Pedorthist

A Certified Pedorthist, or C. Ped. is a specialist in using footwear - which includes shoes, shoe modifications, foot orthoses and other pedorthic devises - to solve problems in, or related to, the foot and lower limb.

Description
Primarily, a C.Ped will select, make and/or modify footwear and foot control devices to help people maintain or regain as much mobility as possible or to optimize their lower extremity biomechanics. Their scope of practice is typically defined in layperson's terms as the ankle and below.

When ability to walk is affected, everything that surrounds or touches a foot - whether it is foot orthoses (commonly known as orthotics or arch supports), shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, socks, hosiery, night splints, bandages, braces, partial-foot prosthetics, or other devices - interacts with a foot. That makes footwear a crucial part of a recommended treatment plan.

Most often, it is Certified Pedorthists, not Podiatrists (or D.P.M.s), who create foot orthotics, whether custom-molded, or pre-molded. A Podiatrist will often take an image of the foot by means of a plaster cast, foam mold, or computer scanned image. He or she will then make recommendations for changes to that image, and send the mold to a lab where the Pedorthist produces the final product.

Becoming a C.Ped. requires completing the educational requirements approved by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) and passing a written credentialing exam (http://www.abcop.org/Credentialing_Pedorthists.asp]. Efforts are currently underway to establish an A.A. degree in Pedorthics, and are expected to be set by 2010.