Comfort Shoe Specialists
11693 Manchester Rd
St. Louis, MO 63131
314-822-3300
Some Say Orthotics, Some Say Orthoses
What is on orthotic, anyway? And have you ever seen an orthodic? Of course we all know what people mean when they use them terms, but to be grammatically correct, we should use the terms "orthotic device," "orthosis," and for plurality, "orthoses." An orthosis, of course, is an appliance used to support, align, prevent, or to correct deformities or to improve the function of movable parts of the body. Of particular interest to us are those devices to benefit the foot and ankle.
The foot is a remarkable structure comprised of 28 bones (including two sesamoid bones), 29 joints, 42 ligaments, 19 intrinsic muscles, and I 3 miles of blood vessels and nerves. This complicated yet often under appreciated organ is charged with the task of carrying us approximately 100.000 miles over our lifetime, while absorbing about 400,000 pounds of force daily!
Is it any wonder so many people have sore feet? When only one of the aforementioned components begins to malfunction, discomfort is inevitable. One of the most effective yet conservative ways to alleviate this pain is with the use of properly fitted shoes and foot orthoses.
A properly fitted shoe gives the foot the room it needs to function as intended, while providing a stable, reliable, advantageous base. Orthoses are designed to keep the foot in its most efficient alignment. The combination of shoes and orthoses accommodates or corrects the biomechanical deficiencies of each individual foot, depending on the patient and malady, much as a pair of eyeglasses accommodates or corrects optical deficiencies.
The combination of shoe and orthosis is at least as important as either the shoe or the orthosis individually. To carry the analogy of eyeglasses a little further, prescribing a pair of loot orthoses for a patient is like prescribing a pair of eyeglass lenses, but not the frames. If the patient is left to her own designs, the frames (shoes) may not fit the lenses (orthoses), and she will not get the desired outcome.
The job of a certified pedorthist is to fill your prescription by presenting your patient with a complete footwear package that will optimally address the source of foot pain. This includes (with as much or as little physician direction as desired) design and fabrication of orthoses, proper selection of shoes (for both size and function), and modifications to either or both shoes and orthoses.
You can learn more about pedorthics and find a pedorthist in your area by going to the Board for Certification in Pedorthics Web site. www.cpeds.org There is no reason for your patients, or you for that matter, to contend with foot pain. See a pedorthist and find out how good life is when you’re not thinking about how badly you feet hurt.