 |
A Pedorthist is an individual who has studied foot and ankle anatomy,
shoe construction and modification. The Pedorthists on our staff have
been tested and accepted by the AMERICAN BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION OF ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS. In addition, they participate in continuing
education programs to maintain their certification.
Pedorthic Solutions
The average person walks over 100,000 miles during a lifetime - that's
the equivalent of four trips around the world! When walking, we put
three times our bodyweight on each foot with every step. For a person
weighing 150 pounds, that comes out to almost 5 million pounds of
pressure on each foot - every day!
The human foot is made up of 26 bones, 19 muscles, 33 joints, 119
ligaments, about 20 tendons, three arteries and five nerves. With all
that walking and so many intricate components of the foot, it's easy
to see why four out of every five Americans will experience a foot
problem at some point.
Those problems can be something as simple as a callus or blister, or
something complicated enough to require surgery. Problems can be cause
by overuse or by traumatic injury; or they can be caused by a
systematic disease, such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
Pedorthists uses therapeutic footwear to help ease or eliminate these
foot problems. Therapeutic footwear includes shoes (either custom or
off-the-shelf), shoe modifications, socks and foot orthoses. The
pedorthist's main goal is to help a patient enjoy a pain-free,
ambulatory lifestyle.
Pedorthists work mainly from a prescription provided by a physician.
While most of the work a pedorthist does is with prescription footwear
and custom-made orthoses, there are many over-the-counter solutions
for people who haven't had or don't need a medical evaluation.
Many manufacturers make shoes specifically for pedorthic use. These
shoes are called 'depth' shoes. They have factory insoles that are
easily removed for replacement with foot orthoses. The toe area is
"roomy" and can be readily modified. Nowadays, these shoes include
many styles - from a wingtip-dress shoe to a running shoe to a hiking
boot. In cases of severe deformity, a pedorthist will actually
custom-make a shoe from a model of the patient's foot. It is often
necessary to modify a shoe with modifications such as wedges, flares,
lifts, rocker soles, or additional padding.
Foot orthoses can be fabricated to fit a wide variety of shoes. A
custom-made orthosis is made from a model of the patient's foot -
either an actual model of the foot or a computer-generated model.
There are literally hundreds of different materials used to fabricate
foot orthoses, and a pedorthist is an expert at determining the
correct combination of materials for each individual patient.
|
|
|
Cost of Pedorthics
The cost of foot surgery and recovery is more than $3.5 billion every
year in the U.S. Pedorthic care, undertaken at the onset of a problem,
can reduce pain and many times alleviate the need for surgery and/or
hospitalization. Customarily, charges for pedorthics are based on what
shoes, orthoses, or other services or products are required. The costs
vary depending on factors like the choice of materials used or the
complexity of the problem. Most pedorthists see patients by
appointment, and there may or may not be a separate fee for an initial
evaluation. During the initial evaluations, the pedorthist can offer
an estimate of what is needed before the patient agrees to proceed
with the work. Many health insurance providers recognize the
preventative benefits of pedorthic care. Pedorthics, because it is
conservative care, can be very cost-effective |
|
|
|
