orthotics

“Life from your FEET’s perspective”

It is important to understand that your feet have a direct impact on the rest of your body and support you with each step. They are the foundation to your body’s stability.  A small abnormality in foot function can have a large impact on joints higher up in the body, causing pain and discomfort.  Lack of proper care, ill-fitting shoes and general foot neglect are responsible for the majority of foot problems. Orthotics (custom insoles) and proper shoe fit are very important aspects of foot health.

FOOT FACTS:

* The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day (American Podiatric Medical Association). That adds up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime or more than four times the circumference of the globe.  That is a lot of walking with ill-fiiting shoes or painful feet!

* When you are running, the pressure on your feet can be 3-4 times your body weight.  Even walking can produce more pressure than the sum of your body weight.

* Women have 4 times as many foot problems as men because of wearing high heals and/or pointy toe shoes.

* 25% of your bones are in your feet.  Your feet are a complex system of 52 bones, 66 joints, 214 ligaments, 38 muscles and tendons.

No wonder 75% of North Americans will experience foot health problems of varying degrees, at some point in their lives.

Not all orthotics are created equal!

All too often I hear from people that they were prescribed orthotics and they didn’t help or they could only wear them in their tennis shoes because they were too bulky.  But the patients I have been working with tell another story.  They LOVE their orthotics and can wear them in most shoes!

Orthotic therapy is constantly evolving.  One philosophy behind using orthotics –and how many health care professionals, including myself, were taught– is that they are a crutch.  But, that is no longer the case. Did you know some orthotics can re-train the structures in your feet with every step you take?  And they can be made to fit virtually any shoe so they can be worn while you work out, are at work, running errands or out on the town.

A visual inspection and a Computerized Gait Scan are used to analyze the feet as one stands and walks. That’s one of several reasons prescription orthotics made by The Orthotic Group work. Traditionally, casts are made of one’s feet in a neutral non-weight bearing position.  Most people’s feet hurt when they stand or are in motion, so it makes sense to take measurements when one is vertical with all biomechanical elements and gravity at play.  The Gait Scan results, visual inspection and the types of shoes you wear all are factors in making your custom orthotics.

Types of Orthotics

The Orthotic Group has thought of it all!  Depending on the activity you do, there is a perfect orthotic for your shoe.

Orthotic Types

There are 3 different lengths. Lengths are determined by the shoes you want to wear them in.

There are casual, dress, sport and specialty orthotics.  The casual and dress ones fit in most shoes with the dress orthotics especially made for more narrow fitting shoes like high heels.  There is also orthotics for work boots.

There is a big difference between the fit of a basketball shoe and soccer cleat.  And a shoe made to support a foot for long distance running is very different than one made to provide stability for quick directional changes on a court.  For these reasons there are different sport orthotics for soccer cleats, court sports, running shoes, golf shoes, ski boots, ice skates, as well as a generic sport one.

The specialty orthotics include orthotics for kids, one’s for those with diabetes to prevent diabetic ulcers, and another for those with arthritis in the lower extremity to provide extra cushion and comfort.

The orthotic shell (the hard part) is custom-made to your foot based on the results of the Gait Analysis.  The length of the topcover and the type of orthotic is determined by your activity level and the shoes you will wear them in.  My job is to make sure your orthotics are exactly what you need for your lifestyle based on our discussion, the GaitScan, and an inspection of your shoes.  All you have to do is walk across the GaitScan mat.

If you are experiencing pain in your ankles, knees, hip joints or low back… the direct cause may be the function of your feet or ill-fitting shoes.  Professionally fitted Custom orthotics can get you walking comfortably.