Clear answers about assessment and the MEDIPIE Method

Yes. You do not need to arrive with a treatment already chosen. The assessment helps us understand the problem and decide whether advice, observation, changes to footwear or load, coordination with another professional, or an orthosis may be appropriate. We do not make an orthosis by default.

For gait and lower-limb assessment, bring shorts above the knee and a fitted top or sports top, as well as your usual footwear and, when relevant, sports or work shoes. Bring previous orthoses and related reports or tests if you have them. If changing clothes or walking is difficult, mention it when you book.

No. They are not needed to make an appointment. If you already have relevant tests or reports, bring them because they add useful context. If further testing or medical assessment appears necessary, we will explain that during the visit.

Appointments are arranged exclusively by phone on +34 628 342 080 or +34 968 527 925. A member of the team will ask briefly about the reason for your visit, explain how to prepare and help you arrange the appropriate appointment.

It starts with a clinical history and continues with functional examination, non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing assessment, loading and gait analysis and, when useful, running or the movement related to the problem. We also review footwear, activity and previous findings. Not every patient needs the same tests. See the assessment step by step.

No. Tests are selected according to symptoms, age, activity, goals and safety. Running, for example, is analysed only when it is part of the problem or adds useful information. Technology supports examination; collecting measurements without context does not improve clinical decisions.

No. Footprints and pressure data describe loading but do not explain pain or movement by themselves. They are interpreted with symptoms, examination, gait, footwear, activity and goals.

“Footprint assessment” is a common expression, but a complete biomechanical assessment goes further. It integrates symptoms, mobility, strength, loading, gait, activity and footwear to answer a specific clinical question. The footprint is one data point within the whole assessment.

It cannot predict with certainty whether someone will be injured. It may help identify potentially modifiable factors and guide decisions about load, technique, footwear or treatment, but it cannot guarantee prevention or outcomes.

No. The outcome may be explanation and observation, changes to load, activity or footwear, coordination with another professional, treatment when indicated, or no intervention. A foot orthosis is one option, not the automatic result of an assessment.

There should be a specific problem or clinical objective, compatible findings and a reasonable hypothesis that modifying loading or support may help. We also define how tolerance and response will be reviewed. A different footprint or an asymmetry alone is not an indication.

Yes. Podiatry assessment does not replace other evaluations when they are needed. If the problem requires medical diagnosis, rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise or another approach, we explain when coordination with medicine, physiotherapy or another healthcare professional may be appropriate.

Taking a measurement or mould does not complete personalisation. At MEDIPIE, personalisation means relating the assessment and clinical objective to geometry, materials and stiffness; fabricating the orthosis in the clinic; fitting it to the foot and real footwear; and reviewing the response.

Yes. We define the design, select and work the materials, fabricate the orthosis and fit it to the foot and footwear in the clinic. We do not send it to an external laboratory.

We use thermoformable resins shaped directly on the foot with our direct adaptation technique, without sending an intermediate mould elsewhere. We then check contact, volume, fit and how the orthosis sits in the patient's real footwear before completing the finishing work.

At delivery we explain an introduction plan adapted to the person's use, sensitivity and objective. During reviews we check comfort, skin, pressure points, footwear, functional response and wear. If significant discomfort appears before the planned review, contact the clinic.

Not always. It depends on the shoe's shape, depth, internal volume, fastening and use. One orthosis may work in several compatible shoes; in other cases footwear needs to change, the orthosis may need adjustment, or a different solution may be appropriate. Do not force it into a shoe if it compresses the foot or lifts the heel.

Reduce or stop using it and contact MEDIPIE for review. An unfamiliar initial sensation can occur during adaptation, but increasing pain, rubbing, a wound, numbness or persistent pressure should not be normalised. Do not cut, heat or modify the orthosis yourself.

There is no universal replacement period. The need to maintain, adjust or renew an orthosis depends on growth, clinical or activity changes, footwear, wear and whether it continues to meet its objective. A review does not automatically mean replacement.

Loading may relate to movement at the knee, hip and pelvis; those structures, overall load and movement strategy can also change how the foot behaves. The relationship is bidirectional. Finding an association does not prove that foot function is the cause of knee or back pain.

It may modify support or improve comfort in selected cases, but balance also depends on strength, mobility, sensation, vision, the vestibular system, medication and environment. We cannot promise that an orthosis will improve balance or prevent falls.

No. Asymmetries are common and may not be clinically relevant. We assess whether they are structural or functional, whether they relate to symptoms or limitations and whether there is a reasonable objective before intervening.

No. Many flexible flat feet in children are symptom-free and do not need treatment. We consider pain, fatigue, stiffness, functional limitation, asymmetry, development and growth. When an orthosis is indicated, it should have a specific objective rather than simply trying to normalise a footprint or guarantee a change in foot shape.