Georgina CALLAGHAN-TAY, BSc.(Hons.)
- Hon. Secretary of the Association of Podiatric Medicine (Singapore)
- Member of the U.K. Health & Care Professions Council
East Coast Podiatry orchard
Mrs. Georgina Callaghan-Tay, a British Podiatrist based in Singapore, is the co-founder of the practice and currently serves as the Head of Podiatry Department at East Coast Podiatry. She is a licensed and registered member of the UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
After graduating with honours in Podiatric Medicine from The University of Salford, U.K., she began her initial years of practice in Singapore by serving in Singapore General Hospital (SGH). This was followed by a stint at National Health Group Polyclinics (NHGP) before going into private practice to co-found East Coast Podiatry.
Georgina focuses her practice on high intensity conservative interventions that have been widely received as a new gold standard in the community. Having been trained and certified in medical shockwave applications by the International Society of Medical Shockwave Therapy, Georgina is adept at utilizing Shockwave therapy to address an array of conditions. One approach that Georgina takes to address bone-related issues is to stimulate bone healing through Shockwave therapy. Georgina also incorporates more advanced applications of defocused Shockwave to stimulate healing of chronic diabetic wounds. She consults patients from all over the world who travel to Singapore for clinical advice and podiatric therapies at East Coast Podiatry.
As a mother of two children herself, Georgina is a natural with paediatric cases and takes care of young patients as she would her own. With a keen interest in paediatric care, Georgina and the team are specialised in casting for clubfoot conditions and correcting early paediatric walking issues. Using a combination of therapies, she focuses on preventing paediatric injuries, growing and overuse pains. Georgina is a firm believer in early intervention, especially when it comes to paediatric conditions, and has reinforced this in her daily practice.
Alongside her affinity for paediatric cases, Georgina has extensive experience in managing all generalised lower limb conditions including arthritis, forefoot pain and chronic musculoskeletal pains, in both the young and elderly. Patients at risk of amputation often seek out Georgina and the team at East Coast Podiatry as they are collectively known for healing even the most chronic of wounds by using comprehensive and advanced therapeutic approaches. Georgina also addresses overly complex cases, such as drop foot, walking issues stemming from congenital abnormalities, neurological deficit, and those with special needs.
Georgina continues to contribute to the profession through workshops, community events, and publishing articles and videos to increase public awareness and education about lower limb conditions. Having won multiple awards and recognitions during her service period in the public sector, Georgina has continued her community work in private practice by leading her team to participate in pro-bono screenings for students in schools and the less fortunate.
“Children’s feet are mostly formed of cartilage at 0-2 years old. This makes them small and malleable for intervention. As the child grows, the structures in the foot develop and become less flexible. This makes it harder to address certain conditions, such as flat foot, in-toeing or out-toeing. I firmly believe that early intervention is key to any issues with the foot, ankle, or body. If you see a problem developing, you should not try to let the problem resolve itself or wait and see, but go and get it fixed. The earlier a problem is addressed, the higher the success rate.”
Ankle Instability & Sprains“After I became a mother, I came across a quote, ‘the human body can create a baby in 9 months and within a year be back to almost normal but sprain your ankle once and it will never feel the same’, and found it to be exceedingly true. Once you have suffered from a sprain, the likelihood of subsequent sprains increases dramatically. This means that restabilising the ankle is critical for preventing recurrent sprains. You can avoid the need for surgical intervention and enjoy a full range of motion.”
Lower Limb Pain & Discomfort“All pain should be investigated and addressed if it interferes with your daily life or worsens over time. Neglecting the issue doesn’t make it go away, but allows it to progress, warranting for more aggressive and complex intervention methods later on. If neglected for a sufficient period of time, surgical intervention may be the only option. As a podiatrist, my approach is to address conditions as soon as possible, allowing the patient to maintain their lifestyle unchanged. Sometimes these pains and discomforts are a sign of more serious chronic conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, therefore assessment and addressing the pain points should not be delayed or ignored.”
