Ahead of podiatrist Zainab Alnajar coming back to Pascoe Vale we sat down together to talk about all things feet, Zainab and even the Twilight saga.
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Q and A with Podiatrist Zainab
Tim and Zainab sat down to talk. Here’s the transcript.
So Zainab a question that podiatrists get asked all the time, why Podiatry?
Podiatry was a random profession I just got into. I was focusing on getting into medicine until I realised this is not what I want to do and discovered allied health. I applied to all disciplines of allied health at the end of year 12 and got accepted into podiatry.
I’d never visited a podiatrist prior so during the 4 years of studying it was interesting to learn the importance of foot health and how problematic they can be at times.
Feet don’t gross me out (why do so many people say they do?) and there is a wide range of specialisations within podiatry. Kids, sports, general, high risk, musculoskeletal podiatry.
You can never get bored in podiatry!
At PridePlus in Pascoe Vale we see clients from diverse population groups, with many different problems. How do you personalise your service?
Coming from an ethic background in a western culture I understand the challenges with the mainstream side of health care. Understanding and respecting each other ensures that during my consultations my clients will know that their issues are understood and will be managed.
Like everyone at Pride I help my clients from a person centred care and holistic approach. I’ll help you find your wins, your goals and then work with you to achieve them.
For those who speak Arabic as their first language I’m comfortable with conducting podiatry consultations in Arabic too.
Let’s talk sports. Is there anything that we can do as sub-elite and weekend warrior level sportswomen and men to help reduce our own injury risk?
Yes we can.
It is so important to understand that as much as we want to push ourselves we need to not increase the load too much or then an injury is inevitable. Understanding that we need to have the right training plans and equipment.
Get a professional opinion from a podiatrist (for foot and ankle advice) or an EP (for overall training plans) to ensure you have the best plans for you in place.
And at the risk of alienating the majority of our audience, favourite team(s)?
I don’t really follow the main Aussie sports much (just learning about AFL footy now) but growing up soccer was something we followed. I really like Ronaldo so for a long time Real Madrid was my favourite. I even saw them play a friendly game with Rome when they came to Melbourne. But he is currently with Manchester United so this is my current favourite team. Along with the Iraqi national football team, gotta support my roots!
Favourite book?
This keeps changing but currently The Love Hypothesis. I wish I could read it for the first time again.
Favourite movie?
LOL – there is no plot to this movie but it just simply is vibes and the whole cast is amazing .
Tim – Lol is 4.4/10 on IMDB! That is a niche favourite, no wonder I haven’t heard of it. Pop it on the watch list thanks Z.
As a busy full time podiatrist Zainab, how do to balance work and personal life?
Balancing the competing demands of full time work and a busy social and family schedule is tricky. I had to change many things to be able to do what I enjoy most, which is reading novels and hanging out with friends and family.
Working at Pride helps me as I enjoy the structure of my days. I know when I’m helping clients, when I’m helping my colleagues and when I’m working on personal projects. I also get to leave work at work and this gives me lots of free time to explore art galleries and exhibitions.
It’s also weird to separate work and home as I’m so used to doing work at home during my studies and previous jobs. Now I have time to watch some twilight (#teamedward) and write up a book review after I have finished reading a novel.
But this didn’t come easy.
It was hard at first to get into a routine. It took some time and support from my colleagues and also being realistic with myself too. Now though I really enjoy working at my favourite clinic with amazing staff and expanding my knowledge as a podiatrist.
And now for a free bit of podiatry advice please Zainab. I’m excited to travel again and I think I’ll be walking a lot more on the uneven cobblestone streets of Europe. Any tips?
You definitely need to strengthen and build up capacity in your muscles and tendons to handle the uneven surfaces. You can do this with resistance training exercises.
Also make sure your footwear is comfortable and updated.
Thanks podiatrist Zainab
And so ends our question and answer session with our new Pascoe Vale podiatry team member Zainab Alnajar. Zainab joins Hannah, Ben and Tim (hey that’s me) practicing podiatry in our clinic in Pascoe Vale.
Related Pages
- Pascoe Vale Podiatry
- Pascoe Vale Physiotherapy
- Pascoe Vale Exercise Physiology
- About the PridePlus Health team
