Thera-Ped Orthotic Clinic in Highfield Square is launching Footcare Health Moncton to help you take care of your feet. Moncton's Thera-Ped Orthotic Clinic location, adjoins the Shoe Tree shoe store location and features Canadian Certified Pedorthist, Joseph Deny Pierre Dallaire. Thera-Ped Clinic manager Alison Smith and pedorthist Deny Dallaire offer a specialist service for those requiring custom crafted foot care health products, and offer medical, corrective footwear accessories.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
If My Feet Hurt, Does This Mean That I Need Foot Orthotics?
The short answer to this question is NO. In my experience, the first line of defense for managing foot pain is footwear. In today’s society, shoes come in many shapes and sizes. In fact, some shoe styles are not even conducive to the shape of the human foot. Yet people still wear them on regular basis. This creates undue stress on the tissues and joints of the feet and subsequently leads to foot pain.
That being said, many times people have come into our clinic for an assessment, thinking that they need custom orthotics, when all they really needed was the correct shoe to fit their foot. It is actually estimated that 20 to 30 percent of Canadians do no wear the correct type of shoe. Although buying expensive and well built shoes can be a good thing, if the shoes you picked out don’t have the correct characteristics for your foot type, the price of the shoes will become meaningless because they won’t be comfortable.
If you’re assessed by a Canadian Certified Pedorthist and it is determined that you do not require foot orthotics, he or she will then be able to guide you in choosing footwear that will fit correctly and also have the necessary construction to help manage your foot pain.
Following are some very simple tips to keep in mind:
Wear activity-specific footwear. This simply means that you should wear shoes that are constructed for what you are doing.. Therefore, if you need to walk to the bank on your dinner hour, walk there with your walking shoes or sneakers as opposed to your dress shoes.
If you suffer from foot pain, put away your “dressier” or “fancier” shoes for a short period of time and wear comfort/casual footwear while your feet recuperate. You will be surprised how quickly they do.
If you need to wear dress shoes for work, wear comfort footwear until you get to work, slip on your dress shoes at work, then take them off when you leave.
If your shoes come with laces, tie them. If they come with straps, fasten them. If they come with buckles, buckle them. Those fasteners are there for a reason.
If you have foot pain, look at the shape of your foot, then look at the shape of your shoes. If they aren’t the same, chances are that’s part of the problem.
If your foot pain lasts for several days or becomes debilitating, consult your family Doctor.
For more information about Pedorthics, visit www.pedorthic.ca or call Thera-Ped Foot and Ankle Clinic.
Any time you suffer from pain in the legs and/or feet, you should first consult your family physician. He or she will then decide whether to refer you to a Canadian Certified Pedorthist.
Canadian Certified Pedorthists are one of the few healthcare professionals educated in the assessment, design, fit, manufacture and modification of foot orthotics and footwear. To become certified, Canadian Certified Pedorthists undergo a rigorous training and examination process, which includes testing their knowledge of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology of the legs and feet, foot orthotic fabrication and modification as well as footwear fitting and modification.
As footwear and foot orthotics experts, Canadian Certified Pedorthists work as members of a health care team to alleviate painful or crippling conditions and/or restrictions in the legs and feet. With the recommendation of a physician or other prescribing healthcare practitioner, Canadian Certified Pedorthists provide foot orthotics and footwear to assist in:
• Accommodation of foot deformities • Realignment of the feet and legs • Redistribution of external and internal forces acting on the feet and legs • Improvement of balance • Controlling the function of the feet and legs • Accommodation for circulation problems in the feet and legs. • Helping lack of function in the feet and legs resulting from accidents/trauma, deformity, disease or nerve and muscular disorders.
Canadian Certified Pedorthists work alongside healthcare professionals, like your physician, to fill prescriptions for footwear and orthotics and make recommendations regarding appropriate footwear management.
All Canadian Certified Pedorthists are members of the College of Pedorthics of Canada and the Pedorthics Association of Canada. For more information, visit: www.cpedcs.ca and http://www.pedorthic.ca..
One of the most common complaints that people have regarding their custom made foot orthotics is that they do not fit into all of their shoes. In short, that’s because:
1. Not all footwear is meant to accommodate orthotics, nor should you always need to wear your orthotics in all of your footwear.
2. No one pair of orthotics will fit into every shoe. In fact, your initial orthotic devices are more than likely made to fit into a deeper type of shoe, such as a comfort walking shoe or a sneaker.
3. Your orthotics are designed with a specific treatment plan in mind and meant to relieve your symptoms. The type of shoe you need to wear is often part of that plan.
In order to demonstrate this, let’s use the following example: A person that works in an office environment complains to their doctor of heel pain. He/She enjoys walking and running for exercise. However, when at work, the dress code requires dress attire and his/her dress shoes do not accommodate orthotics.
Their doctor prescribes pedorthic therapy in the form of custom-made foot orthotics. He/She then sees a Canadian Certified your pedorthist will try to accommodate as much of your existing footwear.
How Can Footwear and Foot Orthotics Help Manage My Arthritis?
