When fitting a patient for orthotics, what is a crucial first step?

Assessing the gait pattern is a crucial first step when fitting a patient for orthotics because it provides valuable insights into the patient's biomechanics and how their feet function during movement. By observing the gait, healthcare professionals can identify any abnormalities or patterns that may contribute to discomfort, pain, or injury. This information is essential for determining the specific areas where support or correction is needed through orthotics.

Understanding the gait allows the practitioner to tailor the orthotics to the patient’s unique needs, ensuring better alignment, weight distribution, and overall performance when walking or participating in activities. The analysis of how the foot interacts with the ground during different phases of gait is fundamental to designing an effective orthotic solution.

While measuring foot length, identifying medical history, and analyzing shoe size are all important steps in the fitting process, they do not provide the same depth of functional information that a gait assessment offers. Therefore, focusing on the gait pattern first allows for a more comprehensive approach to foot and lower limb health.