What is a Pedorthist? And Other Foot Related Lingo
What is a Pedorthist? And Other Foot Related Lingo
“You should see your orthopedic specialist.” Excuse me, what? “Make an appointment with your favorite Podiatrist.” Uhm, where? “Have you talked to your Certified Pedorthist about your Plantar Fasciitis yet?” Pedorthist? Plantars what?!
If this is you, don’t worry! I’ll do my best to explain. For starters, I am a Certified Pedorthist. Our “letter” tag on the end of our name reads, “C.Ped.” To be a Certified Pedorthist, one needs to complete all the required training, education, clinical experience, and passed the Pedorthic Certification exam. We must also have regular continuing education to keep our certifications, and our knowledge base wide. We receive referrals, and prescriptions, from family physicians, orthopedists, podiatrists, and some from integrated and functional members of the health care system.
There are a myriad of things that I, as a C.Ped., can do for you, if you’re having foot issues. While referrals are nice, often time I can help assess your foot situation, and then work towards a non-surgical treatment plan. Here is a small list of some of the more common things myself, and other Certified Pedorthists do on a regular basis.
Assessments & Help from a Certified Pedorthist!
- The evaluation and documentation of: Biomechanics;
- Gait analysis including temporal and spatial assessment;
- Range of motion;
- Footwear analysis;
- Review of potentially complicated health factors;
- Circulation;
- Skin integrity;
- Pedorthic requirements;
- Proprioperception and environmental barriers including social, home and work integration.
- Alleviating painful or debilitating conditions of the lower limb;
- Accommodation of foot deformities;
- Re-alignment of anatomical structures;
- Redistribution of external and internal forces;
- Improvement of balance;
- Control of biomechanical function;
- Accommodation of circulatory special requirements; and,
- Enhancement of the actions or limbs compromised as a result of accident, congenital deformity, neural condition, or disease.
Casting and measuring for custom footwear and/or orthotics;
- Material selection and fabrication;
- Fitting and adjusting orthoses (sometimes called orthotics);
- Fitting and modifying standard and orthopedic footwear;
- Accommodating/incorporating complementary assistive devices;
- Fabrication of Pedorthic devices;
- Device structural evaluation;
- Patient education and instruction.
- Documentation of functional changes;
- Formulation of modifications to ensure successful outcomes;
- Reassessment of patient expectations;
- Reassessment of treatment objectives;
- Development of long term treatment plan;
- Confirmation of patient education and instruction.
Other Commonly Used Terms in the Foot Care Business
Orthopedic: n. (used with a sing. verb)
The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention or correction of injuries or disorders of the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints, and ligaments.
Diabetic Shoes: Special shoes that allow orthotics to be worn inside; that do not apply pressure in the wrong places, and can accommodate room for bunions, swelling, and other issues.
Orthotic: n.
- a device or support used to relieve or correct an orthopedic problem, esp. of the foot.
Orthosis: n, pl -ses (-siːz)
- (Medicine) an artificial or mechanical aid, such as a brace, to support or assist movement of a weak or injured part of the body
Prosthetic: adj.
- Serving as or relating to a prosthesis.
- Of or relating to prosthetics.
Prosthesis: n. pl. pros·the·ses (-sēz)
- An artificial device used to replace a missing body part, such as a limb, tooth, eye, or heart valve.
- Replacement of a missing body part with such a device.
Podiatrist: n.
a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders. Also called chiropodist.
Podiatry: n.
The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the human foot. Also called chiropody
Resources Used:
FreeDictionary.com