What Are Custom Orthotics?

Custom orthotics are insoles that can be designed to address specific foot issues. These devices are prescribed by a podiatrist and made to fit the patient’s feet. They are more expensive than over-the-counter inserts, but they last longer and offer greater correction than those insoles available from a drugstore or sporting goods store.

Custom Orthotics Are Made From Molds of Your Feet

Podiatrists use a process to make custom orthotics, called foot molds. Technicians pour plaster into a mold that exactly reproduces the bottom of the patient’s foot. Then, the doctor sends the plaster mold to a laboratory with a prescription for a device to be made.

The lab then makes a pair of orthotics that will correct your particular problem. This type of orthotic can be used to treat many foot problems and can help reduce pain in other parts of the body such as the legs, hips and back.

They can also help improve conditions such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, bursitis, heel spurs and hammertoes. These medical devices are often recommended when other treatment methods have not been successful.

These insoles are designed to support the arch of the foot and relieve pressure on the ball of the foot. They can also be used to relieve pain caused by overpronation. Overpronation causes the inside of the foot to turn inward when walking, which can cause pain and may disrupt the alignment of the bones in the legs and hips.

Some types of orthotics are rigid, while others are soft and accommodative. Rigid orthotics are usually made of harder materials like plastic or carbon fiber to control foot motion and can be helpful if you have plantar fasciitis, arch pain, and back pain from abnormal foot function.

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Most podiatrists are trained to use a foot mold and can create a pair of orthotics that will suit your unique needs. They can also help you choose the right type of orthotic for different footwear.

Can I Wear Custom Orthotics in All My Shoes?

Custom made foot orthotics are highly effective but to get the best benefits from them you need them to be fitted properly within your footwear. When you have your orthotics fitted by a Canadian Certified Pedorthist, they are carefully sized for your particular type of footwear and can be adjusted to ensure they are in place properly.

You can wear your custom made orthotics in your casual shoes as well as your narrower dress or work shoes. It is important that you take both pairs of your footwear to your pedorthic appointment so the Pedorthist can check the orthotics and footwear are a good fit.

In general, your Pedorthist will suggest that you purchase two pairs of custom orthotics and transfer one pair into a pair of your wider fitted casual shoes and the other into a pair of your narrower dress or work shoes.

When you have your orthotics Brunswick fitted by Pedorthists, they are carefully sized for your particular foot shape and can be adjusted to ensure they are in Place properly.