There's nothing corny about Hibs' innovative approach to foot care

IT'S a profession more closely associated with the care of elderly patients, attending to ingrown toe nails, corns and bunions.

But podiatrist Bill Kerr is an integral part of Hibs' medical team, helping ensure Mixu Paatelainen's players are in the best possible shape for the rigours of SPL football.

Astonishingly, despite the obvious importance of players' feet, the Easter Road club is one of the few in the country to employ the services of a podiatrist, Kerr, a lecturer at Queen Margaret University, working on a consultancy basis with Paatelainen's squad.

His work, however, isn't simply confined to dealing with problems which may arise but preventing them occurring in the first place, a task which sees each new arrival at Easter Road undergo a full assessment which includes taking a plaster cast of both feet.

Kerr explained: "Foot health is essential for footballers but not every club has a podiatrist. Players are running, jumping, twisting and turning and the joints of the lower limb are more vulnerable to damage if there are already structural problems present.

"Often players are totally unaware they have a structural problem but, once diagnosed, it can be corrected to minimise the strain on the joints of the lower limb."

Foot problems, Kerr revealed, can lead to other difficulties for players in their knees, hamstrings, hips and backs. He said: "Knee injuries are a particular problem for footballers which may result in them missing training and matches and possible even shortening their careers.

"But you also come across players with a back problem which can be traced to their feet not being in the right position which causes all sorts of stresses and strains.

"Many of these problems can be remedied by reducing the stress on these areas by keeping the foot in the most beneficial functional position. Each player has a full biomechanical assessment, testing the joints within the foot, looking at the relevant position of the bones allowing you to pick up on any malalignment."

The casts taken by Kerr allow him to manufacture "orthoses" which are individually moulded and shaped to fit inside a football boot, which, although they won't prevent a serious impact injury sustained in a tackle, will hold the foot in the proper position thereby reducing the stress on the knee joint.

Kerr said: "About a third of the Hibs first team squad are wearing orthoses in their boots with great success. I take a cast of their feet and then make the orthoses to fit. You can buy them pre-moulded but that's a bit like buying a jacket or pair of trousers off the shelf whereas I take all the measurements and make them to fit each specific player."

As such, Kerr works closely with Hibs physios Colin McLelland and Callum Rae as well as the club's doctors. He said: "I usually work at the training centre at specific times but I'm also available if an injury arises and we work together as a team to decide the best course of treatment which may involve referring players on to radiologists or orthopaedic surgeons."

A measure of the importance the players themselves place on Kerr's services came during this interview as he took a cast of defender Martin Canning's left foot, the door to his examination room continually opening and shutting as players ranging from first team to under-19s popped in to ask if it would be possible to see him for a few minutes.

He said: "You also build up a degree of trust with the players, many of whom come to Hibs having never seen a podiatrist before. They realise the advice you are giving is for their benefit and they tend to do as they are told.

"No player likes being out injured and they know that what I am doing can not only help prevent them suffering from problems in their knees, hamstrings, hips and backs but, if they have suffered an injury, can help get them back playing, hopefully a bit quicker."

Kerr, of course, also deals with the usual run-of-the-mill problems with pre-season training. He said: "During training, when the players have had a break and are back working on hard, dry surfaces in the summer, they tend to get severe problems with blisters. For instance, I had one of the younger players in the other day with horrendous blisters caused by the hard ground.

"The general perception of this job is that we work with elderly patients in poor health, attending to ingrown toe nails, corns and bunions. But that is a false perception.

"Through better health education more young people are aware of problems which can arise and the importance of treating potential problems. At Hibs it's great to work with young, exceptionally fit, healthy sportsmen.

"Most of all, it's very rewarding to turn someone's situation around – to be able to see the progress from treatment and then see that person perform at a high standard on the pitch."