Ari Tria DZULKIFLE, BSc.(Hons.)
- Member of the Association of Podiatric Medicine (Singapore)
- Member of the U.K. Health & Care Professions Council
East Coast Podiatry kembangan
Ms. Ari Dzulkifle is a Bruneian Podiatrist currently based full-time at East Coast Podiatry, Kembangan branch. She received her specialized training in podiatric medicine from Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK, and currently serves as a Senior Podiatrist at the practice. Ms. Dzulkifle has over 13 years’ experience in paediatric, geriatric, and diabetic foot management after serving as the deputy head of department at Brunei’s Main Hospital, where she was one of the four pioneer podiatrists. During that time, she helped advance the profession and practice of podiatry in Brunei.
As an experienced practitioner, she has developed a keen understanding of how podiatry interacts with other specialist fields of medicine, making her highly suitable for patients with more complex medical conditions. Ms. Dzulkifle’s clear affection for children has also been very impressionable with many families, making her greatly popular amongst parents with young kids.
Ms. Dzulkifle is currently leading the paediatric unit of the practice, addressing a spectrum of children’s conditions ranging from flat feet to congenital neurological deficits. Her analytical skill, expert knowledge and clear affection for children has made her very popular amongst parents with young kids.
For elder or more high-risk patients, Ms. Dzulkifle continues to address wounds and diabetic feet while also focusing on improving the lives of geriatric patients with general aches, pains, and more complex conditions such as stroke sequelae with the use of our advanced modalities.
“Pain in the foot is not normal. Many people try to “walk it off”, and often only go to a doctor when the pain is unbearable or when it has affected their daily activities such as having to limp. Foot pain should be addressed earlier to prevent reoccurrence, rather than addressing the condition only when it has entered the chronic stage. Homemakers or working professionals such as teachers or nurses may think foot pain is common or natural as they fail to realise that the condition can be effectively managed and that there is no need to struggle with pain daily.”
Paediatric Walking Disorders“Paediatric foot cases are more complex due to the constant growth of a child’s foot. Appropriate diagnosis and interventions for children is always not as straightforward as it is for adults. A child’s foot takes time to develop and thus, managing foot conditions in children requires a gradual and patient approach. Seeking podiatric care early is ideal for children as their feet are still growing and can be more easily guided and corrected.
For example, children who constantly trip or fall may be considered clumsy or careless by their parents however these children may be suffering from a correctable medical condition known as in-toeing. Another example is flat foot. While it is a common issue that most parents are familiar with, they are unfamiliar of the causes for flat foot as well as the potential conditions that it may cause.”
Sport Injuries“While “healthy living” is often seen as a cliché, it is a growing trend in Singapore. Singaporeans are becoming increasingly active, with many of my patients involved in sports like netball, badminton, basketball, long distance running, or dance regardless of age or gender. This increase in exercise habits has also been accompanied by an increase in injuries, but many sportspersons avoid seeking assistance from professionals as they mistakenly believe that their options typically revolve around painkillers and being advised to stop exercising to allow healing.
Our approach at East Coast Podiatry surprises them as we prioritise early intervention to encourage and enhance the body’s natural healing processes. This cuts down on time out of action and allows them to continue training and competing without minimal disruption.”
Ari obtained her clinical experience at the University Wales Institute located in Cardiff, UK, and Brunei. During the latter stint, she also held both clinical and senior administrative roles at the Bruneian Ministry of Health. Her decade of clinical experience has made her familiar with various podiatric clinical settings and procedures from different parts of the world.
During her time at the main specialist referral hospital in Brunei, Ari worked closely with orthopaedic surgeons, endocrinologists and geriatric specialists, handling complex cases such as leg and foot wound management related to diabetic complications daily. Today, Ari continues to maintain a special interest in the management of high-risk patient care, including patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other underlying chronic conditions.
On top of being responsible for the supervision of undergraduate podiatry students at her hospital in Brunei, Ari also lectured post-graduate medical doctors, nurses, and other allied health professionals on the management of foot and ankle conditions.
Being a keen health educator, Ari was often invited to radio and TV talk shows to educate the public on general foot health. Ari also regularly contributed her time and skills as a volunteer-podiatrist for the “Fit-Feet” programme under the Special Olympics Asia Pacific (Brunei) to promote proper foot health among children with learning disabilities. Today, as senior podiatrist at East Coast Podiatry, Ari continues contributing to the community by featuring in educational videos where she explains foot conditions to a broader audience.
Podiatrist explains Neuritis of the Plantar Nerve
Plantar Nerves are nerves that run at the bottom of the foot. Neuritis is the inflammation of these nerves, and can cause a variety of symptoms including such as pain, pins and needles, muscle spasms, numbness, or buzzing and tingling sensations. With the use of specialised technologies such as the Super Inductive System, our podiatrists are able to address these symptoms, reducing the pain and sensations.
Children may refuse to walk or demonstrate an unwillingness to move the affected joint due to knee pain. Knee problems in children can be managed from 1 week old until puberty. However, the younger the child, the easier it is to change the structure of the knee.
Kebanyakan masalah foot drop tidak dapat dipulihkan, lebih-lebih lagi jika disebabkan oleh kerosakan urat saraf di bahagian otak, saraf tunjang atau genetik dan kencing manis. Namun, rawatan terapi di klinik kami masih boleh dilakukan untuk membantu menguatkan otot yang lemah atau memperbaiki urat saraf yang rosak.
- General podiatric care (incl. scalpel work for wound debridement)
- Shockwave Therapy (radial, focused)
- Prescription Shoe Insoles (foot orthotics)
- Prescription Ankle Foot Orthotics (for conditions such as drop foot)
- Nail Surgery (minimal invasive technique with nailbed ablation)
- Ultrasound Diagnostic Scanning
- Sports Taping
- BSc. Hons. Podiatry Medicine
- Advanced Medical Shockwave Application (Focused & Radial) ISMST
- Advanced Shockwave Application for fascia conditions
- Advanced clinical assessments for musculoskeletal conditions
- Managing drop foot and ankle deformity conditions with ankle foot orthoses
- Sport Taping for stabilisation and increasing mobile function
- Techniques on advance biomechanics assessment
- Diagnostic ultrasound imaging
- Sports Medicine
- Vascular Conditions of the lower extremity
- Orthopaedic related conditions
- Wound Healing
- Orthotics design
