Your Health In Action
It’s important to understand your feet have direct impact on the rest of your body and support you with each step. A small abnormality in foot function can have a large impact on joints higher up in the body, causing pain and discomfort.
What are orthotics used for?
Custom foot orthotics are shoe inserts designed to support the natural shape of the foot, align the ankle and improve posture and foot function in general. At Prestige Physiotherapy our therapists prescribe orthotics to treat a range of foot, ankle, leg and lower back conditions.
At Prestige Physiotherapy we use the latest technology to design and make our custom foot orthotics.
How do custom foot orthotics help?
Custom foot orthotics are prescribed to help alleviate and prevent foot, ankle, and knee pain, and improve your balance and foot function in general.
Benefits of custom foot orthotics include:
- Support your feet and legs whenever weight bearing to increase confidence and sports performance.
- Improve chronic and acute sports injuries.
- Improve weight distribution and posture.
- Optimize shoe fit and comfort and absorb shock.
- Alter abnormal foot functioning position to correct many common foot ailments or prevent them from getting worse.
- Help your child's foot grow in more neutral or anatomically aligned position.
- Eliminates low back pain from leg length inequalities.
- Improve your balance
How we make your custom foot orthotics
The first step to making your custom foot orthotics begins with your initial appointment at Prestige Physiotherapy where your Physiotherapist will provide a musculoskeletal assessment including a video gait (walking) assessment. To completely customize your foot orthotics, we take a 3D scan of your foot, that creates an exact likeness of your foot in its corrected position. If any software adjustments are necessary for your custom foot orthotic, such as adding a heel raise for a short leg, your highly skilled physiotherapist will display this on a high definition computer monitor so you can see your orthotic prescription before they are manufactured. The scans are then sent to our laboratory where your orthotics are completed.
Eight Foot Conditions Orthotics Can Treat
1. Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the ligament connecting your toes and heel) is a common cause of heel pain, and it is caused due to faulty structure of the foot. It’s common among people who have problems with their arches. Doctors sometimes recommend orthotics to support the heel and foot in such cases. Orthotics helps heal the damage caused to the chronic soft tissue and reduces stretching of the arches.
2. Bunions
Bunions are bumps on the side of the big toe. Bump changes the bone alignment with the big toe leaning towards the second toe, producing the bunion's bump. Custom orthotics help take the pressure off the bunion. They also correct the alignment issues by realigning the foot structure and distributing the weight throughout the foot.
3. Excessive Foot Pronation (Flat Feet)
Flatfoot is often partial or total loss of the arch. To help minimize discomfort caused due to flat feet, simple devices such as orthotics can reduce discomfort. Right orthotics provides heel support for walking, exercising and performing other daily chores.
4. Neuromas
Morton's Neuroma is a scar-like thickening of nerve that usually occurs behind the third and fourth toe. This happens due to pressure on the foot. It is common among women who wear high heels. Customized orthotics provides a built-in metatarsal pad which provides some relief from pain and tingling caused due to neuromas.
5. Back Pain
Back pain has many reasons, including genetics and the body posture. With orthotics, back pain can be reduced as feet positioning and gait is improved.
6. Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation of your joints and it causes severe pain while performing any activity. Customized orthotics can help lessen the pain and also correct structural issues, including redistributing weight, providing proper cushioning and reducing excess stress on your joints.
7. Diabetes
Diabetes can lead to nerve damage. It might hamper smooth flow of blood into the feet. With a decreased immune system and healing, people with diabetes are at higher risk for many foot disorders. Orthotics can help with the proper pressure distribution that reduces friction and also prevents foot injury.
8. Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia refers to pain in the forefoot (ball of your foot). This is generally caused by activities that involve running, jumping or wearing misfit shoes. To prevent metatarsalgia, it's recommended to wear proper orthotics with metatarsal pads.