The thought of foot orthotic dosing may be having some more awareness in recent times. It is actually in line with the analogy of drugs dose. Everybody who may be on a unique drug or medicine for any medical problem really should on paper be on a specific dosage or amount of that medication. The same needs to be the situation pertaining to foot supports. A unique “dose” of foot orthoses should be applied. Too often foot orthoses are all given the similar dosage of foot supports, especially in clinical studies or research. An episode of the monthly podiatry livestream, PodChatLive  addressed this concern. The hosts of that episode chatted with Simon Spooner in order to focus on some of the constraints of foot orthotics analysis in accordance with the principle. They brought up the way in which clinicians ought to be watching all results from research made in the context of the constraints. They reviewed about what “perfect” foot orthotic research may look like, the points we might need to ‘measure’ and also the apparent discussion between the lab and the clinic. Even more importantly they described what ‘dosing’ is, and the way it may also help us resolve concerns that are at present left unanswered.

Dr Simon Spooner graduated as a Podiatrist in 1991 graduating from the University of Brighton in the UK, and in addition to his BSc in Podiatry, he had been given the Paul Shenton award for his research into callus. Then he continued to finish his PhD in Podiatry from the University of Leicester in 1997, in which he studied the reasons and therapy for inherited foot problems. Simon is now the Director of Podiatry at Peninsula Podiatry. His practice expertise include exercise medicine, foot orthotics, and paediatric and adult foot and gait disorder. Along with his own clinical practice, he has published many research papers on podiatry issues and has delivered lectures at both national and international conventions, and furnished postgraduate education for several National Health Service Trusts.