Diabetic Shoes / Orthotics
Sarah Williams is Express Pharmacy’s certified shoe fitter. She is involved in direct patient care and education for diabetic and arthritic foot care management.
The certified shoe fitter evaluates and designs foot orthotics and shoes for patients requiring protective support or correction due to muscle/bone impairment, disease, or deformity. Utilizing training in gait analysis/patho mechanics, and diagnostic-imaging techniques, the shoe fitter works to restore mobility and to prevent or limit a disability.
The services of a certified shoe fitter are to help with the needs of shoes and inserts. Treatment often benefits those with problems caused by stroke, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
Whether your needs are the result of disease, traumatic injury, or congenital problems, your rehabilitation is personally prescribed. Your shoe fitter utilizes the prescription from your physician to fit you for the correct shoes and inserts.
As a Diabetic patient, you should be cautious when procuring therapeutic shoes and inserts under the Medicare Therapeutic Shoe Bill to insure you are receiving the level of service intended. The evaluation, measuring, and fitting of these devices in a clinical setting is a process that involves considerable personal contact between the practitioner and the patient. This is as it should be. Care is taken by the shoe fitter to insure proper fit and function. Patient education and follow up is done in the office. The potential complications that can follow improper fitting of these devices can be serious. Modifications and adjustments to the shoes and inserts are sometimes needed. These modifications and adjustments can only be done by someone with the proper training and equipment.
Medicare does not intend to provide free shoes and inserts to all diabetics. The physician responsible for your primary diabetic care and must certify additional medical complications, attesting that you really need special shoes.