Orthotics, orthoses, insole, inner soles, inserts
OVERVIEW
Foot orthotics are shoe inserts designed to support, align, or improve the function of the foot.
In general terms there are two types of orthotics:
Pre-fabricated or “off the shelf”, pre made orthotics - which are often soft and designed to fit the “average “ foot shape, and
Prescription orthotics - which are custom made to fit your foot shape and exact foot requirements.
People of all ages with a variety of foot or lower leg problems wear orthotics.
People, with specific foot, knee or hip problems are often utilise prescription orthotics that are prescribed by a podiatrist to help resolve their symptoms by addressing their foot’s structural problems.
Foot orthotics are shoe inserts designed to support, align, or improve the function of the foot.
In general terms there are two types of orthotics:
Pre-fabricated or “off the shelf”, pre made orthotics - which are often soft and designed to fit the “average “ foot shape, and
Prescription orthotics - which are custom made to fit your foot shape and exact foot requirements.
People of all ages with a variety of foot or lower leg problems wear orthotics.
People, with specific foot, knee or hip problems are often utilise prescription orthotics that are prescribed by a podiatrist to help resolve their symptoms by addressing their foot’s structural problems.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
3 out 5 people will develop foot pain during their lifetime. Not supervising when you consider how much work your feet have to endure during an average day. The average, moderately active person takes around 7,500 steps per day. If you maintain that daily average and live until 80 years of age, you would have walked about 216,262,500 steps in your lifetime and an average of 20 tonnes of impact every mile you walk. That’s the weight of a Blue Whale!
Patients foot and lower limb disorders are commonly related to a musculoskeletal structural abnormality and associated dysfunction. These abnormalities can commonly result in:
Heel pain
Plantar Fasciitis
Neuroma / Nerve pain
Painful collapsed arch
Knee pain
Hip pain
Back pain
Shin splints
Pain in the balls of your feel (Metatarsal pain / Metatarsalgia)
Painful callus formation
Painful corns underneath your feet
3 out 5 people will develop foot pain during their lifetime. Not supervising when you consider how much work your feet have to endure during an average day. The average, moderately active person takes around 7,500 steps per day. If you maintain that daily average and live until 80 years of age, you would have walked about 216,262,500 steps in your lifetime and an average of 20 tonnes of impact every mile you walk. That’s the weight of a Blue Whale!
Patients foot and lower limb disorders are commonly related to a musculoskeletal structural abnormality and associated dysfunction. These abnormalities can commonly result in:
Heel pain
Plantar Fasciitis
Neuroma / Nerve pain
Painful collapsed arch
Knee pain
Hip pain
Back pain
Shin splints
Pain in the balls of your feel (Metatarsal pain / Metatarsalgia)
Painful callus formation
Painful corns underneath your feet
CAUSES
The cause of foot, knee and hip pain can be complex. The structure or bony alignment (the shape of your foot or the joints in your feet) can often predispose your to problems resulting in abnormal movement and posture.
This happens when the unique shape of your foot begins to stand upon the flat surface of the ground. In effect your feet have to move from their own unique natural shape and position to change and accommodate the flat hard surface of the ground. Your foot shape will determine how much and where your foot, knee, hip and spine move to enable you to stand on a hard flat surface.
This “ground reaction force” or “compensatory movement” can often cause excessive mechanical stress, resulting in tissue damage, inflammation and pain. Bony, cartilaginous, soft tissue including muscular, epidermal, facial, tendon, ligamental, joint capsule, vascular and nerve tissue can all be affected. Musculoskeletal, neurological and vascular structures can also be influenced or be affected by this movement.
Structural abnormality is commonly caused by a genetic pre-disposition, ie foot shape. Patients will often mention that their mother, father or grandparent had the same problem. There are numerous other factors that can also produce pathological changes in foot structure and function. These include, but not are not limited to:
Systemic disorders, eg diabetes, Charcot Marie tooth disease, inflammatory disorders (rheumatoid arthritis), infection (osteomyelitis), trauma (misaligned fractures, non-reduced surgical correction), neurological injury (cerebral vascular incident/stroke) and head injury.
The cause of foot, knee and hip pain can be complex. The structure or bony alignment (the shape of your foot or the joints in your feet) can often predispose your to problems resulting in abnormal movement and posture.
This happens when the unique shape of your foot begins to stand upon the flat surface of the ground. In effect your feet have to move from their own unique natural shape and position to change and accommodate the flat hard surface of the ground. Your foot shape will determine how much and where your foot, knee, hip and spine move to enable you to stand on a hard flat surface.
This “ground reaction force” or “compensatory movement” can often cause excessive mechanical stress, resulting in tissue damage, inflammation and pain. Bony, cartilaginous, soft tissue including muscular, epidermal, facial, tendon, ligamental, joint capsule, vascular and nerve tissue can all be affected. Musculoskeletal, neurological and vascular structures can also be influenced or be affected by this movement.
Structural abnormality is commonly caused by a genetic pre-disposition, ie foot shape. Patients will often mention that their mother, father or grandparent had the same problem. There are numerous other factors that can also produce pathological changes in foot structure and function. These include, but not are not limited to:
Systemic disorders, eg diabetes, Charcot Marie tooth disease, inflammatory disorders (rheumatoid arthritis), infection (osteomyelitis), trauma (misaligned fractures, non-reduced surgical correction), neurological injury (cerebral vascular incident/stroke) and head injury.
