The word ‘orthotic’ is often thrown around by practitioners, but what is it they REALLY do, how do they work and who could benefit from them.

Here’s the inside scoop…

What is an orthosis?

At AC Podiatry we refer to an orthosis as a custom-made shoe insert that is made from a plaster cast to an individual prescription for a patient following an intense examination revolving around how you move and function.    It is not an off the shelf, prefabricated orthotic and is far superior to the inserts that you might purchase from a pharmacy or online (please don’t!!).

There are many ways to make an orthosis with scanning and 3D printing gaining popularity due to its speed and ability to be replicated.  We believe in the tried and true method of hand made (or artisan) orthoses, vacuum pressed off a plaster cast. We believe this provides a far better and more nuanced orthotic that serves our patients far better.

A common misconception is that orthoses lift fallen arches or stop the foot from rolling in.  That they are only used in people who have flat feet. This is an understandable assumption given that flat feet have always been demonised and seen as problematic.

At AC Podiatry we use orthoses as a way of redistributing forces or stresses away from painful areas by assisting the foot to work better.  This might mean rolling the foot in if someone has a very high arch and rolls their ankles all the time, helping the big toe work better so someone can push off their big toe properly, redirecting pressure away from an area where you get a painful corn or callus or adding a lift to address someone having one leg longer than the other.

In addition, we can use orthoses to improve the way the foot works so that a person can run, walk and even cycle more efficiently. Ultimately, orthoses change the environment that the feet need to work in so that they don’t have to work so hard and by doing so, help relieve pain and aggravation and improve mechanics and efficiency.

Orthoses are very useful in managing a range of issues including, but not limited to:

Any condition that has a mechanical cause (so a problem that comes as a direct result of walking or activity) a very strong case for orthoses can be made.