As podiatrists, we’re trained to focus on the foot and ankle complex, but what happens when the root of a patient’s hip or lower back pain actually lies in subtle misalignments of the foot? With the growing body of evidence linking foot biomechanics to musculoskeletal pain higher up the kinetic chain, it’s time to reframe how we approach treatment and continuing professional development (CPD) offers the perfect pathway.
One area gaining increasing recognition is Foot Mobilisation, Manipulation and Exercises (MME), particularly when targeting talus misalignment. The talus is central to ankle joint mechanics and, when malpositioned, it can disrupt normal load distribution and gait mechanics. This often leads to compensatory movements that affect the knee, hip, and even the lumbar spine.
When the talus is misaligned, it causes altered joint articulation at the ankle and subtalar joints. This in turn affects the function of the tibia and femur during gait. Over time, such dysfunction can lead to pelvic rotation imbalances and abnormal spinal loading, key contributors to chronic hip and lower back pain (Vicenzino et al., 2021).
In fact, research by Trombini-Souza et al. (2022) found that patients with restricted ankle mobility and foot alignment issues had a significantly higher incidence of non-specific lower back pain. This evidence highlights the importance of assessing and correcting the foot before treating symptoms elsewhere.
Podiatry is evolving, and with that evolution comes a greater demand for practitioners who understand and apply a whole-body approach. For those seeking high-quality CPD courses for podiatrists, learning how to assess and treat talus misalignment through manual therapy can make a profound difference to clinical outcomes.
This is where the MME course comes in. A Podiatry CPD course that is APODA approved, the course equips practitioners with a structured approach to assessing joint mobility, performing precise foot mobilisation and manipulative techniques, and prescribing exercises that reinforce joint correction.
By integrating manual therapy into your practice, you not only address foot dysfunction but can also reduce compensatory pain patterns in the hip and spine often leading to quicker recovery and longer-lasting relief for your patients.
Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced clinician, CPD should not just tick a box, it should transform your practice. If you’re passionate about improving patient outcomes and expanding your biomechanical expertise, investing in Foot Mobilisation Courses is a powerful step forward.
The MME course provides hands-on training, evidence-based techniques, and a proven clinical framework that will help you bridge the gap between foot posture and whole-body function. Don’t wait for recurring back pain patients to keep cycling through your clinic, get to the root of their dysfunction and deliver lasting results.
Join other forward-thinking podiatrists and explore how Foot Mobilisation, particularly targeting the talus, can make a difference in managing hip and lower back pain. Enrol in the MME CPD course today – and elevate your practice through movement. Contact us at 0402 933 403.
