Podiatry in the Near Future

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Hypothetical Case Study

17 year old male with no history of violence, enter his school one day with a sniper gun and killed 15 students.

When captured, the authorities found a pair of orthotics in his shoes. Those orthotics were tested for increase B-wave activity. The results came back positive. The orthotics significantly increased his beta wave activity in the 15-21Hz. (High B-wave activity is associated with increased agitation).

The Podiatrist who dispensed those orthotics was questioned:

• Question: Why did you prescribe those orthotics for your patient?
• Answer: He was experiencing foot pain.

• Question: What caused his foot pain?
• Answer: He abnormally pronates

• Question: So Abnormal Pronation was your diagnosis?
• Answer: Yes

• Question: How did you determine the type of orthotics to dispense?
• Answer: I took a cast of his feet.

• Question: Did you fabricate those orthotics?
• Answer: No, I sent those casts to a lab. They fabricated the orthotics.

• Question: So, you diagnosed Abnormal Pronation as the cause of your patient´s foot pain. Based on this diagnosis, you prescribed custom made orthotics. You took a cast of his feet and without any other tests or measurements you sent those casts to a lab to fabricate his orthotics. Is that correct?
• Answer: Yes, that is correct.

I predict, in the near future, that Podiatrist will be held partially calculable for the tragedy that transpired at the high school.

Why?

• Based on his diagnosis of Abnormal Pronation, the podiatrist prescribed orthotics.
• Abnormal pronation is an observation (sign), not a diagnosis. Orthotics should never be prescribed without a diagnosis.

• He had the lab determine what type of orthotic to manufacture.
• This should never occur. The Podiatrist must determine what type of orthotic needs to be fabricated.

Rothbart BA, 2021. Alteration in Plantar Pressure Gradients (Foot Function) Linked to Alterations in Brain Wave Activity. Researchgate, DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26657.43364