What are Orthotics?
Orthotics are orthopaedic devices designed to treat or adjust various biomechanical foot disorders that affect not only the foot, but the entire skeletal system. To see if you require orthotics it is best that you visit a Podiatrist. Enquire using our form, with the link at the bottom of this page and we will recommend a Podiatrist near you.
The best Orthotics are custom-tailored devices specifically crafted to meet the needs of a particular individual. This is done by making a plaster mould, impression, or digital image of the foot called a cast. After an assessment, if orthotics are required, your Podiatrist will recommend the orthotic that best suites you. The finished Orthotic is then placed in the patient's shoe and helps keep the foot in the correct alignment. This in turn may correct the alignment of the shin bone, the knees, the hips, and the lower and upper back.
Who Should use an Orthotic?
Due to the hard, manmade, unnatural surfaces that we now walk on, perfect feet are very rare, and almost anyone can benefit from Orthotics. They can prevent and alleviate many of the common foot complications that cause discomfort in otherwise healthy people. They can alleviate Foot, Shin, Knee, Hip, and Back pain. Almost anyone can achieve some benefit from an Orthotic. There are several common symptoms that may indicate misalignment of the feet.
You may be a candidate for Orthotics if:
- One side of your shoe sole wears out faster than the other
- You frequently sprain your ankle
- You have chronic heel, foot, shin, knee or lower back pain
- Your toes are not straight
- Your feet are "flat"
- Your feet point inward or outward when you walk
- Your feet hurt in general
How Does an Orthotic Work?
To explain how Orthotics function, it is important to understand the mechanics of walking. With each step, the vertical axis of the heel ideally should land almost perpendicular to the ground, with a slight inclination of only a few degrees toward the outside of the heel. From there, the weight is distributed progressively toward the lateral (outside) side of the foot. As the little (or fifth) toe starts to touch the ground, the arch of the foot should flatten slightly, shifting the body's weight toward the medial (inside) side of the foot. The heel then should start to lift off the ground, shifting the weight to the medial forefoot, principally the ball of the foot and the big toe. However there are many anomalies present in people's feet, hips and lower back that can cause this to be different. There may be compensatory hip tightness, a short leg, a pelvic rotation or another disorder that may be altering this pattern and your Podiatrist is the best person to see.
This co-ordinated motion occurs in much less time that it takes to describe. It is, nevertheless, a complex process in which many things can go wrong. If a structural problem is present, the foot can collapse under the body's weight. Runners in particular exert much greater forces on their feet than those generated by simple walking. This can lead to more severe injuries, such as sprained ankles, shin splints and even fractures.
Over time, stresses on the feet can deform them. One of the foot's main functions is to absorb shock as the body's weight shifts with each step. It does this through a complex process in which the arch of the foot flattens slightly. This absorbs and distributes the weight throughout the entire foot. There are two major problems that can occur in this mechanism.
The first occurs when the arch does not flatten at all. This typically occurs in a person with a high arch, called a Pes-Cavus foot. As the arch does not flatten, it absorbs shock poorly. Instead of spreading it throughout the entire foot, the weight of the body falls only on the heel and the bases of the toes. This increases stress on the foot. Furthermore, because the weight is not absorbed well in the foot, it radiates up the leg to other joints. Over time, this can cause pain in the knees, hips and lower back.
A Podiatrist may use an orthotic to correct this.
A different problem results if the arch flattens too much, this is more common. It may also be known in lay terms as flat feet. In such cases, the weight distribution on the foot is too far on the medial (inside) side. A flat foot, or pronated foot as it is correctly called, is unstable and cannot maintain a correct arch. Over time, the weight of the body on an unstable foot will cause the bones of the foot to become misaligned. This can lead to the development bunions, hammertoes and other foot deformities, as well as shin, knee, hip and lower back pain. To address this problem a Podiatrist may prescribe an Orthotic.
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