With spring here, folks are beginning to get outside and engage in outdoor activities. Custom orthotic shoe inserts are a great way to protect your foot health. Unlike over-the-counter (OTC) inserts (also called prefabricated insoles) these are molded to your exact foot shape. In addition to comfort, they can help improve athletic performance and even relieve back, knee, and hip pain.
While over-the-counter shoe inserts can provide some comfort and cushion, custom orthotics are designed to meet each person’s individual needs. To correct biomechanical foot problems and cure long-standing foot issues, clinical research studies have shown that podiatrist-prescribed foot orthotics can decrease foot pain and improve function.
How Custom Orthotics Can Help You!
- Your feet are as unique and special as you are and have their own individual needs. By seeing a podiatrist, they will tailor orthotics to deal with your specific foot problems.
- Orthotics can be customized to give support to the exact places your foot requires. This helps to reduce problems of discomfort associated with bunions, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, and other foot conditions.
- They can also be fitted to correct structural imbalances that can decrease mobility and cause pain in the knees. Correcting these problems can make exercise more efficient, more enjoyable, and easier on the joints.
- Each foot has its own individual characteristics that impact how we walk. Foot specialists can evaluate your specific stride. Gait analysis allows doctors to custom design the perfect shoe insert or arch support. This provides a superior way to correct any underlying causes of discomfort, such as collapsed arches (pronation) or high arches (supination).
- Custom-fitted orthotics can also improve the circulation in your feet. They can help prevent medical issues such as neuropathy, especially important for people with diabetes.
- Custom-fitted orthotics are unique to your foot shape and can help keep your ankles and legs aligned, making you less susceptible to ankle sprains and other injuries. They can help relieve lower back pain by supporting your feet and body.
- Custom orthotics are specially crafted with high-quality and durable materials, meaning they will last longer. An accurate and reliable fit is essential to prevent numerous foot problems down the line as well.
Don’t let foot pain ruin your outdoor fun. A custom orthotic evaluation by the Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic in Garland, TX (county of Dallas), can help you with this first step to improved foot function and a life free of foot pain. Dr. Scott Nelson, a board-certified podiatrist, is highly experienced and has helped many patients who have suffered from all types of foot and ankle injuries. Please contact our office with any questions you may have or to schedule an appointment by calling 972-414-9800.