What Are Foot Orthotics?
Have you or someone you know been prescribed foot orthotics or wondered if they might help with your foot or leg pain?
In this article, I'll explain exactly what orthotics are, how they work, and how our Adelaide Hills podiatrists create custom devices to help you get back to living pain-free.
What Are Foot Orthotics and How Can They Help Your Foot Pain
Foot orthotics are an in-shoe medical device that are prescribed by your podiatrist to treat a range of foot and leg conditions, including:
- Plantar fasciitis
- Heel pain
- Tendinopathy
- Running injuries
- Foot arthritis
- Children's foot and leg problems
- Ankle pain
After a thorough history taking and assessment of your biomechanics, footwear and activity levels, your podiatrist may prescribe foot orthotics to help manage any damaging forces causing your foot and leg problem.
Orthotics help manage the stresses causing your foot & leg problems
How Foot Orthotics Reduce Pain and Improve Foot Function
When you walk, stand, or run, your foot is the only part of you in contact with the ground.
Every time your foot touches the ground, forces are generated and transferred through your feet and legs into your body.
Over time, in combination with your footwear, activity levels, strength, and biomechanics, these forces can damage joints, bones, and soft tissues — leading to pain.
By placing a foot orthotic between your foot and the ground, we can change the way these “ground reaction forces” affect the structures in your feet.
Once damaging forces are reduced 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
When Margaret first visited our clinic, she had been struggling with heel pain for over six months. She loved her early morning walks with friends, but had started skipping them because every step felt like she was walking on a bruise.
After a detailed assessment, we prescribed her a pair of custom EVA foot orthotics as part of a complete management plan. Within a few weeks, Margaret noticed the sharp pain easing.
Now, she’s back to walking 5km most mornings, pain-free and says the only thing slowing her down is stopping to chat with friends along the way.
How Foot Orthotics are Made
At Complete Podiatry, we make your custom foot orthotics using the latest 3D scanning and modelling technology.
After your full assessment, including listening to your symptoms, reviewing your activity history, watching the way you move, and testing your strength, we identify the forces and factors contributing to your pain.
We then take a 3D laser scan of your foot, which becomes the basis of your orthotic’s shape.
Next, we design your orthotic on the computer and send it to our lab, where a machine cuts it from a solid piece of material.
When your orthotics arrive back from the lab, we personally hand-finish them to ensure they fit your foot and your shoes perfectly.
This is the process we follow to make your custom orthotics
What Foot Orthotics are Made From
Some people tell us they’ve had orthotics before that felt too hard.
Often, these were made from a rigid plastic called polypropylene.
At Complete Podiatry, we use a type of foam called EVA.
This material comes in a range of densities, allowing us to customise the level of softness in your orthotic to suit your needs.
Using EVA also allows us to make adjustments easily in our clinic, so your devices can be fine-tuned over time.
Your orthotics are finished with a top cover, with many material options available to further customise comfort and performance.
Your orthotics can be adjusted by your Podiatrist in our clinic
When to See a Podiatrist for Foot Orthotics
Don’t put up with foot or leg pain any longer.
Book your appointment with our Adelaide Hills podiatrists today and discover how custom orthotics can get you moving comfortably again.
Just call us on 8330 0004 and we can show you how we can help you build an amazing life from the feet up!
Anthony Robinson
Director of Complete Podiatry