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Orthotics: Footwear to Relieve Foot Problems
Pedorthists use footwear and pedorthic devices to help ease foot problems. A certified pedorthist works as the part of the health care team by dispensing or modifying footwear products to keep people as mobile as possible. Alan O'Hara, of When The Shoe Fits, is a C.Ped. that has studied shoe construction and modification, foot orthotic materials and fabrication, and lower extremity anatomy, physiology and biomechanics.
Functioning BetterEven people who don't require medical evaluation and treatment can benefit from better inserts in their shoes, simply to make the shoes function better. Whether your goal is to improve performance in sporting events or compensating for the effects of disease or trauma, orthotics can make your life better. Modification, Fabrication and FittingShoe modification may be external, internal, or both. External modifications frequently used to stabilize the foot include flares and wedges. Also, ambulation can be improved with various types of rocker soles and elevations. Internal modifications are intended to adapt the interior surface of the shoe for the contours of the patient's foot. Because fit is a critical part of pedorthics, special care is taken to ensure that their footwear fits and functions properly, particularly if the prescription includes both an orthosis and a shoe. Conservative Health CareEspecially when undertaken at the onset of a foot condition, pedorthics can reduce pain and a later need for hospitalization or surgery. Because orthotics are non-invasive, they are a good alternative to use for improving the health of your feet and quality of life. In that way, pedorthics can truly be cost-effective. |
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Over the course of a lifetime, most people experience
some type of foot problem. It may be as simple as a blister or callus,
or something complicated enough to require hospitalization. But the
majority of foot problems, although they can be serious in degree, are
relatively routine in nature.
