Orthotics

Shoes

A custom orthosis should be provided by a physician's  prescription only. A proper foot orthosis is the foundation to help relieve foot pain. Many modifications can be made to help the orthosis target the specific condition being treated.  The first step to achieve a proper orthosis, is the casting technique.  An orthosis should NEVER be casted with the patient standing.  You can not obtain a proper sub talor neutral position when the patient is made to stand during the impression process.  Also, this will cause the foot to "bottom out" and create flat spots in the cast which are not nautral to the foot.    Picture of proper casting method

Proper shoe construction plays a vital role in foot care.  The shoe should have a solid heel counter (the back part of the shoe) for ankle stability. The shoe should NOT bend in the middle.

The shoe should only bend at the ball area.  This is where your foot bends naturally.

The orthosis should be flat on the bottom, not rounded.  A rounded orthosis will cause it to be unsteady, while a flat orthosis can be properly interfaced with the shoe.

With a basic orthosis, the object is to "bring the floor to the foot".  The orthosis fills in the gaps of the arches in order to provide the proper support.  Off the shelf devices pretty much provide cushion only.  As seen in the pictures, the OTS insert does not fit the foot like the custom orthosis.

Custom Orthosis

Off the shelf cushion insert

Injuries Conditions

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