What Are Orthotics?

Orthotics are specially designed shoe inserts that provide support, improve alignment, and help correct abnormal walking patterns. Unlike over-the-counter insoles, custom orthotics are tailored to the unique structure of your feet, ensuring they meet your specific needs for pain relief and proper body mechanics.

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The Link Between Foot, Knee, and Back Pain

Many people don’t realize that foot problems can lead to knee and back pain. When your feet lack proper support, it can throw off your entire alignment, causing strain on your knees and lower back. Poor foot mechanics, such as flat feet or high arches, can affect how you walk and lead to excessive stress on other joints.

Benefits of Orthotics for Foot Pain

1. Alleviating Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common causes of foot pain is plantar fasciitis, a condition where the tissue running along the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed. Custom orthotics provide arch support that relieves the strain on this tissue, reducing pain and helping with recovery.

2. Correcting Flat Feet

People with flat feet often experience discomfort because their arches do not provide the natural shock absorption needed when walking or running. Orthotics can offer the necessary arch support, improving foot function and reducing pain.

3. Reducing Pressure on the Heel and Ball of the Foot

Foot conditions like heel spurs or metatarsalgia can cause significant discomfort in the heel or ball of the foot. Orthotics help distribute body weight more evenly across the foot, reducing pressure points and alleviating pain.

Benefits of Orthotics for Knee Pain

1. Correcting Gait and Reducing Joint Stress

Misalignment in the feet can lead to improper gait, placing unnecessary stress on the knees. Orthotics can correct foot positioning, leading to better alignment and reducing the strain on your knee joints. This can be particularly beneficial for conditions like patellar tendonitis or runner’s knee.

2. Supporting Osteoarthritis Management

For individuals with knee osteoarthritis, custom orthotics can help by offloading pressure from the affected areas. By redistributing weight, orthotics can alleviate pain and improve mobility, making everyday activities less painful.

3. Preventing Overpronation

Overpronation, or the excessive inward rolling of the foot, is a common cause of knee pain. Orthotics can help by providing the necessary arch support to prevent this inward motion, reducing strain on the knees and preventing further injury.

Benefits of Orthotics for Back Pain

1. Improving Posture and Alignment

One of the key benefits of orthotics is how they affect your overall posture. Poor foot mechanics can lead to misalignment throughout your entire body, contributing to lower back pain. Orthotics correct your foot alignment, which helps improve your posture and reduce stress on your spine.

2. Allevating Lower Back Strain

When the feet are not properly supported, it can lead to changes in walking and standing patterns, which often result in lower back strain. Orthotics help distribute weight more evenly, reducing the strain on your back muscles and providing relief.

3. Supporting Spinal Health

Orthotics also contribute to spinal health by ensuring your feet, knees, and hips are properly aligned. With correct alignment, there’s less pressure on the lower back, which can prevent and relieve chronic back pain, especially in cases of sciatica or disc problems.

Why Custom Orthotics Are More Effective Than Generic Inserts

While store-bought insoles may provide temporary relief, they are not tailored to your specific foot structure. Custom orthotics, on the other hand, are made to fit the exact shape of your feet, addressing your unique pain points and providing long-term benefits for your foot, knee, and back pain.

1. Personalized Fit: Custom orthotics are made using a mold of your foot, ensuring they fit perfectly and provide targeted support.
2. Long-Term Durability: Unlike over-the-counter inserts, custom orthotics are made from high-quality materials designed to last longer and withstand daily wear.
3. Comprehensive Support: Whether you suffer from foot pain, knee pain, or back pain, custom orthotics offer the comprehensive support you need for full-body alignment and relief.

How Pittman Physical Therapy Can Help

At Pittman Physical Therapy, we offer expert assessments to determine the best orthotics for your specific condition. Our team of experienced physical therapists works closely with you to create a treatment plan that integrates custom orthotics with other therapeutic approaches to maximize your recovery.

Why Choose Pittman PT for Your Orthotics Needs?

