Orthotics Are Not Biomechanics

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For those that may be interested, an article I wrote was just published in Podiatry Today magazine titled Orthotics Are Not Biomechanics.

 

Another well written and enlightening article.

Steven

 

Kevin;
nice article.

It is a pity that there is not more thought put into what the primary cause of a pathology in the foot and ankle could be. I think that you and I and most others on this list will try to suss out a reason for a problem, tissue stress is one example. Biomechanics certainly plays the primary role in my thought process when trying to ascertain a potential cause of why someone has pain. This is regardless of whether they are suffering from a bunion or hammertoe deformity, or from peroneus tertius tendonitis. I have found that as my understanding of the mechanical forces acting on the lower extremity has improved, so to have my outcomes in treatment.

Ultimately I think we are preaching to the choir here at Podiatry Arena, but it is nice occasionally to lecture and hear from someone I've never met before that my efforts were not in vain. I think you know exactly what I mean.

Have a happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrated it today!
Sincerely;
Bruce Williams

 

Bruce:

I know what you mean. It is too bad that many podiatrists just don't see the importance of understanding biomechanics in their practices.

Hope you and your family had a nice Thanksgiving.:drinks

 

:good:

Yet one more example of valuable stuff that explains things in such a great light for most of us to see.

Functional Lower Extremity Biomechanics is the core of podiatry practice, period.

"Biomechanics is the study of the forces acting upon a biological structure".
Kevin Kirby DPM

What a great starting place for us all.

Dennis

 

Great point Bruce, good stuff Kevin. :drinks

 

For those that are interested, here is a clean scanned copy of my article "Orthotics Are Not Biomechanics" from the December 2012 issue of Podiatry Today magazine (Kirby KA: Orthotics Are Not Biomechanics. Podiatry Today, 25(12):66, 2012).

 

I really think more should be done at grassroots/ university level. A significant number of my fellow final year students are afraid of getting involved with patients of a more MSK nature. This initial fear I think ,long-term, turns into a flippant disregard/ avoidance attitude. This I personally feel is a shame, because lower-limb pathologies due to dysfunction is the area of podiatry most invulnerable to being taken over by other professions.

 

From the mouths of babes:

I nominate this for "Quote of the 2012 Year".

It's so much better extolling our common core than calling everything else "snake oil" and unproven and lacking in any logical train of thought and full of holes..................................
when we all are peddling snake oil and remain unproven and say things that are illogical too and remain "holey" as well.

Dennis

 

Seconded. It would be a real shame if we were to lose biomechanics! However I reckon we should be cool.

Unless someone comes up with a simplified, cookbook version, patents it, then tries to promote it among, say, chiropractors. That's always a concern.

 

Whilst I think that if more generalist pods could develop an approach to combining low leg, foot and ankle manual therapy with their biomechanics and orthotics skill they could really make a special place for themselves in this area of work, I can't agree that:

"Lower-limb pathologies due to dysfunction is the area of podiatry most invulnerable to being taken over by other professions"

I think Robert has touched on the reasons.

 

It will always be like this in the UK however, unless the universities extend the length of course to qualify. As Podiatry is quite an extensive course as it is here in the 3 or 4 years it takes. It is up to the Podiatrists to go away from where they qualify and add to that knowledge gained already. To often this gets referred to as a specialisms and for me I understand this but at the same time for me I find it gives people an excuse not to learn any of the so called specialisms and rest on their laurels.