Getting to Know: Dr Jade Khoury of Rosewell Clinics Podiatry

Dr Jade Khoury takes a holistic approach to podiatry, looking not only at her patients’ feet and legs, but at their lifestyle too. Her clinic offers specialised services for women, who can be more susceptible to issues in the lower back, hips, knees and feet. She shares her approach to podiatry below, including the importance of treating issues such as tippy toe walking and in-toeing in children.

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m a third generation Lebanese girl, with a huge tight-knit extended family. Family is embedded into our DNA, it makes me the woman I am today with all of its beautiful facets and imperfections. I grew up in Australia with the world around me as my oyster. I have been blessed with parents that didn’t look at my gender as a limitation, rather as a world full of possibility.

What do you love most about what you do?
I get asked this question all the time and I tell you what, the answers don’t get any easier! The simplest answer is the servanthood and gratification podiatry brings to both myself and the patients I see daily. I love challenging the status quo and the current health system. I treat individuals as holistic spiritual beings.

There’s a perception that podiatry only treats the feet. Yet your practice takes a holistic view. How does that work and what are the benefits?
We are often quick to pack away our feet in shoes. Our feet and legs aren’t separate entities, they are connected, they ground us physically (looks up the phenomena around grounding). We bear all our body weight on them to get us from point A to B efficiently (and hopefully pain-free). Instead of just treating the symptoms presenting, we want to understand how these manifested in the first place, for example asking about patient lifestyle, diet and psychological history, to gain an overall picture.

Your clinic offers specialised services for women. What are some common problems women experience with their feet?
In modern medical and clinical research, women’s health has been largely overlooked. Women are more susceptible to certain lower limb pathologies and tend to suffer with postural problems particularly with the lower back, hips, knees and feet. Why? Hormonal influences, ligamentous laxity, which affects the architecture of our feet, our hip to knee ratio (have wider hips), footwear (do we need an elaboration on that, lol) and most importantly our lifestyle. Women have busy lives and we often we forget about ourselves and our health. Which is why we acquire more musculoskeletal injuries, joint pain and skin conditions.

Children’s podiatry is another of your services. What kinds of problems do you treat in kids?
I cannot apply enough emphasis on early childhood development. Your child’s lower extremities are the developmental foundation to normal and efficient locomotor and gait movement patterns. Common pediatric conditions I have been seeing are in-toeing (pigeon toe walk is the most common), out-toeing (cowboy walk), tippy toe walking, hip pain, knee pain, foot and heel pain.

What have you been enjoying most about lockdown being over?
I am so happy to see people getting out and socialising. We were not made to be isolated, we are a race of connection and community, it’s what makes us thrive and flourish. So connecting with friends and relatives in physical form, rather than on Zoom (you served your purpose), has been incredible!

Favourite places in the inner west?
Oh my you’ve put me on the spot here, I’ll have to name a few because I go to these places ALL the time! Lil Miss Collins, Jada’s Cafe and The Fenwick (who doesn’t love that place?!).

Dr Jade Khoury runs Rosewell Clinics Podiatry in Balmain and Burwood. Visit her website for details or to book: https://rosewellclinics.com.au