The foot is a more important organ than people may think. The feet hold most of the body’s weight even though these occupy a small part of the body. Feet are supposed to be protected by shoes, but sometimes shoes have a bad impact on the feet. One common example is wearing tight, high-heeled shoes or flat shoes. Through this, feet are damaged and hurt. A pedorthist cures and prevents foot damage.


Role
A pedorthist recommends and makes fitted shoes, liners, and devices to relieve pain and improve problems for patients who suffer from congenital deformity, walking defects caused by accidents and wrong posture, diseases like diabetes and arthritis, and athletes’ feet deformation. Besides recommending and making shoes and liners, a pedorthist teaches and counsels patients on foot disease protection.


How to be a pedorthist
There is no specific course of study, but majoring in the department of rehabilitation and physical therapy at university or graduate school is really helpful. To be a pedorthist in Korea, you should complete a course of study with the Pedorthic Association of Korea and take a test. When you pass, you can get a certificate. You can take a second-level certificate and third-level certificate test in Korea. The first-level certificate is for pedorthist trainers. To get an official license in America, you should finish the required curriculum approved by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics and pass the test. If you get an official certificate in America, you can be recognized abroad and teach pedorthics in Korea.


Prospects
Shoe research laboratories, functional footwear enterprises, and medical assistance device companies need pedorthists. Pedorthists can also establish their own companies. Many of them work for companies making assistance devices and functional footwear accessories or work in hospitals related to rehabilitation or orthopedics. Because of the extension of average life expectancy, industries aimed at the aged are developing. Also, the sports and leisure industry is getting bigger, so demand for pedorthists is increasing in the functional footwear and sports industries.


People suffer from foot pain and distortion. To be more comfortable, people can be helped by medical devices like liners or shoes. Also, the sports and leisure industries are getting bigger. In this situation, pedorthists will be needed.