Do you often feel pain in your feet? Has this pain become a hindrance to carrying out your daily activities? If yes, then you custom orthotics may be a part of your treatment plan. You may not consider the importance of foot health until you have developed pain. When your feet hurt, there can be many reasons behind it that your healthcare provider will assess for. 

Feet are the basic foundation that provides support as well as mobility to the rest of the body. When there is dysfunction of the foot, it cannot function efficiently and this may cause pain or symptoms. 

Depending on the condition, you may benefit from custom orthotics as part of your treatment plan. 

What Are Custom Orthotics?

Orthotics are shoe inserts or arch supports. These are designed specifically for you in order to provide support to the affected areas of your foot.  With these inserts, you can modify an arch, reduce pressure on painful areas, and help manage deformities in the foot and toes such as bunions and hammer toes. Orthotics are carefully designed to treat foot pain and dysfunction. Also, they help provide support where it is required as they are shaped in such a manner that is an exact fit to your feet. 

Healthcare professionals understand that not every foot is the same and thus requires customization to achieve a perfect fit. Your foot is assessed by a healthcare professional and then scanned using a 3D scanner to make an exact model of your foot. 

Some Possible Benefits of Custom Orthotics:

1. Relieve Pressure:

Custom orthotics cushion the feet and help body weight to be more evenly distributed. This ensures that the entire foot is used in supporting weight, not just one particular area of the foot. Custom orthotics can aid in avoiding pressure ulcers or other abnormalities seen with arthritic or diabetic patients. Orthotics can be modified to any deformity or pressure point by adding cut-outs or extra cushioning to areas of concern. 

1. Support Foot Posture:

Foot dysfunction may cause pronation (flat feet) or supination postures at the foot. These postures can affect how load is distributed up through your body and in some cases can contribute to knee, hip, and back pain. Custom orthotics can help address pronation and supination postures. 

1. Improve Performance of the Feet:

Even the slightest pain can have a great impact on your feet while walking, running, or playing sports. If you are an athlete or in the fitness industry, there may be constant pressure to perform efficiently. With custom orthotics, you may enhance the overall performance of the foot by adding supports that reduce pain and help absorb shock. 

1. Provide Protection:

Throughout the day, your feet perform a lot of work. It is easy to ignore foot pain and keep performing your daily activities. Your feet undergo a lot of pressure in a single day and you may have areas of the foot that need protection and care to keep them healthy. Examples of tissues needing protection include ulcers, sores, or bony prominences. Inserts are designed with cushion in specific areas which provide support and keep feet protected from injuries. Moreover, custom orthotics can also be designed with an extra layer which can act as a shock absorber. 

For getting perfectly designed orthotics, you must consult the right healthcare professional. They will perform a biomechanical gait analysis to identify any problems. They can then use a three dimensional scanner to replicate the foot structure, and tailor the inserts according to your foot. These custom orthotics will be beneficial in alleviating pain in some foot conditions. 

Summary: 

If you are facing foot issues, it is important to get proper treatment. With the help of custom orthotics, you can address many concerns such as high arches, flat feet, or any other foot dysfunction.