Foot Orthotics and How They Can Help You

 

 

 For those of us who are on our feet all day, or even for a significant part of the day, we may find that adding foot orthotics to our lives may improve the way our feet or our bodies feel, especially after a period of standing. For those who suffer from foot discomfort or injury or who are highly susceptible to foot ulceration, orthotics may be the solution to keeping you comfortable when you are on your feet. Read on to learn more about what foot orthotics are, how you can determine if they are right for you, and how they may help you.

What Are Foot Orthotics?

Foot orthotics are custom made shoes and inserts for shoes which help to alleviate high pressure areas in the foot, making the person wearing them more comfortable while standing. Orthopedists find foot orthotics to be helpful in treating many foot and leg conditions, including plantar fasciitis, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis and chondromalacia patella, and in avoiding diabetic and arthritic ulcerations.

Assessment

To determine whether foot orthotics will help you, your orthopedic specialist will need to run a series of simple computer tests. Your orthopedist will ask you to stand still and walk on a highly sensitive, computerized pad to discover high pressure points in your feet from body weight distribution. Clinicians will then analyze this data to determine how your natural stance and weight distribution are affecting the rest of your body. If any areas of your foot pressure are particularly strong, you may have corrective foot orthotics recommended to you.

How Orthotics Can Help

Many researchers believe that our foot health is essential to health in the rest of our body. While orthotics may not be able to assist with an earache, they can assist with problems arising from leg length differences, back pain (especially low back pain), leg fatigue, pain in feet, bunions, and a host of other foot and leg related problems. Foot orthotics are custom designed to fit your specific needs and increase your overall function by alleviating pressure in your feet. Because they are specific to you, they are able to help with your specific problems.



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