Qualifications & Certifications
- University of Salford, Podiatry BSc Hons (UK), 2009-2012
- Healthcare Professionals Council Certification (HCPC UK), 2012
- Singapore General Hospital, 2012 – 2014 (Singapore)
- Silver Singapore Health Quality Service Award by Singapore General Hospital, in recognition of outstanding and commendable service, 2013/2014
- National Healthcare Polyclinics, 2014-2015 (Singapore)
- Focal and Radial ESWT ISMST Certification, 2019 – 2021
- MSK Ultrasound Imaging Module: Foot & Ankle (Advance Level), 2019
Community Outreach
- Community outreach in collaboration with World Diabetes Day, 2012/2013
- Community foot screening for Tanjong Pagar residents, 2014
- Pro-bono session for “Nail and Foot care” at Bukit Batok Home for the Aged
- Community foot screening at Marine Parade organised by East Coast Podiatry, 2015
- Talk on Biomechanics and Foot care for the Down Syndrome Association, 2016
- Community foot screening at Singapore Orchid Country Club organised by East Coast Podiatry, 2015/2016
- Supreme Court talk on “Foot Care and Foot Pain”, 2016
- Talk in collaboration with MBT footwear, 2017
- Mummies focus group talk on paediatric foot development in collaboration with New mothers support group (NMSG), 2021
- Writer for JustRunLah! addressing sports injuries, 2016 (https://www.justrunlah.com/guest/georgina-callaghan/)
Continued Professional Development Workshops and Courses (CPD)
- National Training Workshop on Management of Diabetic Foot Wounds, NUH Diabetic Foot Team with Smith & Nephew, 2012
- Stopping a Limb Being Lost Every 20 seconds to Diabetes: The Podiatry Challenge, Dr Michelle Spruce, Post Graduate Allied Health Institute SGH, 2013
- Management of the Diabetic Foot – A Synergy of Specialities Workshop, Patrick Ker, Postgraduate Allied Health Institute SGH, 2014
- Basic Chronic Disease Management Course, Dr Predeebha Kannan, Primary Care Academy NHGP, 2015
- Rocktape Kinesiology and Power Taping Seminar, Rocktape Singapore, 2013/2016
- Managing Neck and Back Pain in an Office Setting, Dr Low Wye Mun, 2018
- Diagnostic Ultrasound Application for the Lower Extremities, Dr Angel Wang Sonoscape Medical Corp, 2018
- Vascular Intervention in Diabetic Foot Wounds: Vascular Surgeons Perspective, Dr Cheng Shin Chuen, 2018
- Advanced Shockwave Application for Musculoskeletal Indications of the Lower Extremities, Prof. Dr. Karsten Knobloch Storz Medical & Innomed, 2018
- Advanced Lower Limb Clinical Assessment & Orthotics Prescription, Mark Ould Malibu Podiatry, 2018
- Managing Challenging Foot & Ankle Pathologies with AFOs, Kent Sweeting Performance Podiatry and Physiotherapy, 2018
- The Impact of Renal Disease on the Lower Limb Risk Status, Joanne Fawcett Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2018
- Conceptualising Clinical Biomechanics: Formulating a Practical Approach for Contemporary Practice, Dr Ian Mathieson Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2018
- Advanced Shockwave Applications for Soft Tissue & Musculoskeletal Pathologies, Dr Stephan Swart Orthopaedic Community Practice, 2018
- Managing Common Paediatric Conditions and Spinal Conditions and Considerations for Podiatrists, Senior Lecturer University of Brighton, 2019
- Advanced Applications of Super Inductive System Treatment for Pains in the Lower and Upper Body, Sporting Club de Portugal, 2019
- Sports Podiatry, Andrew Bull Sydney Sports Podiatry, 2019
- Biomechanics and Assessment in Podopaediatrics (part 1), Mark Ould (Podiatrist) and Mario Horta (Podiatric Surgeon), 2019
- Biomechanics & Assessment in Podopaediatrics (part 2), Mark Ould (Podiatrist) and Mario Horta (Podiatric Surgeon), 2019
- Managing Complex Foot & Ankle Pathologies with Ankle-Foot Orthoses, Kent Sweeting Performance Podiatry and Physiotherapy, 2020
- Limbs in a Time of Covid; How Teams and Technology Can Make a Difference in a Post Pandemic World, Dr Lee Rogers and Dr David Armstrong, 2020
- Clinical application & AFO prescription Advanced Conditions, Kent Sweeting Queensland Orthotics Lab, 2021
- Foot Orthotics Prescription, Kahlil Wilson Australia, 2021
In this interview with The New Paper, Ms. Callaghan talks about the importance of adhering to your podiatrist’s instructions as well as what podiatrists are expected to do and what sort of interventions you might expect as a patient.
It is critically important to follow your podiatrist’s instructions as failing to do so can prolong your journey to recovery.
Ms. Callaghan contibuted an article on pregnancy swelling to SingaporeMotherhood, a one-stop portal for local parents and parents-to-be with information relevant to their new phase of life.
Asia parenting community platform, theAsianparent, featured Ms. Callaghan’s article on children’s feet health to raise awareness on foot care for children among the young parents.
Ms. Callaghan was invited by JustRunLah! – the largest online destination dedicated to running, fitness, and healthy lifestyle in Southeast Asia, as a guest writer for podiatry health column.
What can podiatrists do for babies?
Even at a young age, children can show signs of abnormal lower limb developments. As a result, it is crucial for parents to educate themselves on the signs and consult a podiatrist before the condition has time to worsen.
Children may be unable to or unreliable when it comes to mentioning their discomfort, so parents need to be vigilant about their child’s health. Some of the foot conditions common in children include pigeon-toeing, knock knees, and toe-walking.
Fast Facts About Customised Insoles
Customised Foot Orthotics are podiatric devices designed for an individual’s specific walking or postural needs. These devices are used to facilitate correct foot function and can be divided into two general categories, functional and accommodative.
Functional Orthotics are used to support and correct the foot or other parts of the lower limb in order to facilitate ideal gait patterns, making them suitable for addressing conditions such as ankle pain or bursitis.
Accommodative Orthotics focus on providing cushioning for an area of injury, and are used to manage conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers and Charcot foot.
- General podiatric care (incl. scalpel work for wound debridement)
- Shockwave Therapy (radial, focused and defocused)
- 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
- 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
