PAC Blog
Help! My Tween Has Heel Pain
If you’re the parent of a tween or teen you know firsthand how quickly children can shoot up during a growth spurt. Although parents are often prepared to discover the milk jug is always empty and all the clothes in their child’s closet no longer fit, many are surprised to hear their child suddenly complaining about painful or tender heels. If your growing child is experiencing heel pain, he/she may have Sever’s disease. […]
Don’t let a good cause hurt you
If you are one of the tens of thousands of Canadians who are planning to lace up their running shoes and participate in a charitable walk or run this year, be sure to do some pre-event preparation. Walk and run-a-thons can be beneficial for both participants and charities, but whether you are registered for a 10-kilometre walk or a grueling marathon, if you don’t prepare appropriately your good intentions may result in a painful injury. […]
High Heels: A Workplace Hazard
In Canada today, there is widespread awareness about foot hazards in factories and construction sites. Employers in these, and other, hazardous workplaces typically have strict rules requiring employees to wear protective footwear. Interestingly, there is very low awareness of the use of high heels in workplaces. This may sound ridiculous but I am quite serious. High heels are a major cause of short and long term foot injury in workplaces across Canada. […]
BC Pedorthist specializes in caring for diabetic feet
It’s not an exaggeration to say that a passion for helping people with foot problems runs in my blood. My grandfather was a custom shoe and logging boot manufacturer in British Columbia and my father was a podiatrist who specialized in the care of diabetic feet. Today both my brother and I are Canadian Certified Pedorthists. […]
From Mechanic to Canadian Certified Pedorthist
Unlike many Pedorthists who have undergraduate degrees in science or kinesiology, I entered the profession after working as a mechanic. Although this seems like an unconventional background for someone who works in healthcare, my early experience as an automotive mechanic combined with the extensive training I took to earn my C. Ped (C), equipped me well for a career in pedorthics. Like Pedorthists, automotive mechanics require a thorough understanding of systems, a need to be able to carefully evaluate why these systems sometimes fail and an ability to use that [...]
Waterloo Pedorthist keeps elite athletes at the top of their game
I was once an elite athlete who competed at the Commonwealth and was named to an Olympic team. Following an injury a Pedorthist helped me get back on my feet. After chatting with him about the profession I was hooked. I knew pedorthics was the career for me. Today, there is nothing I enjoy more than watching sports on TV and seeing one of the athletes I have helped accomplish their goals. One of my favourite memories is watching an elite high jumper set a Canadian record in Europe after [...]
Custom shoe maker in Red Deer helps patients with foot abnormalities across Canada
I grew up in the Netherlands in a family that was always involved in shoe retail and shoe repair. When I was 18 I decided to follow in my family footsteps so I began an eight year apprenticeship program in orthopaedic shoe making. I have been a custom shoe maker for more than 25 years and I continue to enjoy every aspect of my career; the creativity, helping people with their mobility, and the long-term relationships I develop with my customers (I have been working with some of my them [...]
Canadian Certified Pedorthist: a member of your healthcare team
When I’m away from my clinic and I tell people I am a Canadian Certified Pedorthist the response is often a blank look followed immediately by “a what?” I love my profession so I am more than happy to spend time explaining what I do and why it is such a rewarding career. This is what I tell the many people who ask: As a Canadian Certified Pedorthist, I am a member of my patients’ healthcare teams. I assess and consult with patients following a referral from their family physician [...]
Ottawa Pedorthist provides advice for recreational runners
I’ve always been very active. When I was a child I loved to run and I played a lot of sports. I’m still an avid runner. I don’t run competitively but I just love getting out for a run. However, I’m flat footed and I suffered a number of injuries when I was younger. If it wasn’t for the help I received from a Pedorthist, I would never have been able to continue running. […]
Pedorthic Advice For Retirement
Although retirement is supposed to be a time to take it easy, retirees spend a lot of time on their feet. Many of the pleasures of having a little more free time – travelling chasing after grandchildren and volunteering– require a lot of standing or walking. However, seniors’ enjoyment of these simple long awaited pleasures is often reduced because of foot problems that develop with age. As people grow older, their feet change in shape and size, the fat pads on their heels and the balls of their feet may [...]
If your knees hurt take a look at your feet
Dull, aching knees is a common complaint from sports enthusiasts to young moms to seniors alike. When knee pain strikes, many people are quick to look for a cause and a cure but often they look in the wrong place. People automatically assume when their knees hurt, the cause of the problem must be within their knee, but often it is not the case. There are many different causes of knee pain, and one of the most common is what people least expect – their feet. […]
When it comes to Pedorthic treatment one size doesn’t fit all
In a social situation when people learn I am a foot expert they often reveal they are experiencing heel pain and ask me how they can treat it. Plantar fasciitis, also known as heel pain, is a very common foot condition. However, it, like other common foot conditions, does not have a one-size-fits-all treatment. Pedorthic treatment is very effective at treating foot pain and increasing mobility but it is highly individualized as all patients have different foot mechanics. […]