on more complex foot health issues. Toenails can become ingrown, ingrown toenails can cause walking compensation, changes to walking patterns can cause muscle and tendon inflammation, years of joint imbalances could lead to arthritic joints. All these could be helped (not always fixed, but helped) by us Podiatrists. The joy of variety The great thing about the world we live in is variety. There are so many permutations that allow us to find just the right fit. Podiatry can be taken into the world of sports, hospitals, aged care, children, chronic pain and many more. More over, as Podiatrist, I can get a front row seat into my patients lives and what jobs they do. How boring would life be, if we all did the exact same thing! So with that hopefully funny insight into just one of the many questions we get as Podiatrists, I hope I have inspired some of you to ask each other not “WHAT made you do that profession” but instead “What gets you EXCITED about your profession” As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Bye for now, Andrew Hadley . . . . . .

Foot Health Week - Diabetes

By Andrew Wilson • October 13, 2020
Foot Health & Diabetes - What’s the connection? This is a question that I hear almost every day, and for most people the answer is condensed down to the phrase “you will end up having an amputation”. I can’t count how many patients I have brought up this question with and recoiled when the only answer they have been given is that one. In my opinion, that is like saying “lose weight - it’s good for you”. Sure, we all know the end result, but knowing and understanding are two very different processes. If the only reason we know, is a fact of fear, then are we really going to be any more inclined to break down the question at hand. With Foot Health Week 2020 here and in full swing, it got me thinking, rather than just saying why it is important to get your foot health checked (and that whole spiel of “book an appointment now”), perhaps I could help breakdown the “why”. So without any further rambling, let’s see if I can help answer any questions. The 2 main players we’re watching - Blood & Nerves In a practical sense, these two components are the big culprits that lead to troubles later down the road. We all know that blood is the stuff that is important for healing, and nerves relate to sensations. But how does diabetes join the party and cause all these scary problems we hear about.