Mark Ould, a veteran podiatrist with over 25 years of experience, flew in from Australia to speak at this week’s professional development session. Specialised in biomechanics, Mark runs a successful practice in Perth. In addition, he works in the field of forensic podiatry for both prosecution and defence cases and is also a popular guest speaker and trainer.
Mark’s workshop proved to be a refreshing breath of air for our podiatrists, touching upon an array of topics with a particular focus on heel pain, tumours, orthotic design and the importance of whole-body assessments for an accurate diagnosis.
Mr. Ould shared a number of statistics from his practice and research in Australia, one being that the foot was frequently neglected for checks regarding malignant growths, despite being responsible for 5% of all such growths in the country. His experience mirrored our own at the practice, as our podiatrists have assisted with the diagnosis of several cases of melanoma in this year alone.
He also spoke at length on heel pain, and the effects of over-the-counter medication meant for alleviating inflammation. Mr. Ould recommended that the podiatrist address the pathological changes in the plantar fascia as well as relieving the repetitive stress in the feet by reducing the pressure either through orthotic insoles or other methods.
Elaborating on orthotics design, Mr. Ould shared that customised insoles, coupled with therapy, was useful for assessing whether a patient could avoid surgery simply using these methods. Using the right design, a wide variety of conditions could be addressed with insoles customised for the patient and their conditions. To ensure an accurate diagnosis and treatment, podiatrists had to examine the body as a whole, taking into account deformities or conditions above the lower limbs to provide patients with the most efficacious treatment.
We are delighted to have had Mr. Mark Ould visit us for this informative workshop and look forward to seeing him again on his next visit to Singapore.
Mr. Mark Ould is the principal podiatrist of Malibu Podiatry in Perth, Western Australia, a member of Sports Medicine Australia, as well as a forensic podiatrist who has worked with the Western Australia Police Service. Find out more about him at the following link: http://malibupodiatry.com.au/our-team/#gallery-details-mark-ould.
