Benefits Of Working With Pedorthists

Pedorthists work in several settings, from clinics to specialty stores, and sometimes make home visits for patients who cannot come into the office. Most pedorthists whom clinics employ have secure health insurance and vacation time.

They begin with a doctor’s prescription and then create, fit, and adjust devices for patients. They also use worn shoe analysis to observe patterns that indicate foot type, asymmetries, and other problems.

Pedorthists Are Health Care Professionals

Expert pedorthists providing customized footwear solutions fabricate, fit, adjust, and modify foot orthotics (including custom shoe inserts), ankle braces, shoes, and other devices that alleviate pain, improve balance, increase circulation, and help people retain mobility. They work closely with doctors to prevent or relieve painful and disabling conditions of the feet and lower limbs.

Credentialed Pedorthists work in medical facilities, podiatrists’ offices, hospitals, and shoe stores. They also conduct research in labs and operate specialty shoe stores.

Pedorthists must complete numerous hours of apprenticeship and study to become credentialed. They learn about lower limb anatomy and pathology, gait analysis, footwear fitting, foot and ankle orthotic fabrication, design and materials, and patient/practice management. They use the results of their examinations and trials to make adjustments, then evaluate the footwear or device to ensure it functions properly. Pedorthists also conduct follow-up visits to assess how well the device works and provide additional instruction to their patients. They maintain precise records of each interaction and adjustment.

They Help You Find The Right Shoes

Pedorthists are skilled at selecting, modifying, or making footwear to help keep people active and comfortable. They can provide devices like night splints, bandages, braces, partial foot prosthetics, and custom-made shoes.

Often, when someone is experiencing pain when walking or running, they will be referred to a pedorthist by their doctor. Pedorthists can prescribe the right shoes to ease the pain and restore their foot function and ability to walk without pain.

Credentialed pedorthists work in various settings, including specialty shoe stores and orthotic/prosthetic patient care clinics, research labs, hospitals, and home visits for people who cannot access the shop or clinic. Most pedorthists in clinical or retail environments have set 40-hour work weeks and are offered benefits like sick days, vacation and holiday time, health insurance, and retirement savings plans. This unique career allows them to spend their workdays with people, a rewarding and exciting experience for those who enjoy working with others.

They Help You Stay Active

As the baby boomer population ages, pedorthists are in high demand. Their knowledge of lower limb orthopedic footwear and lower limb prosthetics helps people stay active and live a healthy lifestyle. Those who want to become pedorthists should have good manual dexterity and enjoy working with people. They should also keep up to date with new technological medical advancements and understand how to apply them to help patients.

A pedorthist is a Canadian-certified healthcare professional specializing in alleviating lower limb/foot pain, irregularities, and chronically debilitating conditions by designing and constructing pedorthic devices, including footwear and orthotics. Kintec pedorthists have extensive knowledge in assessing lower limb anatomy and muscle/joint function to create comprehensive treatments that include preventive, corrective, and accommodative measures. In addition, they are one of the few professionals who can provide custom-made shoes for those with foot shapes that fall outside the standard bell curve for off-the-shelf footwear.

They Help You Avoid Injuries

Pedorthists are experts at using footwear and foot orthotics to solve lower-limb-related problems. They are skilled at assessing feet, fitting and customizing footwear, and making orthotic devices, including shoe lifts. They are also experts at making other footwear adjustments inside and outside a shoe to help alleviate discomfort or prevent injury.

Each year, 1.2 million Canadians are sidelined from their favorite activities due to sport-related injuries that could have been prevented with footwear and foot orthotics. Pedorthists can assess your biomechanical faults to see if your foot type suits an over-the-counter device or if you require a more customized solution.

Pedorthists working in shoe stores and clinics usually have a 40-hour work week and receive paid sick days, vacation days, and insurance benefits. In addition, they are often offered retirement savings plans and other perks. Those who practice in hospitals and different multidisciplinary settings typically have a flexible schedule to accommodate patient needs.100%