ORTHOTICS
Your feet, just like you, are unique. After your thorough assessment, your Glenroy Foot Clinic podiatrist may recommend the use of a pair of orthotics to reduce to change the pressures under your feet as you stand, walk and run. The average person will walk 185,000 km in their lifetime. That equals 4 times around the Earth. You need to look after your feet, your body’s foundations, just like you would the foundations of your house or the tyres on your car. Your foot is a complex structure comprising of 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons.
What Conditions Do Orthotics Treat?
Many foot problems are caused by mechanical imbalances and overload of areas on your feet. These imbalances can cause pain in the ankles, legs, knees, hips and even your back. Foot problems then can affect the way you stand, walk and run. Regardless of your age, high arched or flat feet can make you walking pattern unstable. This can lead to foot, leg, and back pain.
Our Orthotic Options
Prescription orthotics are shoe inserts made to your individual biomechanical needs. The orthotics are designed to support your feet and lower limb to reduce the strain and pressure. Your podiatrist performs a biomechanical assessment, which involves gait analysis, joint range of motion assessment and muscle testing. This allows the podiatrist to determine the existing alignment and function of your feet in relation to the rest of your body. Poorly aligned feet can cause pain not only in your feet but in your ankles, knees, legs and back. From this assessment orthoses are prescribed. Accurate casts are taken of your feet to ensure the orthoses are custom made to the exact curvatures of your feet. Glenroy Foot Clinic use state of the art scanning technology to ensure accurate and reproducible results. We do not use outdated plaster or foam boxes.
In some cases your podiatrist may suggest an alternative semi-custom orthotic. This is a preformed device with personal adjustments made for individual requirements. Off the shelf orthotics are often a good option when a prescription orthotic is not required. Glenroy Foot Clinic stocks a great range of off the shelf orthotic options to fit a wide range of sizes. Your podiatrist needs to thoroughly assess your feet and legs, and the background to your condition, before fitting an off the shelf orthotic.
Orthoses rely on the support provided by appropriate footwear and your podiatrist will discuss this with you. Orthotic therapy works most effectively when used in conjunction with exercises and treatment instructions prescribed by your podiatrist.