Mr Daniel Wong

Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of Podiatry with First Class Honours from the University of South Australia, where he developed a strong academic foundation in biomechanics, musculoskeletal podiatry and evidence-based clinical practice.

His honours research examined the biomechanics of knee osteoarthritis and was awarded a High Distinction. The work subsequently contributed to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Arthritis Care & Research, providing an early academic foundation for his continuing interest in lower limb biomechanics and custom foot orthoses.

During his subsequent clinical career, Daniel completed a Master of Public Health at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, broadening his training to include population health, healthcare systems and evidence-based practice.

Daniel’s published research spans both musculoskeletal biomechanics and wound care. In addition to his research on lateral wedge insoles and knee osteoarthritis biomechanics, he later co-authored a review of the TOPHAT flap technique for wound coverage during toe ray amputations, published in The Foot.

As part of his continuing clinical development, Daniel has also completed Level II certification in Foot Mobilisation and Manipulation Therapy.

Daniel’s career has progressed through increasingly senior clinical and service-leadership roles across public hospital and private practice settings.

Singapore General Hospital
Daniel began his career as a podiatrist at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) as part of the hospital’s specialist musculoskeletal podiatry team. His clinical work included assessment and management of musculoskeletal foot and lower limb conditions, biomechanical assessment, orthotic management and rehabilitation planning.

As his responsibilities increased, Daniel progressed to the role of Senior Podiatrist and took on additional responsibilities in the supervision and development of students and junior clinicians.

During his time at SGH, Daniel contributed to the development of clinical pathways within the musculoskeletal service. In 2018, the department adopted a plantar fasciitis clinical protocol developed by Daniel, establishing a structured progression from conservative to advanced management together with clearer criteria for further medical investigation or referral.

He also contributed to a right-siting pathway designed to identify patients who required further medical assessment rather than continued podiatry management.

Daniel’s hospital practice extended beyond musculoskeletal care. He was also part of the clinical team performing nail surgery for ingrown toenails, developing procedural experience in both conservative and surgical management of recurrent and problematic ingrown nail conditions.

Multidisciplinary Private Practice
Daniel subsequently moved into private practice, where he established a podiatry service within a multidisciplinary rehabilitation centre.

Working closely with physiotherapists, he developed clinical assessment processes, an orthotic prescription workflow and a post-operative rehabilitation pathway. This experience strengthened his approach to integrating podiatric treatment, biomechanics, custom foot orthoses and progressive rehabilitation.

The role also gave Daniel experience in independently developing clinical systems and translating the structured care pathways of hospital practice into a multidisciplinary private rehabilitation environment.

National University Hospital
Daniel later returned to the public healthcare system as a Senior Podiatrist at National University Hospital (NUH), where he was appointed Lead for Rehabilitation Services within the podiatry section.

His leadership responsibilities encompassed musculoskeletal podiatry, custom foot orthoses and lower limb rehabilitation, together with the development and oversight of rehabilitation workflows, clinical standards and treatment pathways within the service.

In 2024, Daniel developed NUH’s shockwave therapy care pathway, including condition-specific treatment protocols and guidance on treatment parameters, and trained colleagues in its clinical application.

Daniel also continued his procedural practice at NUH as part of the clinical team performing nail surgery for ingrown toenails, extending his hospital-based nail surgery experience across both SGH and NUH.

Straits Podiatry
Daniel is now a Principal Podiatrist at Straits Podiatry, drawing on the clinical, multidisciplinary and leadership experience developed throughout his career in Singapore’s public hospitals and private healthcare settings.

Daniel’s principal clinical interests are musculoskeletal foot and lower limb conditions, custom foot orthoses (insoles), ingrown toenail surgery, plantar wart management and lower limb rehabilitation.

Musculoskeletal Foot & Lower Limb Conditions
Daniel’s interest in musculoskeletal podiatry began personally. Recurrent ankle problems during his school years eventually ended his participation in competitive rugby and soccer, giving him an early appreciation of how lower limb injury can affect performance, activity and everyday function.

Today, he commonly manages plantar fasciitis and heel pain, ankle sprains and instability, flat feet, high arches and Achilles tendinopathy, together with other musculoskeletal conditions affecting the foot and lower limb.

Daniel views these problems as multifactorial. His assessment considers tissue quality and integrity, biomechanics, strength, previous injury and activity demands, rather than focusing only on the painful structure.

Where tissue injury or overload is present, his treatment philosophy follows a progression: support tissue recovery, address biomechanical factors contributing to irritation or overload, and progressively restore the tissue’s capacity to tolerate the demands the patient wants to return to.

Custom Foot Orthoses (Insoles)
Daniel prescribes custom foot orthoses, commonly known as insoles, where there is a meaningful structural or mechanical contribution to symptoms or where redistribution of load may help reduce stress on an irritated or compromised structure.