DIAGNOSIS
Podiatrists are primary health care practitioners and are able to offer diagnosis for disorders of the foot and lower limb, dealing not only with diagnosis and treatment but also prevention and rehabilitation.
When prescribing orthotics, we provide a comprehensive service to ensure safe and effective treatment which includes
Podiatrists are primary health care practitioners and are able to offer diagnosis for disorders of the foot and lower limb, dealing not only with diagnosis and treatment but also prevention and rehabilitation.
When prescribing orthotics, we provide a comprehensive service to ensure safe and effective treatment which includes
- a clinical assessment of your foot problem prior to prescription
- A prescription for orthotics that are tailored to your individual needs
- Advice regarding rehabilitation, exercises and footwear
- Follow up, including initial and ongoing treatment plan
- Fine-tuning or correction of any problems experienced while wearing your orthotics.
TREATMENT
Foot disorders, knee and hip pain can have many causes some of which can be helped by the use of orthotics.
Much in the same way lenses in a pair of glasses help by “bending the light” as it enters your eye, accommodating your eye shape and enabling you read or drive a car, orthotics can help accommodate your foot’s structural abnormalities, i.e the shape of your foot and it’s joints.
Orthotics match your unique foot shape to the hard flat ground surface, reducing negative effects of excessively rolling in or rolling out, or in others cases providing off-loading painful pressure points that can produce painful corns or callus.
There are many different kinds of orthotics:
Cushioning orthotics provide cushioning and padding underfoot with shock absorption during walking.
Pressure relief orthotics offer additional relief by redistributing the pressure on problems areas of the foot.
Prescription orthotics offer all these features, are plus the benefit of postural realignment. They also have a longer “life”.
We may prescribe orthotics for your particular foot problem after a comprehensive assessment, taking in to account your own biomechanics (the way your body moves), footwear, occupation and lifestyle.
Orthotics can provide effective treatment for:
Heel pain
Plantar fasciitis
Neuroma (including Morton’s Neuroma)
Corns and Callous
Tendonitis
Recurrent ankle sprain
Stress fractures
Foot disorders, knee and hip pain can have many causes some of which can be helped by the use of orthotics.
Much in the same way lenses in a pair of glasses help by “bending the light” as it enters your eye, accommodating your eye shape and enabling you read or drive a car, orthotics can help accommodate your foot’s structural abnormalities, i.e the shape of your foot and it’s joints.
Orthotics match your unique foot shape to the hard flat ground surface, reducing negative effects of excessively rolling in or rolling out, or in others cases providing off-loading painful pressure points that can produce painful corns or callus.
There are many different kinds of orthotics:
Cushioning orthotics provide cushioning and padding underfoot with shock absorption during walking.
Pressure relief orthotics offer additional relief by redistributing the pressure on problems areas of the foot.
Prescription orthotics offer all these features, are plus the benefit of postural realignment. They also have a longer “life”.
We may prescribe orthotics for your particular foot problem after a comprehensive assessment, taking in to account your own biomechanics (the way your body moves), footwear, occupation and lifestyle.
Orthotics can provide effective treatment for:
Heel pain
Plantar fasciitis
Neuroma (including Morton’s Neuroma)
Corns and Callous
Tendonitis
Recurrent ankle sprain
Stress fractures
PREVENTION
It is well recognised that when it comes to your health and your joints, prevention is far better than cure.
Orthotics can reduce the wear and tear on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and spine by reducing the excessive mechanical, physical forces when walking or running on hard flat surfaces.
Orthotics can also be used to help off-load painful pressure points at the bottom of your feet. Painful pressure points can develop as we grow older where the normal cushioning at the bottom of our feet (known as fibro-fatty padding) slowly reduces, leaving the bones at the bottom of our feet prominent and vulnerable to excessive pressure from the ground.
The use of pressure relieving orthotics can also be useful to treat who may suffer from a reduced blood supply or diabetes; where we need to try and prevent the development pressure, friction or thermally induced soft tissue injury.
Those patients who enjoy to run or walk to keep fit may also benefit from the use of orthotics; reducing their risk of developing a recurring injury that can prevent them from doing what they love to do.
Patients who spend hours on their feet working on hard floors, wearing hard protective boots or gum boots, also benefit from an orthotic devices that offer both support and cushioning aimed at providing comfort during and after their working shifts.
It is well recognised that when it comes to your health and your joints, prevention is far better than cure.
Orthotics can reduce the wear and tear on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and spine by reducing the excessive mechanical, physical forces when walking or running on hard flat surfaces.
Orthotics can also be used to help off-load painful pressure points at the bottom of your feet. Painful pressure points can develop as we grow older where the normal cushioning at the bottom of our feet (known as fibro-fatty padding) slowly reduces, leaving the bones at the bottom of our feet prominent and vulnerable to excessive pressure from the ground.
The use of pressure relieving orthotics can also be useful to treat who may suffer from a reduced blood supply or diabetes; where we need to try and prevent the development pressure, friction or thermally induced soft tissue injury.
Those patients who enjoy to run or walk to keep fit may also benefit from the use of orthotics; reducing their risk of developing a recurring injury that can prevent them from doing what they love to do.
Patients who spend hours on their feet working on hard floors, wearing hard protective boots or gum boots, also benefit from an orthotic devices that offer both support and cushioning aimed at providing comfort during and after their working shifts.
For further advice or to make an appointment, please contact one of our professional team, our numbers and contact details are listed on the Contact page.
