Custom Orthotics

Many problems of the lower limb have a biomechanical or functional cause. Where there is no sign of direct trauma, this should be an important area to investigate. What do we mean by a biomechanical cause? In normal gait, the lower limb should undertake certain movements that allow us the ability to move. When these movements are altered in some way (this commonly may include poor foot alignment, tightness of calves and hamstrings, incorrect footwear, overtraining, arthritis) excessive stress and strain can be applied to any bone or soft tissue structure and therefore cause pain. The role of orthoses  is to control certain aspects of the function of the lower limb by altering the magnitude and direction of force improving overall joint alignment and muscle function. This in turn can reduce stress on the lower limb as your body is working more efficiently and effectively.

The shoe styles that a person wears will influence the type of orthotic that will work best for him or her. If the patient is a professional and experiences general foot pain on a daily basis, then the orthoses will need to fit dressier shoes. Likewise, if the patient is very active and is strictly using them during training, then the orthotic may only need to fit into a sneaker.

Footmed Foot and Ankle Clinics work closely with the podiatry team at Footwork Podiatric Laboratory to create a high quality orthotic for your specific problem and activity.