1. Comprehensive Assessments: We conduct thorough evaluations to understand the root cause of your pain and recommend the most effective orthotics solution.
2. Expertly Crafted Orthotics: Our custom orthotics are designed to provide long-term relief for a variety of conditions, including plantar fasciitis, knee arthritis, and lower back pain.
3. Follow-Up Care: After fitting you with custom orthotics, we continue to monitor your progress and make any necessary adjustments to ensure you receive the full benefit of the treatment.

Conclusion

Orthotics offer a non-invasive, effective solution for relieving foot, knee, and back pain by improving alignment and providing targeted support. At Pittman Physical Therapy, we understand the importance of customized care, which is why we offer personalized orthotics tailored to your specific needs. Whether you’re dealing with chronic foot pain or recovering from a knee injury, custom orthotics can be an essential part of your pain management and recovery plan.

FAQs

1. How long do custom orthotics last?

Custom orthotics can last up to 2-3 years with proper care, making them a durable solution for pain relief.

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2. Are custom orthotics covered by insurance?

Many insurance plans cover custom orthotics, but it’s best to check with your provider for specific coverage details.

3. Can custom orthotics be worn with any type of shoe?

Custom orthotics are designed to fit most shoes, but you may need specific types of footwear for certain conditions.

4. How soon will I feel relief after using orthotics?

Some people feel relief immediately, while for others, it may take a few weeks as the body adjusts to the new alignment.

5. Do I need a prescription for custom orthotics?

Yes, custom orthotics typically require a prescription from a healthcare provider, which we can help facilitate at Pittman PT.

7 Signs You Need Orthotics

On any given day, an average Australian adult walks around 5,000 steps. That’s a lot of steps! Experiencing foot pain during or after simple everyday activities can seriously limit your ability to move around and make your day harder than it needs to be.

Luckily, there’s a solution in orthotics. They give support and take the pressure off painful areas of your feet – as long as you get the right ones. In this article, we’ll walk you through the common signs you might need custom orthotics and how they can help with different foot problems.

Common Signs You Need Orthotics

If you’re wondering if you need orthotics here are some signs to watch for:

• Foot pain that won’t go away – especially acute pain in the heels, arches, or balls of your feet.
• Changes in the way you walk, such as your foot rolling in or out too much (overpronation and underpronation).
• Frequent Ankle Sprains – which indicates your feet lack stability and may need extra support.
• Uneven Shoe Wear. Check your shoes. If one side wears out faster than the other it’s a sign your foot alignment is off.
• Leg, Knee or Back Pain. Problems in your feet can affect other parts of your body. Pain in your legs, knees or back with no clear cause could be related to your foot alignment which orthotics can improve.
• If your feet hurt or feel tired after standing for a long time, your feet might be telling you that they need extra support. Especially if this is a part of your job and there’s no way of avoiding standing for extended periods.
• Severe pain after or during physical activities such as running or playing sports is also a sign that your feet aren’t getting the support they need or are unstable.

If any of these signs sound like you, book an appointment to see a podiatrist for a full assessment and advice. Located in Elsternwick, Melbourne, The Lower Limb Clinic can help you find the best solution for your feet and get you comfortable and mobile.

Conditions Orthotics Can Help With

Orthotics can help relieve various conditions and general foot discomfort, providing cushioning and support for issues such as heel pain, lower back pain, and specific sports-related problems. They are also effective in preventing further pain or injury related to lower limb issues.

