Custom Orthotics are devices that are made to place into shoes to help align the lower extremity and support the feet. As you are walking, all the weight of your entire body passes through your feet which act as a foundation to the rest of your body. Custom orthotics can be used to treat many conditions such as plantar fasciitis, neuroma pain, flat feet, and high arched feet. Custom orthotics can also sometimes help with shin splints, knee pain, hip pain and back pain.
Custom orthotics are very different than over the counter orthotics, as these are made to help support your feet and only your feet. Everyone has a different arch height and different lower extremity pathology and thus everyone needs a different orthotic. Unfortunately, for best results, you can not just go to a store and buy an over the counter orthotic for “pronation” and have this take care of all of your problems. This is analogous in that you cannot just go to a store and get far sighted glasses and be able to see perfectly again. Everyone has a unique orthotic prescription the same way everyone has a unique glasses prescription.
In fabricating our custom orthotics, the first step is for you to walk on a gait pressure mat which analyzes the way that you walk in detail. Pressure sensors within the mat look at every single step you take and create a three dimensional image of your foot identifying exact arch height and areas of high and low pressure in the feet. The gait system will also look at the different parts of your gait cycle (heel contact, mid-stance and propulsion) and determine if all of the above are occurring at the correct time. This will all be discussed in detail with you. We will be able to show you what the normal foot should look like and display a visual comparison to what your foot looks like. From this information, depending on the condition causing the need for orthotics, we will add modifications such as padding, extensions etc. to help realign your feet. Once this is all complete, we electronically send the scan and prescription to the fabrication lab who create the custom device per our specifications. Since this is new technology and we send all of our orders electronically, the turn around time to get the orthotics is significantly shorter that what it used to be in the past.
If you or any friends or family members have any type of foot pain, contact the doctors at Quality Foot Care today for an appointment to discuss whether custom orthotics can benefit you!