Welcome to Wellthy Living conversations episode 51. I'm Lisa, your host and Founder of Wellthy Living.

My guest today is a podiatrist, Andy Bryant.

Andy has worked as a podiatrist for 20 years but the past few years have seen big changes in methods of practice. He works in alternative ways to many traditional podiatrists, becoming a disruptor in his industry. Andy is committed to returning feet to the way they're designed to move in harmony with the rest of the body. He is passionate about the barefoot movement and natural footwear.

We started the conversation with Andy sharing his story about how and why you shifted from the more traditional perspective on foot health to a more progressive way of thinking and working with clients.

We went on to discuss:

- Conventional podiatry- where he believes it needs to change?

-Why more foot health practitioners aren't seeing, supporting & practicing this approach, despite there being physiological principles that support it?

-How difficult is it to go against the status quo and Andy shared the advice he'd give to other practitioners who are thinking outside traditional and learnt approaches, for taking action

-Assumptions we are feed by medical association that can impact negatively on peoples self-worth

Throughout the conversation we talked a lot about Footwear & orthotics, covering:
- Footwear and foot support technology versus natural living
- How shoes affect foot function
- Why the boom in orthotics and when they are and are not useful
I challenged Andy with a number of counter-arguments, and he was able to provide clear and clarifying information to all my questions.

We talked about Pain:-
- Whether pain is the best indicator of a problem or is there such a thing as asymptomatic dysfunction and whether there are other indicators that there is a problem, which could then lead to our inability to do desired actives due to pain.
- The catch 22 of exercise to reduce pain and exercise causing pain and whether anti-inflammatories or pain killers are a good circuit breaker

We covered common foot problems, causes and some treatment options:
-Overpronation
-Arthritis
-Plantar Fasciitis

Additionally, we discussed:
-How adaptable is our body to our lifestyle choices?
-How do we get better at giving the body better instructions.

We ran out of time but I would have loved to discuss more with Andy about where to from here to expand thinking in your industry and whether he is considering approaching universities and shoe companies so they can become progressive....I'll be interested in watching this space!

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What’s your biggest insight or takeaway from this conversation?

Leave a comment and let us know.

And if you’d like more info on Andy https://www.melbournenaturalpodiatry.com or follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andybryant_podiatrist/

For more info on natural footwear: https://www.instagram.com/thebarefootshoereview/


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I’m Lisa, I’m an integrated life, clarity and wellbeing coach, and a professional conversation facilitator.

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Until next time remember connection is medicine