• Plantar Fasciitis: This is a common cause of heel pain, caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia – a band of tissue from your heel to your toes.
• Flat Feet: If you have fallen arches, very low arches, or little or no arch, you can feel pain and fatigue in your feet. Orthotics support your arches.
• High Arches: Just like flat feet, high arches can cause issues too. Orthotics cushion and distribute pressure more evenly.
• Bunions: These painful bumps at the base of your big toe can be eased with orthotics which will realign your joints and take pressure off the bunion.
• Hammertoes: Orthotics will relieve pressure on bent toes and support your foot which may slow the progression of this deformity.
• Achilles Tendinitis: Orthotics will reduce strain on your Achilles tendon by slightly raising your heel and treat and prevent this condition.
• Diabetic Neuropathy: For those with diabetes, orthotics are essential. They prevent injuries and ulcers by distributing pressure evenly across your feet.
• Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, orthotics can take pressure off your joints and reduce pain.
• Overpronation or underpronation: If your ankles roll in or out too much when you walk, orthotics will provide the support to align your feet and reduce stress.
• Back, Hip or Knee Pain: Pain in your legs, knees, or hips can also be linked to the way your feet hit the ground. Joint pain and injuries from overuse often start from issues with your feet, which can be improved with the right orthotic support.
• You have to wear high heels: Wearing high heels, your weight shifts to the front, pressing down on the balls of your feet and toes. This pressure can cause discomfort and lead to problems like corns or calluses. Frequently wearing high heels may also lead to more severe issues, such as metatarsalgia (pain in the ball of the foot) or worsened plantar fasciitis.

What are Orthotics?

Orthotics are devices worn inside your shoes to support, align and improve the function of your feet. Orthotics work by changing the way your feet interact with the ground which improves function redistributes pressure away from those problem areas towards the parts of your foot that can handle it.

Orthotics come in many shapes and are made from various materials. You can buy prefabricated ones over the counter or custom-orthotics, usually through a podiatrist. There are also different types of orthotics, each designed for specific needs. For a full breakdown, read about the different kinds of foot orthotics here.

The Benefits of Wearing Orthotics

• Correcting Biomechanical Issues: Orthotics gently realign your bones, muscles, and tendons. This corrects the way you walk and stand, easing pain from flat feet, plantar fasciitis, and other foot issues.
• Reducing Strain and Pressure: Orthotics spread your weight evenly across your feet. This lessens strain on problem areas of your foot giving your body the space to heal naturally.
• Relieving Pain: Orthotics provide quick relief from foot pain. Conditions like arthritis, bunions, bursitis, heel spurs, and diabetes complications can cause severe foot pain. Orthotics help ease this pain.
• Improving Posture and Alignment: orthotics help maintain proper alignment which can prevents your foot from rolling too much, stabilise them during physical activity, and force better foot posture when standing for long periods.
• Enhancing Athletic Performance: Custom orthotics made for specific sports can improve your balance and reduce muscle fatigue. They help you perform better by evenly distributing your weight and absorbing shocks.
• Preventing Injuries: Orthotics reduce your risk of injuries like shin splints, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and knee pain.
• Improving Overall Health: By fixing biomechanical problems and giving extra support, orthotics relieve pain and help you move better, which improves your quality of life.

Custom Orthotics vs Off the Shelf Inserts

Benefits of Custom Orthotics

Custom orthotics have many benefits over off the shelf inserts. They are made to match your unique foot shape, biomechanics, and underlying conditions. That’s because we do a full biomechanical examination, gait analysis and joint evaluation before we even think about making the orthotics. After all, we need to know if you actually need them or if another treatment method would be a better option. We’d then take exact 3d impressions of your feet before heading to the lab to fabricate the orthotics. Because custom orthotics are designed and made just for you they are far more likely to address your specific foot issues, including severe pain, be more comfortable and more effective than something mass produced for the average foot.

When to Choose Off the Shelf Inserts

Off the shelf inserts can be a good option for mild foot discomfort. There are some good over the counter orthotics out there. They are cheaper and easier to get, but they still won’t give you the support and comfort that a custom orthoses can give. Over-the-counter orthotics, made of materials like gel, plastic, or foam, can provide cushioning and support for issues such as Achilles tendinitis or arch pain. And you’ll be crossing your fingers that your foot problem won’t get worse without addressing the underlying cause. Recommending off the shelf orthotics is beyond the scope of this article because it depends on the kind of foot condition you’re suffering from.

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Don’t let foot pain slow you down