He does not view orthoses as a standalone treatment. They are generally used as one component of a broader management plan alongside rehabilitation, footwear strategies, activity modification and progressive loading.

The objective is not simply to support the foot, but to use orthotic therapy for a defined mechanical or load-redistribution purpose while the affected tissues recover and their capacity is progressively restored.

Ingrown Toenail Management & Nail Surgery
Daniel has extensive experience in ingrown toenail management and nail surgery, developed through his clinical work at both Singapore General Hospital and National University Hospital as well as in private practice.

His hospital experience exposed him to the consequences of recurrent or poorly controlled ingrown toenails, including persistent pain, inflammation, infection and repeated episodes requiring treatment. Although conservative care may be appropriate in selected cases, repeated trimming may provide only temporary relief when an underlying structural nail problem remains.

For recurrent or established ingrown toenails, Daniel therefore places emphasis on determining whether more definitive treatment is appropriate. Where medically suitable, nail surgery can address the offending portion of the nail and its growth centre (nail matrix), reducing the need for repeated symptomatic treatment.

Treatment remains individualised according to the severity and duration of the condition, previous treatment response and the patient’s medical history and overall risk profile.

Plantar Wart Management
Daniel has a particular interest in plantar wart management, including persistent, recurrent and treatment-resistant lesions.

Treatment decisions consider the number of lesions, duration, pain, previous treatment response, recurrence and the contagious nature of the underlying viral infection.

Management may include cryotherapy, with treatment response reviewed rather than continuing the same approach indefinitely without meaningful improvement. Persistent or recalcitrant plantar warts may require escalation to more intensive treatment or wart removal.

Lower Limb Rehabilitation
Daniel’s approach to lower limb rehabilitation is centred on restoring capacity and helping patients return to the activities that matter to them.

This is particularly relevant for chronic overload conditions, recurrent ankle instability and persistent musculoskeletal problems where the demands placed on the tissues exceed their current capacity.

Rehabilitation may involve progressive loading, strengthening, mobility work, activity modification, biomechanical management and custom foot orthoses where indicated.

Daniel places particular emphasis on helping patients understand the balance between tissue wear and tissue repair. His aim is for patients to become active participants in their own recovery, with a clearer understanding of how loading, activity and recovery influence their symptoms and longer-term function.

Daniel Wong has received academic and clinical recognition across his university training and hospital career.

In 2012, Daniel was awarded the Singapore General Hospital Overseas Merit Scholarship for Podiatry to pursue his podiatry degree at the University of South Australia.

During his undergraduate training at the University of South Australia, he received the Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation and Annual Merit Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

During his clinical career at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Daniel received the Service with a Heart Award in 2016 and 2021, the Heart of Gold Award in 2017, and the CEO Service Award in 2018.

The SGH CEO Service Award is the hospital’s highest service-quality accolade, and Daniel remains the only podiatrist to have received the award.

Daniel Wong has been involved in clinical education, professional teaching and public-facing health education across hospital, professional and corporate settings in Singapore.

At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Daniel became increasingly involved in the supervision and development of podiatry students and junior clinicians. He completed formal educator training through SingHealth’s Academic Medicine Education Institute (AM·EI) and obtained his Clinical Educator Certification in 2020, formalising his role as a clinical educator within the department.

He continued clinical teaching and mentoring at National University Hospital (NUH), extending his experience in the development of students and junior podiatrists across two major public hospital systems.

Daniel has also been invited to speak on musculoskeletal foot conditions, foot health and chronic disease management to professional and public audiences. At SGH, he delivered educational sessions for hospital staff and participated in a public talk held in conjunction with the Orthopaedic Department on common musculoskeletal foot conditions.

His external speaking engagements have included invited foot-health and musculoskeletal education for organisations including Continental Tyres, Great Eastern and Agilent Technologies Singapore.

Daniel has also delivered a keynote address on chronic disease management at a professional conference.

Daniel Wong has contributed expert commentary on foot health to the Singapore media.

In 2018, while practising at Singapore General Hospital, Daniel was quoted by Yahoo News Singapore on diabetic foot screening and patient education.

In October 2025, Daniel was the sole podiatry expert consulted by CNA Lifestyle for a feature examining the foot-health implications of low-profile sneakers, where he was identified as Principal Podiatrist at Straits Podiatry.

1. Arnold JB, Wong D, Jones RK, Hill CL, Thewlis D.
Lateral Wedge Insoles for Reducing Biomechanical Risk Factors for Medial Knee
Osteoarthritis Progression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Arthritis Care & Research. 2016;68(7):936–951. PMID: 26605535.

2. Sim N, Lee S, Yap HY, Tan QY, Tan J, Wong D, Chau A, Mak M, Chong TT, Tay HT.
A review of the Turned-down Onto Pericapsular-tissue Hemisectioned Amputated Toe (TOPHAT) flap for wound coverage during ray amputations of the toes.
The Foot. 2021;47:101803. PMID: 33964533.