Orthotics are prescription supports for your feet that are prescribed by a podiatrist after a thorough clinical examination and mechanical assessment. They are also referred to as insoles or arch supports. They are primarily prescribed to relieve painful foot and leg conditions that are caused by mechanical malalignment. They are common in treatment of overuse conditions and are generally used for medium to long term management
Orthotics assist in realignment of your foot, ankle and lower limb and help to restore good foot function. Your foot is made up of 26 bones and it’s common for alignment issues to arise. They assist in relieving the wear and tear on your joints and thus decrease the onset of degeneration/arthritis
By achieving good quality foot function with orthotics this will assist in the relief of foot, ankle, shin and knee pain in many instances.
Orthotics can be prescribed for most ages ( infants and toddlers excepted) for a multitude of conditions and concerns.
Children and teenagers may need orthotics during growth spurts or periods of developmental change particularly if they are highly active.
Some foot problems become painful with age and then prescription orthotics are helpful for maintaining mobility and being pain free!
How do they work?
Orthotics realign and correct your foot function or faulty biomechanics by providing support and foot control designed specifically for your foot type, activity and footwear. Correcting your foot function protects and restoring function basically increases your tolerance to wear and assists in management of injuries to keep you working at your optimum!!
With video gait analysis and digital scanning for prescription orthotics we utilise the best tools to restore optimum function, reduce your risk of injury and assist in treating your particular concern!! Keeping in mind that faulty mechanics can contribute to a multitude of problems therefore orthotics do play a major part in total management of many concerns. Please click on the link to discuss any concerns you have by making an appointment!
Types of Orthotics
Pre-formed insoles can be helpful for temporary and short term relief of mild foot pain. For more complicated biomechanical problems and better clinical outcomes a detailed mechanical examination and prescription orthotics are best for longevity, effectiveness, precision, comfort and value.
As mentioned these can be personally prescribed depending on the following factors: foot type, activity, footwear,( work vs sporting shoes?) age, diagnosis and weight. These all need to be taken into account!!