Medical footwear

Medical footwear provides solutions for structural or functional foot problems. Individuals with normal feet do not require medical footwear. In diabetic patients with neuropathy and foot deformity, the use of medical footwear protects the foot, reduces the plantar pressures and significantly reduces the rate of ulcers formation and amputations. Shoes have different designs, heights, and may be constructed of differing materials depending upon the nature of the needed corrections. Structurally, shoes can be viewed as consisting of a sole and an upper portion. Both these entities can be further sub-divided into components and shapes, each one providing a different corrective feature. Ordering medical footwear requires the same specificity as with the provision of medications. In Israel, shoes are provided by the Ministry of Health to patients according to specific criteria. The provision and quality control is conducted through a selected panel of doctors, chosen by the Lewis National Institute of Rehabilitation, and working in public hospitals.