LER: Foot Health – July 2015

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Click image to download the complete PDF

From the editor: Chasing change

1Limb-Jordana-nolabelOne of the defining characteristics of the foot health world is that it’s always changing.

The most obvious reason for this, of course, involves shoes. No other healthcare specialty has its own corresponding segment of the fashion industry, and no other patient population is as significantly influenced by fashion trends.

Foot health practitioners naturally develop a familiarity with mainstream footwear fashion, first by observing the types of shoes patients wear when they first seek help, and then by hearing about the styles patients hope to wear again after treatment.

Therapeutic footwear has never been part of the fast fashion movement, but styles have evolved over time—Mary Janes, sandals, high-tops, boots, and even low-heeled pumps now meet government requirements for diabetic footwear—which has led to improved patient compliance along with increased sales.

But the changing nature of foot health goes beyond fashion trends. Other patient lifestyle choices that affect their feet also have evolved considerably over time.

Patients are living longer than in the past, but they’re also more likely to be sedentary, overweight, and vitamin deficient. Those variables increase patients’ risk of numerous conditions—including diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and stress fractures—that can directly or indirectly involve the feet.

On the flip side, active patients—and more of these are now women, thanks to Title IX—are more likely to be tempted by trends involving barefoot or minimalist running and extreme forms of exercise such as ironman triathlons or high intensity training. And doing too much too soon is an excellent way to end up in a foot health practitioner’s office.

Like fashions and lifestyle trends, foot health issues will continue to change over time. That’s why we’ve launched LER: Foot Health. We’ll keep you informed of the latest developments affecting the feet, which will help you provide your patients with the best possible care.

By Jordana Bieze Foster

News


Extra bodyweight enhances effects of high heels at knee
Extra bodyweight enhances effects of high heels at knee
Lower heels, BMI may reduce OA risk – Walking in shoes with heels higher than about 1.5 inches causes gait abnormalities that are amplified by extra bodyweight, according to recent research that found high-heeled walking creates significant changes in knee loading similar to… By Emily Delzell
Foot orthoses for heel pain help improve walking activity
Foot orthoses for heel pain help improve walking activity
Study supports custom device use – In patients with plantar fasciitis, the pain relief associated with custom foot orthoses (CFOs) appears to result in increased walking activity, as well, according to a recently published clinical trial. By Barbara Boughton

Profiles


Complete Feet: Pedorthist’s new venture emphasizes the customer experience
Complete Feet: Pedorthist’s new venture emphasizes the customer experience
Michael Duvdevani, CPed, thinks of his newest store, Complete Feet, as a carefully thought-out step in the right direction. By Catherine M. Koetters | Photos by Michael Moore
Lamey Wellehan Shoes: Investing in expertise pays off for 101-year-old company
Lamey Wellehan Shoes: Investing in expertise pays off for 101-year-old company
Many foot care professionals would probably confess to a love-hate relationship with the footwear industry. At times, it may feel like the manufacturers of tottering stiletto heels and poorly supported platform shoes are the bane of one’s existence when it comes to… By Nancy Shohet West

Features


Improving compliance with diabetic footwear
Improving compliance with diabetic footwear
Convincing patients with diabetes to wear their prescribed footwear presents a challenge, but experts agree that encouraging patient compliance requires lower extremity clinicians to look beyond the disease and gain insight into the person being treated. By Shalmali Pal
Intricacies of metatarsal stress fracture treatment
Intricacies of metatarsal stress fracture treatment
A growing body of research on metatarsal stress fractures is helping lower extremity practitioners manage both the biomechanical and physiological effects of these frustrating injuries, as well as the expectations of patients who are eager to return to activity. By Erin Boutwell

Shoe Showcase

Help your patients step out in style


Vionic Cozy Juniper
Vionic Cozy Juniper
For fall 2015, Vionic brings its trusted Orthaheel orthotic technology to a new, premium cozy women’s house slipper. The Cozy Juniper is a luxurious option for the patient/consumer who desires structural security for her feet along with the pampering of a house slipper.
Mobils Ergonomic by Mephisto
Mobils Ergonomic by Mephisto
The Mobils Ergonomic Collection by Mephisto is designed to ensure a healthy, natural walk. Three advanced technological comfort features highlight this brand. All-over soft padding between the lining and the natural leather upper cushions the entire foot.
Apex Boss Runner
Apex Boss Runner
The Apex Boss Runner is a biomechanically designed, straight lasted, motion control running shoe. The shoe features a molded external heel counter extended on the medial side for rearfoot stability, Carboplast footbridge for torsional stability…
Dr. Comfort Ruk and Riley
Dr. Comfort Ruk and Riley
Dr. Comfort is proud to feature two new fashionable shoes that allow customers to feel great: the Ruk and the Riley. The Ruk is a classic dress style shoe for men that is versatile enough to pair with jeans or trousers. It comes with a suede upper material in a rust color or full-grain…
Arcopédico Leina
Arcopédico Leina
Arcopédico USA debuts three new colors—grey, camel, and purple—this summer for the top-selling Leina collection of sporty Mary Jane walking slides. Featuring a wide, nonrestrictive form and a stay-on elastic band for a secure fit, these shoes are ideal for misshapen feet.
Ped Lite Valerie
Ped Lite Valerie
Ped Lite’s newest women’s casual shoe, the Valerie, offers a fashion-forward interpretation of the typical diabetic shoe. Available in black with an all-leather upper, the Valerie looks like a slip-on shoe but has a Medicare-approved adjustable closure that makes it functional as well as stylish.