What are Foot Orthotics?
Have you or someone you know been prescribed foot orthotics? Have you wondered what they actually are and how they work? I’m here to give you an introduction to the world of orthotics!
What are Foot Orthotics?
Foot orthotics are an in-shoe device that is prescribed by your podiatrist to treat a range of medical conditions.
After a thorough history taking and assessment of your biomechanics, footwear and activity levels, your podiatrist may prescribe foot orthotics to manage the abnormal stresses causing your foot and leg problem.
Orthotics help manage the stresses causing your foot & leg problems
How do Foot Orthotics Work?
When you walk, stand or run, your foot is the only part of you that is in contact with the ground.
Every time your foot touches the ground, forces are generated and transferred through your feet and legs and into your body.
Over time, in combination with your footwear, activity levels, strength and biomechanics, these forces that are being transferred through your feet and legs can lead to damage in various structures in your feet and legs, causing pain.
By placing a foot orthotic between your foot and the ground, we can change the way these forces affect you.
Foot orthotics work by altering the way ground forces affect your feet, legs and body.
Once damaging forces are lowered in stressed bones or soft tissues, they can begin to heal and re-establish normal function without pain.
Custom made orthotics using the latest technology
How are Foot Orthotics Made?
At Complete Podiatry, we make your custom foot orthotics using the latest 3D scanning and modelling technology.
Once we have completed a thorough assessment including listening to your symptoms and activity history, watching the way you move and testing your strength, we can determine what forces and factors are influencing your foot and leg pain.
We then take a 3D laser scan of your foot which becomes the basis of the orthotic’s shape.
We then use the computer to design your orthotic and then email it to our lab where a computer will cut it out of a solid piece of material.
When the orthotic comes back from the lab, we will personally hand finish it to make sure it is correct for your foot and for your shoes.
This is the process we follow to make your custom orthotics
What are Foot Orthotics Made From?
I often have people coming into the clinic saying that they’ve had orthotics before and they were too hard for their feet.
These people have often been prescribed an orthotic made out of a hard plastic called polypropylene.
At Complete Podiatry, we use a type of foam called EVA to make your orthotics.
This material comes in a number of different densities, allowing us to customise the level of softness in your orthotic to suit your needs.
Using EVA also allows us to make adjustments to your devices easily within our clinic, meaning that further customisation can be completed.
Your orthotics are finished off with a top cover, with many options available, again allowing us to customise the orthotic further depending on your needs.
Your orthotics can be adjusted by your Podiatrist in our clinics
Do I Need Foot Orthotics?
If you are experiencing foot or leg pain, the first thing to do is book an appointment with one of the Podiatrists at Complete Podiatry for a comprehensive assessment to identify what is causing your pain.
Once this is done, we will develop a structured management plan that outlines our best advice for how to help you to return to doing the things you love to do without needing to worry about foot or leg pain.
Just call us on 8330 0004
I'll love to talk to you about how we can help you build an amazing life from the feet up!
Anthony Robinson
Director of Complete Podiatry