Custom Orthotic Therapy
Custom Orthotic Therapy
Prescription/ CUSTOM orthotic devices are worn in shoes to improve foot function and postural alignment of the feet and lower legs. In certain situations, improper foot function and/ or improper postural alignment of the legs can result in pain and discomfort while ambulating (walking or running or standing) or can even cause excessive loading/ weight on focal areas of the feet that may result in conditions such as corns/ calluses, blistering, bunions, cracked heels, knee pain, shin pain/ splints, ankle instability/ pain, mortons neuroma/ bursitis and many more.
Our custom orthotic devices are made using the latest in 3D scanning technology to ensure an accurate impression/ mould of the feet are made to the millimetre in order to treat the condition a patient is suffering from and achieve the desired outcome.
Prior to the casting of the feet however, our trained podiatrists will utilise a video gait analysis to analyse each individuals gait (style of walking) and discuss any important findings with you.
Common Questions
Custom orthotics are designed to alleviate painful areas of your feet by offloading that site, realigning foot and ankle posture and improve foot and ankle movement and balance. Another function of Custom orthotics is to negate the need for any compensatory mechanisms occurring in the joints of the feet and ankle. Compensation in the feet and ankle are identifiable by our podiatrists during your biomechanical assessment and consultation.
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One of the most common misconceptions with custom foot orthotics is that they are only for people with flat arches or that orthotics are just ‘’arch supports’’. There are a number of reasons for going down the ‘custom’ route such as long standing painful feet not getting relief from change in footwear or over the counter innersoles purchased at the local chemist or shoe store. Allowing our podiatrists to perform a biomechanical assessment during your consultation will give you more insight into why you may require custom orthotics.
The wear and tear of orthotics vary from person to person however, as a general rule we should see our orthotics last between 3-5 years.
Yes! Bunions are a consequence of a combination of both genetics and the environment (surface, career, shoes etc). Orthotic therapy can help by realigning foot posture, reducing load on the primary joint and reducing the risk of the bunion forming or getting worse. Keep in mind however, orthotics is only one piece of the wholistic management/ treatment of bunions which can be further discussed with our podiatrist.
Not all orthotics are built the same. Just like how different practitioners treat the same condition in a variety of ways, our orthotic prescription for your issue will vary from the last one prescribed. However, before we investigate suggesting ‘’new’’ orthotics, we want to understand firstly why the others didn’t achieve the results you were hoping for, it’s a great idea to bring any pair of old devices to your consultation to allow us to gain a greater understanding of what your requirement’s are.
Great question! And one that can be confusing because many of us believe that orthotics or shoe inserts are just ‘’arch supports’’. This is only a small portion of the story. The biggest difference between CUSTOM orthotics Vs Over-The-Counter shoe innersoles (besides the price) is WHERE the support is placed and HOW the support interacts with your feet (and ankles, legs knee’s, hips, lower back and torso). Many of us when seeking podiatry consultation’s is primarily due to ‘’pain’’. WHY the pain is there is our job to figure out. One of our many roles as a podiatrist is to identify and treat the cause of your issue, and one way we do that is by being able to identify ‘’compensations’’ your body may be going through, just to operate in everyday life. Unfortunately, through these compensations, the body (feet, ankle, legs, knees, hips) can become fatigued and traumatised resulting in your ‘’pain’’. So, although there is nothing wrong with Over-The-Counter innersoles from retail shops, they may not necessarily be adequate enough to address your compensations and achieve the results you have in mind i.e., PAIN FREE MOVEMENT.