Your feet are small, considering they have to support the entire height and weight of your body. But they can cause big problems.
Each step you take involves a remarkably intricate network of bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. That complexity—combined with all the weight they carry—accounts for why feet can be so prone to problems, including bone fractures, arthritis and plantar fasciitis, or other painful conditions.
If left untreated, foot problems may worsen. Eventually, the pain could interfere with your ability to do even the most basic things like walking upstairs or down the street.
If pain alters the way you walk, it can lead to pain in your knees, hips and back as well. These problems can multiply, limiting your activity and affecting your quality of life.
The good news is that most foot disorders can be treated with physical therapy and often, foot orthoses.
What is custom orthotics?
Orthotics is the stream of medicine that focuses on the provision and use of artificial devices like customized insoles, braces, compression socks, custom orthotics, etc. Orthotists are the healthcare professionals who curate, design, and prepare custom orthotics for patients as recommended by the Pedorthist or Podiatrist. Our highly experienced Pedorthist at Prohealth Physiotherapy Oshawa assesses the feet and their irregularities and patient’s symptoms to provide the best-needed support for your feet to improve the support your feet need for our Waterloo community patients.
Custom Orthotics Oshawa
How to tell if custom-made shoe inserts are for you? What are the benefits of custom orthotics? I have seen many people questioning themselves if they really need custom-made orthotics. I have seen many people buying generic insoles from the drug store. Unlike those, the prescribed custom orthotics can actually treat and correct foot posture aligning the ankle, knee, and back improving your overall body posture.
Did you know that our foot consists of 26 bones each? Same as our bodies, feet are also highly complicated structures, and any irregularities seen in any of the bones can result in poor consequences. I would like to assure you that custom orthotics have many benefits beyond proper alignment of ankle and knee and alleviating leg pain, back pain, or ankle pain. In this blog, I will explain the 5 benefits of custom orthotics that will compel you to think about getting custom orthotics.
If you are looking for custom orthotics in Oshawa, contact our Clinic today!
Common Types of Symptoms Custom Orthotics Can Treat
Confused as to when do you need custom orthotics? How do you know that you may need custom orthotics or shoe inserts? Foot orthoses, commonly known as foot orthotics are designed to help support the feet and improve foot posture. If you are experiencing any of the below symptoms, your doctor may recommend custom orthotics:
- Foot pain or inflammation or swelling
- Sharp heel pain (Plantar fasciitis)
- Flat foot or high arch
- Improper balance or often unexpected falls
- Shoes become uneven after some time of wearing
- Diabetic foot complication
- Leg or foot injury
What are the benefits of Custom Orthotics & How ProHealth Oshawa Physiotherapy Can Help?
If your ankle moves inward or outward which your shoe can tell after wearing it a few times, then your ankle alignment is off from the shins. Over time, your knees will also go out of this alignment which can result in ankle pain, leg pain, and knee pain.
One of the many benefits of custom orthotics is that it supports our ankle and legs to go out of alignment and provide proper foot and body posture. Also, if your arches are too high or too low or you have a flat foot, you are likely to experience lower back pain as you go about your life. Custom orthotics are designed to provide structural support to improve the health of your knee, ankle and lower back with everyday use of custom-made shoe inserts.
People who have jobs that make them stand for long hours or who are suffering from arthritis, lower back pain, and knee pain becomes prominent complaint. Fortunately, custom orthotics can relieve the pain and pressure.
Another benefit of custom orthotics is that it redistributes the pressure of your body weight on your anatomical arches by providing proper support and cushion. This can provide significant relief in knee pain and back pain and provide you desired stability while you stand, walk or run.
Foot misalignment or irregularities can create difficulties for you to perform the best in your sports activities. Your health practitioner or chiropodist can prescribe you custom made orthotics to improve your game.
With proper stability, posture and sense of balance, it’s hard to not say that custom-made orthotics can improve your athletics performance. Custom-made orthotics can provide you with the said benefits, but research also shows that you can also absorb shock better and create efficient and precise body movements.
No matter how much we use our feet in everyday chores, walking, standing and playing sports, feel should not hurt. Therefore, if you are experiencing any type of abnormal pain, chronic ulcers, callouses, or corns, you should talk to us at Restore Life Physiotherapy Waterloo with chiropodist or health practitioner who may prescribe you custom orthotics to protect your feet.
You may ignore the signs earlier, but as life goes on, you would see noticeable pain, injuries and discomfort with your feet, knee joints or lower back. Custom foot orthotics will provide the right support you need for proper alignment of your joints. This is one of many benefits of custom orthotics that can’t be ignored.
Wrong posture of your feet, ill-fitting shoes and lack of proper stability can put you on the edge of recurring injuries, may be due to sudden falls, or improper balance.
Custom made orthotics are designed and crafted just to provide your feet, the proper support it needs. These are made specifically while considering your medical condition and symptoms for your feet to correct any bio-mechanical issues.
Custom Orthotic Inserts
After a thorough initial evaluation, foot orthoses may be an appropriate treatment. Foot orthoses (commonly called orthotics) can be helpful in a number of ways:
- They can put the foot and ankle in better alignment.
- They can help the foot better disperse stress during walking or running.
- They can help cushion and support hypomobile (stiff or rigid) segments of the foot.
- They can stabilize area of the foot that might be hypermobile (have too much mobility).
- They can help redistribute forces on the foot & ankle to alleviate pain.
Custom orthotics Oshawa
Looking at the above listed benefits of custom orthotics, it is undeniable that custom orthotics can make a significant difference in your life, and your feet’s comfort. Custom orthotics can improve the functionality and capabilities of your feet, ankle, knee and lower back. If you have any pertaining issues of feet, custom orthotics may be the answer that is worth looking into.
Call Pro Health oshawa physiotherapy & Rehab for full assessment of your feet and provide efficient and functional custom orthotics that will last years and provide you comfort every day! Call us today.
Custom foot orthotics are specially designed custom-made medical inserts that support your feet and provide proper balancing. It’s functionally purposed to focus on the foot posture in the desired manner to relieve foot pain, back pain, ankle pain, or even hip pain. Orthotics are for feet as glasses are for eyes, providing them the right position and posture to go the long way! Custom orthotics as the name suggests are custom made and that’s why come in different varieties, sizes, and shapes. Custom orthotics can be made of plastic, carbon made, or maybe soft foam which totally depends on the condition we are trying to treat.
Start by booking an appointment at Restore Life Physiotherapy & Wellness Waterloo and after your thorough foot evaluation and measurement, your custom foot orthotics will go into manufacturing or construction of the type of material requested. It may generally take up to 1-2 weeks to get your custom-made orthotics.
Our highly experienced podiatrist will assess your daily activities and make a recommendation on the type of shoes and orthotics that will suit you the best. At Restore Life Physiotherapy Waterloo, our aim is to provide you with custom-made orthotics that almost fits all of your shoes and therefore, you can wear them at all times irrespective of the wardrobe situation. The more you wear, the more your feet will thank you!
Unfortunately, custom-made orthotics doesn’t come with a specific expiration date. It completely depends on the construction material, your workplace conditions (for e.g., your job requires you to stand or move all day), the regular wear and tear, major or minor accidents and many other factors. It is hard to tell the exact time, but custom-made orthotics can last as long as 2 to 5 years.
Many people with diabetes develop ulcers, wounds or injury because of the friction with the foot and the shoes. Due to reduced circulation and sensation in their feet, people with diabetes are more prone to injuring their foot and therefore, custom-made specialized foot orthotics which can prevent development or worsening of wounds.