Orthotics are a great way to help with issues related to walking and alignment. Some of these include but are not limited to knee, foot and lower back pain. The need for orthotics is often related to an issue with the natural functioning of the foot. Orthotics will often help to realign the bones within the foot and ankle and therefore take pressure of other parts of the body such as the back, neck, shoulders and hips. In addition, orthotics will help with distributing your weight properly and take further pressure off of toes, bunions and other parts of the foot.
Some recent research suggests custom orthotics may be used to not only treat injury but reduce the risk of injury by as much as 30% http://www.rightstride.com/d3d_orthotics_research.html.
Some doctors have an "old school" approach to orthotics. They make hard, rigid custom orthotics so limit or prevent pronation of the foot and ankle. Current models use flexible custom orthotics. Flexible custom orthotics support motion, decrease acceleration and increase shock absorption. I always ask my patients "why is you running shoe flexible?" They always reply "so your foot can move." Exactly. So your foot can move. Hard, rigid orthotics prevent movement, flexible orthotics support movement. It is a dramatic difference.
Orthotics are really for anyone with an issue or discomfort relating to walking or imbalances in the body that are known to cause related pain. The great benefit of orthotics is that they can be worn on a daily basis and be utilized during most activities to take further stress of the body.
Orthotics can often be prescribed by your chiropractor and can last well over a year in most cases. This is a great investment into your overall health and well being via a biomechanical standpoint.
Does it take time to get used to orthotics?
It can take time to get used to them but they should not be uncomfortable. In order to be effective a custom orthotic must be both comfortable and effective. If neither of these goals are achieved then the orthotic is useless. It is common for me to sit with a patient who had uncomfortable ineffective custom orthotics made by another doctor or therapist. When I ask them if they told the doctor they usually say no. So the doctor is assuming, becasue you never complained, that the orthotics are working! In my office I fit your custom orthotic, have you try them and email me for follow up within 2 weeks. This saves the patient a trip to my office and $$. Sometimes the orthotic is helpful but not as much as we hoped. Then at no extra charge I offer to modify the orthotic to increase its effectiveness and/or comfort. If, after modifications I can not get it right I will refund the patients money.
"Dr. Runco, I wanted to take the time to write to you and let you know how awesome the inserts you made for me are. I have absolutely no more knee pain and I qualified for the Boston Marathon. I can't believe it. I am finally going to Boston. Thank you so much"
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