Sunday, April 3, 2016

Understanding Over The Counter Orthotics

By Maria Stevens


Orthotics is one of the many branches of the medicine practice. It deals with application, designing, and manufacturing of orthoses. The origin of the term is in the Greek language. Translation from the Greek language into English gives the meaning of align or straighten. Devices that correct functional and/or structural qualities of the body by being applied externally are called orthoses. Orthotics has many branches and one of them is over the counter orthotics.

Orthotist is the primary medical clinician who specializes in prescribing, manufacturing, and managing orthoses. Orthoses do several different functions on the body. For instance, they help in controlling, guiding, limiting, and/or immobilizing a joint, body segment, or extremity for a specific reason. They restrict motion in a certain direction, assist with general movement, reduce weight bearing forces, aid in rehabilitation, and correct shape or function of body parts.

This field of medicine borrows and combines knowledge from several other fields. Among the fields it borrows from are pathophysiology, engineering, anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. The use of these devices helps to correct a wide range of conditions. Among those conditions are strokes, injury in the spinal cord, spina bifida, and cerebral palsy. These devices can also be used in sports to optimize performance.

Initially, body parts of concern were traced in order to make well-fitting orthoses. However, the procedure changed when the plaster of Paris was invented and allowed for molds of organs to be able to be made. The plaster of Paris molds raise accuracy and have remained dominant in this industry. Introduction of computers in this field has made computer aided designing to be used. CNC machines and 3D printing are some among the other technologies use to improve accuracy, speed, and ease of designing orthoses.

There is international agreement on the use of terminologies for describing orthoses. Classification is done basing on the anatomical joints contained in the orthoses. Under this classification scheme, examples of orthoses present are ankle foot, thoracolumbosacral, upper limb, foot, forearm-wrist, forearm-wrist-thumb, upper-extremity, hand, elbow, clavicular and shoulder, knee-ankle-foot, and knee orthoses. The International Standard terminology aims to reduce variations in how orthoses are named worldwide.

One must meet basic qualifications for them to become licensed orthotists in the United States. The American Board of Certification is the main body that certifies people who have achieved basic academic and professional requirements. One of the requirements for certification is a degree in orthotics. Another requirement is completing a residency training, which usually lasts one year. One must ensure that they undertake the residency at an approved clinical facility.

A three-part test must also be done and passed before certified status is awarded. Those who are certified assume the title of CO, the short form for certified orthotist. Other qualification that may be based upon when certifying professionals in this field are Pedorthics and prosthetics.

The American Board of Certification is not the only body concerned with certification. Other similar bodies that provide credentialing services are the Professional Footwear Association, the pharmaceutical industry, and the Board for Orthotic Certification. Various professional associations that work with orthopedic technologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers may also provide certification.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment