A custom orthotic is a device designed to align the foot and ankle into the most anatomically correct position. They look like insoles, but are biomechanical medical appliances that are custom made to correct your specific foot imbalance. Custom orthotics work on your feet much like glasses work on your eyes, they reduce stress and strain on your body by bringing your feet back into proper alignment. The plastic body of the custom orthotics helps to re-align the foot by redirecting and reducing certain motion that takes place during the gait cycle. Custom orthotics fit into your shoes as comfortably as an insole and they have the advantage of having been made from precise imprints of your feet.
Anyone who has ever had to spend several hours on their feet knows that structural anomalies and injuries can have a significant negative impact on their comfort, ability to get around, and quality of life. Many medical conditions and injuries can be exacerbated by poor posture or issues with spine stabilization and musculoskeletal alignment.
Custom foot orthotics provide a simple solution to correcting these issues. These fully customized inserts are worn inside the shoe in order to correct and control congenital or acquired conditions associated with the misalignment of the foot. By aligning the feet properly, orthotics help to align the entire musculoskeletal system to improve the condition of the ankles, hips, knees, and back.
For more information on how foot orthotics can help alleviate back, knee, ankle and leg pain, contact one of our experts in Mississauga today!
Made from a plaster cast of the patient’s own foot, these inserts are specially made to correct weight distribution and provide proper support to the arch of the foot. This is not the same as off-the-shelf inserts which, while they may provide some support and pain relief, are not customized to your unique needs and structural anomalies. In fact, these off-the-shelf inserts may do more harm than good in some cases.
A full gait analysis assesses the mechanics of your foot, how you walk, and the anatomy and biomechanics of your lower limbs and feet. This provides the information required to create your custom orthotics as well as make treatment recommendations.
Any adult or child with foot, knee, ankle, or back pain can benefit from the use of foot orthotics. Signs that you may need custom orthotics include abnormal shoe wear, frequent ankle sprains, shin splits, gait abnormalities, general foot pain, chronic heel pain, flat feet, and bunions.
The longer you wear your custom orthotics the more benefit you will get out of them. If your daily activities vary to the extent that you change your footwear, then you should have a second pair of custom orthotics designed for that specific activity (ie going to the gym after work).
Since custom orthotics work to realign the structure of your foot you may feel pressure in some areas as the custom orthotic attempts to do its job. For this reason custom orthotics should be worn in two hour intervals and slowly extend the wear time over a period of two weeks.
For more information on how foot orthotics can help alleviate back, knee, ankle and leg pain, contact one of our experts today!
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For more information on our custom made foot orthotics, please contact the experts at Dynamic Physiotherapy at 905-273-5433.
Currently we do not have any Saturday appointments available (we are looking to add Saturday service shortly). However evening appointments are available at both locations. Either click or call and we would be happy to book an appointment for you.
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