Arthritis comes in many forms. Basically they all involve some form of inflammation in the joints. Therefore pain is experienced when pressure is applied to these stiff and inflamed joints. In the case of your feet, forces coming from the ground can sometimes equal 4 times your body weight. Therefore, any decrease in these forces will help decrease the pain caused by arthritis.
In order to reduce these forces, a Canadian Certified Pedorthist will use special materials in order to create a full-contact foot orthotic device; a full contact will spread your body weight over a larger surface and accommodate inflammation, thus reducing high areas of pressure. Moreover, when we add additional supports or cushioning to the orthotics, ground reaction forces can be reduced even more.
When addressing stiff joints however, footwear is even more important than foot orthotics. Choosing the right shoe with the correct upper and sole constructions will go a long way in reducing strain on arthritic joints. As a Canadian Certified Pedorthist, I am trained to guide you in your choice of footwear.
Deformed arthritic feet are usually dealt with by modifying shoes. Our goal in this case is not to correct, but more to accommodate for the deformity. At Thera-Ped, we see foot deformities on a regular basis and provide a variety of specialty footwear and modifications to help manage the arthritis in your feet.
Speak with your physician to see if pedorthic therapy is right for you. For more information about pedorthic management of arthritis, visit www.pedorthic.ca or call Thera-Ped Foot and Ankle Clinic for an appointment at 506-382-FOOT (3668).
I have worked with virtually every casting method out there and in my opinion, there is no one casting method that I find to be better than another. Moreover, no method seems to bring forth better results. It really boils down to the imagination of the person making your foot orthotics. Permit me to elaborate…
A foot orthotic device is considered “custom-made” if it is created from raw materials that are molded to a three-dimensional representation of the foot. This three-dimensional representation is also referred to as a cast. The three most common casting methods used among pedorthic practitioners are: (1) Slipper Casting using plaster of Paris, (2) Foam casting using memory foam and (3) Computer Casting using a CAD/CAM system. Each one of these systems has their strong and weak points. However, a good clinician will know how to use the strengths of each system to their maximum.
When making a pair of orthotics, you have in front of you more than just a pair of feet. You have a real person. This person has friends, family and a lifestyle that is more than likely very different from the next person in the waiting room. Therefore, there are many aspects to consider before deciding on how to build foot orthotics for this person.
Plaster and foam casting systems allow Pedorthists to use virtually any material (by itself or in combination with other materials) when building orthotics. The chosen material(s) can be heated, then vacuum-formed to the cast. At Thera-Ped, we use anywhere between 30 and 40 different materials in the course of a month. The significant disadvantage to these systems is that the process for creating the foot orthotics is very time consuming.
Computer generated casts have their advantages as well. They are quick and clean ways of taking three-dimensional casts of the feet. Because of this, they allow the Pedorthist to make a pair of orthotics much quicker than with the other methods. They also allow the Technician making the orthotics to see what the modified cast will look like before even starting the manufacturing process. However, the disadvantage to computerized casting systems is due to the proprietary nature of the systems. The choice of materials you can use is severely limited. These systems mill the orthotics from pre-manufactured blocks. The blocks are available from the manufacturer of the computer systems. Therefore, the choice of materials from which to make orthotics is restricted by the manufacturer of the blocks.
In the end, the patient must decide what method they think will work best for them. For more information about Pedorthics in Canada, please visit: www.pedorthic.ca or www.cpedcs.ca.
There are over 100 types of arthritis, but they basically are grouped into 1 of 2 categories. The first category is “mechanical arthritis” and involves disease in the cartilage of the bones. Osteoarthritis is probably the most well known form of arthritis to fall into this category. The second category is called “inflammatory arthritis” and involves inflammation of the synovium (or lining) around the joint.
Regardless of the type of arthritis you have, any pressure or overuse applied to an affected joint can be very painful. That’s where a Canadian Certified Pedorthist can help. Following a referral from your doctor, Pedorthists work to reduce the pressure and use of affected joints by using two types of therapy.
The first type of therapy is called “orthotic therapy” and is the most commonly used. Custom foot orthotics, when carefully designed, can significantly reduce pressure on affected joints of the feet, ankles and even the knees. Moreover they can redistribute the forces applied to the feet from the ground below.
The second form of therapy is called “shoe therapy.” This involves using either specialty footwear or modified footwear that works to change how the foot functions. A properly modified shoe can reduce the pressure exerted on some joints of the feet by at least 50% in some cases.
Remember, these therapies are meant to be a compliment to whatever other therapies your doctor has prescribed. Talk to your physician to see if pedorthic therapy is right for you.
At Thera-Ped Moncton: “We’re with you every step of the way.” / Chez Thera-Ped Moncton: “Ensemble, un pas à la fois.”
A Pedorthist is a person who is trained in helping painful or debilitating conditions of the feet and legs by using, fabricating or modifying footwear and/or orthotic foot devices.
The College of Pedorthics of Canada (CPC) is the regulatory body that is responsible for certifying Pedorthists in Canada. To be eligible for certification, every candidate must be a member of the Pedorthic Association of Canada in good standing.
