Health & Wellness Magazine HealthQuest Spring 2018 | Page 27
SEEING A PEDORTHIST
Should You See
A PEDORTHIST?
BY: BRENDAN WALSH
CANADIAN CERTIFIED PEDORTHIST, HEALTHQUEST
DO YOU ever experience recurrent foot,
knee, hip or lower-back pain? For individuals
experiencing persistent leg and foot problems, you
should schedule an appointment at HealthQuest
for an evaluation and recommendation. Our
podiatry and pedorthic team is specially trained
to perform comprehensive evaluations to alleviate
foot pain, address all foot care needs, and keep
your body in balance to reduce pain. We see a
wide range of clients including children, athletes,
diabetics, and individuals looking to enhance day-
to-day comfort. treatment options can be recommended. It is
important to note that they can vary from person
to person. Some of the more common options
include custom orthotic inserts and orthopedic
footwear. Custom orthotic inserts are made from
scratch, based around the clinical findings and
a cast taken of your foot. Custom orthotics look
similar to the off-the-shelf insoles you can purchase
at the drug store, but are actually a highly-
customized support designed specifically for you
to create better alignment between the foot and
ankle.
A visit with a Pedorthist begins with a
biomechanical assessment. Biomechanics refers to
the way all the ligaments, muscles and joints work
together to help move your body forward, while
also considering the forces of these movements
on the ground in order to determine the stress
that is being placed on individual areas during the
walking motion. Since your body moves as one
overall system, a complication in one area can
create problems in other parts. Our Pedorthists are committed to overall foot
health and work closely with our on-site Podiatrist,
Dr. Costantinos Sugarman, who can diagnose and
treat patients for a wide variety of foot problems.
Most insurance plans will cover the initial
assessment, orthotics consultation and one follow-
up appointment. Some will even cover a portion
of your cost for the orthotics themselves which
can cost a few hundred dollars. Keep in mind that
even if you have to pay some out-of-pocket fees
that are not covered by your plan, your investment
in improving your body alignment can pay off in
the long run by helping you avoid more serious
problems down the line.
You can think of your body's mechanics like a
river. When there are no obstructions, the water
simply moves along with one easy motion. When
a blockage occurs, the fluidity of the river is
interrupted and the water diverts some place else
in order to complete its goal, which is continuing
down the river bed.
The same can be said for you biomechanics. When
all joints, muscles and ligaments are working
within their normal range of motion, then the body
moves efficiently and pain free. When a “blockage"
occurs – such as a uneven pelvis, flat foot or
rotated patella – then the body’s fluidity is changed
and this can lead to pain in certain areas.
Once the biomechanical assessment is completed,
When visiting HealthQuest for an evaluation, it’s
important to bring along the footwear that you
will use with the orthotics. HealthQuest also has
many orthopedic