This guest blog post comes from Kathleen Klement, Canadian Certified Pedorthist with SoleScience. For more than 10 years, SoleScience in London has been providing custom foot orthoses, gait analysis, and personalized advice to London and the surrounding area. Today she discusses the importance of foot health and what to expect from your foot care professional.

Feet: The Foundation for Healthy Living

No matter what your age, occupation or lifestyle, having healthy feet is an important component of overall health. Most people will experience foot pain at some point in their lives, with some conditions being inherited genetically and other stemming from overuse, poor footwear or other acute incidents. Many believe that foot pain is a normal part of life and that they must endure it at one point or another…this is completely not true!

The foot is a complex structure of 26 bones, over 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons working harmoniously to keep us moving. Being one of the furthest structures from the core of your body, the feet can often provide important information about other health concerns. This is why it is so important to incorporate a regular foot assessment into your preventative healthcare routine.

Like any other complex system, the feet require the care of a specialist when an injury occurs.

Canadian Certified Pedorthists (C Ped (C)s) are specially trained in the assessment of a myriad of foot disorders. With extensive training in biomechanics, gait analysis, and lower limb anatomy, Pedorthists can help achieve and maintain proper foot health and keep you doing the things that you love. You can be confident that you will see results and get back on your feet sooner when you make an appointment to see a professional with focused expertise.

At SoleScience, our passion is getting you back to yours. We pride ourselves on the ethical provision of orthotics; we devote our time to creating customized, comprehensive treatment plans that cater to your individual needs. We know that one treatment, shoe or orthotic style simply does not work for everyone, so our team of experts will work with you to find the right course of treatment for you. We provide a range of services to treat conditions of the foot and lower limb such as custom and off-the-shelf orthotics, footwear modifications and recommendations, compression stockings, pathology-specific home exercise programs, and much more. With a holistic approach, we focus on you, not just your injury or condition.

Comprehensive assessment

 Your initial appointment with your SoleScience Pedorthist will begin with a comprehensive history. We know that there is often no single cause of foot pain, and we seek to uncover any and all causes for your discomfort. We will discuss your activities, hobbies, occupation and discuss the footwear used for each.

We will then perform a standing assessment, gait analysis, and non-weight bearing assessment which will include specific tests, range of motion testing and functional assessment to identify areas of concern or dysfunction.

After the assessment, your SoleScience Pedorthist will discuss their findings with you, explaining how what they have observed plays a role in your pain, treatment, and recovery.

Custom tailored treatment plan

Depending on your individual needs, your Pedorthist will discuss your options for treatment with you. This may or may not include orthotics. We firmly believe that orthotics work well for many conditions, but know that in some cases orthotics are not the only answer. In the cases when a simple training or footwear change, off-the-shelf insole or alternate referral is all you need, we will make sure you’re well informed. If custom orthotics are the best course of treatment, we will discuss this with you in detail. Customizing a treatment plan is not only about choosing the right elements for you, but also including you as a part of the plan. We know that when patients are included as a part of the plan, they see better results.

If custom orthotics are determined to be a part of your treatment plan, a 3D mould of your foot will be taken to get things started. In most cases, we will use a foam box to take 3D impression of your foot, but other methods, such as plaster, may be used, depending on your condition.

Rigorous follow-up

Whether or not your treatment plan includes orthotics, your relationship with your SoleScience Pedorthist does not end at your pick-up appointment. We provide rigorous follow-up with each patient, via phone, email, or appointment to ensure that you are not only comfortable and able to wear your orthotics, but that you are also seeing the results we were expecting. We provide support, educational resources, and follow-up via email and in-person to ensure that all of your needs are being met.

Follow-up appointments vary from person to person and are provided to each of our patients at no cost. We recognize that each patient has different needs, which includes alterations and follow-up. We welcome every patient back in at any time to discuss concerns, or to have orthotics altered if things aren't quite right.

When should you see a professional?

As foot health is an important component of your overall health, incorporating a foot assessment into your regular preventative healthcare routine is recommended. Your chiropractor, family doctor, nurse practitioner or another primary care provider may be able to include a foot assessment in your routine physical, or they may recommend that you book an appointment to see a Pedorthist for a comprehensive exam.

While many people can manage minor foot pain on their own, there are several reasons you may want to see a Pedorthist:

• Sports injuries
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Plantar Fasciitis (Heel pain)
• Bunions or hammertoes
• Tendonitis of the foot or over leg
• Other significant foot pain

If you or someone you know is persevering with foot pain, know that the pain doesn’t have to persist! Call LifeHouse Chiropractic today for more information!