The CPC ensures that certified members are accountable for upholding the pedorthic profession to the highest standards of practice. The CPC institutes stringent guidelines that assure public safety and instill confidence in the services that Pedorthists provide. The following is a list of Canadian Certified Pedorthists practicing in New Brunswick:
Daniel Box, C Ped Tech (C), C Ped (C) A.R. Menzies & Sons, Fredericton, N.B.
Pierre Bujold, C Ped (C) Pierre Bujold Foot Centre, Campbellton, N.B.
Alan Busse, C Ped (C) Maritime Orthopedic, Moncton, N.B.
Michael Daigle, C Ped (C) Thera-Ped Ltd., Saint John, N.B.
Deny Dallaire, C Ped (C) Thera-Ped Moncton, Moncton, N.B.
Wayne Dryer, C Ped (C) Thera-Ped Ltd., Saint John, N.B.
John Hooper, C Ped (C) The Foot Health Centre-The Shoe Fits, Hampton, N.B.
Jean-Martin McGraw, C Ped Tech (C), C Ped (C) Chaussures McGraw Inc., Tracadie-Sheila, N.B.
Jason Power, C Ped (C) Maritime Orthopedic, Moncton, N.B.
Jonathan Robinson, C Ped Tech (C), C Ped (C) Able Orthotics Ltd, Fredericton, N.B.
Terry Trask, COFS, C Ped (C) Thera-Ped Ltd., Saint John, N.B.
Derek Whalen, C Ped Tech (C), C Ped (C) Metro Health Services, Hampton, N.B.
For more information, contact The College of Pedorthics of Canada at 1-866-819-4354 or info@cpedcs.ca or visit www.cpedcs.ca.
Shopping, baking and dancing are part of almost everyone’s routine at this time of year. After a morning of baking in your kitchen, an afternoon of shopping at the mall and an evening of dancing at the office Christmas party, your feet will have suffered considerable abuse. Here are some simple things you can do to help with foot pain over the holidays:
Wear the proper footwear for your activity: So when you’re preparing the Christmas cookies while standing on your kitchen’s ceramic floor, wear your sneakers rather than the knitted slippers that your grandmother knitted. These will support your feet and prevent the muscles in your legs and feet from getting tired. The same applies for when you’re out shopping. At any other time of year, the average person logs about 15,000 steps per day. If you add holiday shopping into the mix, this number could easily increase to 30,000 steps. That’s quite a hike! Therefore, save the stiletto heels for the office party and wear a good and supportive pair of walking shoes or sneakers. You can also add an over-the-counter arch support or insole in your shoes for additional support.
Change your socks at midday: After your morning of baking, your feet need a breather. Sit for 5 minutes in · your bear feet and give them a good stretch. Then put on a fresh pair of socks. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.
Remember your feet in the morning: Let’s face it; we all want to look our best and have fun at the Christmas party. A few hours of dancing in dress shoes can lead to tender toes and feet the next day. My grandmother always said that hot water and epsom salts go a long way to help tired and aching feet. Frankly, personally and professionally, I agree with her.
If you suffer from diabetes or insensitive feet: Wear sensible shoes and stockings at all times. There is no need to risk serious foot complications that can arise from wearing improper footwear. Also, never soak your feet in hot water. Warm to tepid water is safer.
From all of us at Thera-Ped Moncton and The Shoe Tree, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season. // Joyeuses Fêtes de la part de Thera-Ped Moncton et The Shoe Tree.
Bunions develop secondary to a condition called hallux abducto-valgus. This is “Medicalese” for a when the big toe moves towards the second toe and becomes fixed. This change in alignment of the big toe promotes abnormal bone formation in the joint which leads to swelling and redness. This painful swelling is what is referred to as a bunion.
Bunions usually start off as mild and then worsen over time. Sometimes the pain is intensified by the swelling of the capsule around the joint. This is called capsulitis (or bursitis) and can make the joint extremely sensitive to contact.
What most people do not realize is that bunions are usually hereditary and worsen by wearing ill-fitted or inappropriate footwear (e.g. shoes that are too tight or too pointy). Abnormal foot alignments, flat feet or high arches can predispose people to bunions as well.The good news is that if you have bunions, you do not necessarily need to buy “clunky” shoes or expensive orthotics: Firstly, “bunion-friendly” footwear today is much more fashionable than it used to be.
Secondly, in milder cases, it’s just a question of wearing the “right shoe” at the “right time” in order to prevent your bunions from getting worse. And lastly, knowing how to stretch a shoe when needed will go a long way to relieving bunion pain.
Another type of bunion called a “bunionette” or “tailor’s bunion”. This deformity is the same as the common bunion but affects the small toe joint instead.
Whatever the severity or type of bunion you have, a Canadian Certified Pedorthist is trained to develop the best treatment plan to suit your condition, needs and lifestyle. If you suffer from bunions, consult your family physician or nurse practitioner to see if Pedorthics is the correct treatment for you.
All Canadian Certified Pedorthists are members of the College of Pedorthics of Canada and the Pedorthics Association of Canada. For more information, visit: Thera-Ped Moncton in Highfield Square or the following websites: www.cpedcs.ca and www.pedorthic.ca.
