Foot pain can slow you down in a big way. Even mild discomfort will provide disincentive to keep your body moving and active in a healthy way, not to mention what it can do to your mood and overall sense of wellbeing. For some people, discomfort is only the beginning of the problems they will experience with their feet, and if left untreated, could result in the need for drugs or even surgery.
Luckily, if you act soon, orthotics can provide a relatively simple and non-invasive treatment method for many lower limb problems, optimizing the function of your feet, ankles, and knees, while taking the pain away.
1. The difference that custom makes
Although you’ve likely seen many over-the-counter shoe inserts readily available in grocery stores and pharmacies, it is important to understand that custom orthotics provide a completely different level of care. If an orthotic is really going to be able to do its job, it should be individually tailored to comfortably fit and support your unique feet. You can discuss any problems you are experience with your podiatrist and work towards finding the perfect solution for what is ailing you.
2. How they work
In order to accomplish this perfect fit, a trained podiatrist will perform a digital scan of your feet in order to fully map out and measure the precise arch, span, and pressure points of each of your feet. These measurements will give the doctor what they need in order to assess the cause behind the issues you are experience and they will be able to determine what adjustment needs to be made to in order to alleviate your problem. This complete report will them be to set to a lab that will create the orthotic designed to perfectly fit your unique foot.
3. Available options
Depending on the problems you are experience, orthotics can be designed to slip in your shoes and cushion all of, or individual parts of your foot. Some orthotics only cushion the toes and ball of your foot, while others will provide extra support for your heel, or possibly the entire sole. Additionally, some problems are best treated with an orthotic ankle brace, that can also support injured tendons and ligaments as they heal.
4. Say goodbye to pain
There are all sorts of problems that can arise as a result of issues with how our feet interact with the ground beneath us. The average person takes around 10,000 steps every single day, and that leaves a lot of opportunities for something to go wrong. Orthotics are a first-line remember for many foot conditions, including fallen arches, bunions, diabetic foot problems, and tendonitis. Orthotics can also get rid of the pain causes by runner’s knee, and heel or bone spurs.
5. Orthotics help you heal
In addition to making you more comfortable and preventing problems down the road, orthotics can also help heal existing injuries and ensure your recovery is healthy and complete. Once you have a custom orthotic designed for your foot, there will be a lot let stress on this part of your body and it will be able to begin healing existing injuries and deformities that may have been bothering you for years. Once your foot is returned to a healthy position, issues like overstretched tendons and ligaments will have the opportunity to relax and repair themselves.
In fact, in some cases orthotics have been so successful in correcting existing problems, that patients have found they no longer require addition therapies or pain medication. This, alongside the fact that orthotics have saved many from having to get surgery, are all reasons why you should see a podiatric doctor if experiencing pain in your feet.
