When the Foot Hits the Ground, Everything Changes

Skeletal biomechanics include the gait cycle, and providers must look to the foundation of the spine, which is the feet, to best understand the impact to the kinetic chain. For this reason, digitally scanning all patients’ feet to determine the status of the three arches is critical to whole-body care. Because 77% of people suffer from moderate to severe pronation and 95% have some degree of leg length inequality, careful evaluation of the foot-spine connection should be part of every initial and follow-up patient evaluation. Instability or imbalance in the feet is linked to instability and imbalance in the spine.

Set the Tone for Orthotics Prescription with Solid Clinical Findings

We know that low back pain is the #1 cause of work-related disability in the US and that 80% of people will experience back pain of some sort in their lifetime. We also know that orthotics may ultimately lead to the resolution of lower back pain and other spine pain. However, in the third-party insurance world, medical necessity for orthotics is often based on lower extremity diagnoses. For that reason, when considering orthotics prescription, include appropriate, detailed information in the health record that supports your decision to prescribe functional orthotics.

In this module you will learn

    • Why medical necessity guidelines dictate your patient’s coverage of orthotics by their payer
    • How the selected diagnoses must meet the guidelines for coverage consideration
    • The questions to ask in the initial patient history that support orthotic necessity
    • How to link the description of the present illness, including past treatments
    • Important elements of the physical exam of the affected area to support medical necessity
    • Details necessary in the treatment plan that include orthotic and ancillary treatment prescription