What are orthotics?
Orthotics are custom-made inserts that fit inside the shoes or sneakers. They are designed to decrease abnormal motion of the foot as well as decrease pressure on bony prominences. They re-align your feet to a normal position, restore balance, and serve to eliminate or reduce foot pain by improving function and efficiency. As a result they can decrease, eliminate or prevent many foot pathologies. Different orthotics styles can be worn comfortably in most types of shoes.
Common Uses for Orthotics
Plantar Fasciitis: The Plantar Fascia tendon running along the bottom of the foot becomes inflamed
Bunion: The big toe joint shifts position, creating a bump.
Flat Foot: The arch is unstable or weak, resulting in a foot that looks flat or pronated.
Heel Spurs: Bony outgrowth from heel bone into arch tissue due to excessive traction on arch usually from a collapsing arch.
Callus: Skin builds up where bone presses against the bottom of the foot.
In or Out-Toeing: a child's legs, knees, or feet may develop in a way that forces the foot to turn in or out.
Joint Problems: too much or too little motion is allowed by the joints in thehips, knees, ankles or feet.
Limb Length discrepancy: Corresponding bones on the right and left side of the body are different lengths.
Diabetes: This health disorder may cause loss of feeling in the feet and may also slow healing.
Vascular Disease: Heart conditions may reduce blood flow to the feet, slowing healing.
Arthritis: This disease may cause inflammation or even destroy the joints in the feet.
When your feet hurt
You can't get far without your feet. Pain while walking or simply standing can slow you down and reduce your quality of life. Swelling, changes in the way your foot looks, sharp pain when your standing, and an ached that won't stop: these are just a few of the common symptoms of foot trouble and the need for orthotics. These symptoms may be caused by the way your foot moves or by the way your legs developed. You may have a medical condition, such as diabetes, that put your feet at risk for sores, infection or other serious health problems. Please contact your Healthcare professional if you have any of these symptoms.
Orthotics can help you
With years of medical training in foot care, your Podiatrist is an expert in diagnosing any problems that you may experience in your lower extremities. Just as contacts and glasses improve vision, orthoses improve foot movement. These custom-made inserts may relieve your symptoms by controlling the way your feet move. Your Podiatrist may offer this treatment for you to relieve your painful foot ailments. Orthotics may also help compensate for problems in your hip or knee that cause incorrect foot movement. Orthotics can protect the tender areas of your foot from the wear and tear of constant use. Even if your foot problem are best treated by surgery, orthoses may delay the need for surgery and help maintain your surgical correction following the procedure.
Living with Orthotics-Realistic Expectations
Your foot problem took time to develop, so don't expect your symptoms to go away overnight. But if you wear your orthotics as instructed, your symptoms can lessen over time. Also, keep in mind that your orthotics can help you move more comfortably, but they won't change the structure of the adult foot.
Orthotics Control Movement and Stop Strain
By limiting the swing of your heel, orthotics control the amount your foot flattens. The stress weight bearing is better distributed throughout your foot, reducing strain on soft tissue and joints. Existing bone or soft tissue changes may not disappear, but orthotics can help reduce or eliminate your foot pain. Orthotics can also relieve hip and knee pain as well.
