Custom Orthotics

Custom Orthotics - Controlling Foot Movement Through Podiatric Care!

Out of sight, out of mind, healthy feet are easily forgotten. But if you feet aren't moving right or you're working them too hard, foot pain may invade you life. Tired aching feet are hard to ignore. Controlling your discomfort can be made by prescription custom orthotics made especially for your feet.

When you feet hurt you can't get far! When it hurts to walk or even just to stand, your feet may slow down your whole life. Swelling changes the way your feet looks, sharp pain when you stand, aching that will not stop! These are just a few common symptoms of foot troubles. Your symptoms may be caused by the way your feet move or by the way your legs are developed. Or you may have a medical condition - Diabetes - that puts your feet at risk for sores, infection, or other health problems.

Custom Orthotics can help!

With years of medial training in foot care, Dr. Thomas F. Vail is an expert in treating foot problems with custom orthotics. Just like contact lenses can improve vision, custom orthotics improve foot movement. The custom orthotic shoe inserts may relieve your symptoms by controlling the way your feet move. Custom orthotics may also help compensate for a problem in your hips or knees that causes incorrect foot movement. Custom orthotics may protect tender areas of your feet from the constant wear and tear from use. Even if your foot problem is best treated by surgery, custom orthotics may delay the need for surgery and help maintain your surgical correction afterwards.

Custom orthotics come in a variety of materials, ranging from rigid plastic to soft foam. All of these materials can be shaped to fit your individual foot needs. The rigid custom orthotics offer the most control of movement, while the softer custom orthotics provide better cushioning and protection. When prescribing your custom orthotics, Dr. Thomas F. Vail will make the best match between your needs and the qualities of the materials.

Custom Orthotics

Custom foot orthotics are designed for you based on the degree of mechanical control you require, your activity leve, your physical status and the type of footwear in which you will wear your orthotics. Wearing custom orthotics can help decrease or eliminate pain from corns, calluses, and leg/joint/muscle fatigue. Professionally fitted custom orthotics can improve posture - correct overall anatomical misalignment that cause stress and pain in the other parts of your body. When used of Athletic activities, custom orthotics can reduce muscle fatigue and enhance performance.

Breaking in your new custom orthotics - for best results it is critical that you break in the new custom orthotics gradually. This can take 2-3 weeks. It takes time to correct a problem you have acquired over many years. Your new custom orthotics will help teach you body to move in a healthier way. It is not unusual to be conscious of your feet and "FEEL" the new custom orthotics while your body is learning to walk in a better way.

Normal things you will feel during the breaking in period &/or the adjustment period can be:

A feeling of pressure &/or firmness in the heel.
A Mild -Moderate feeling of pressure &/or support in the arch area
You may fee a mild awareness of the outer border & heel seats of the new custom orthotics

It's a good idea to purchase a new pair of shoes with plenty of room for your new custom orthotics. Should this not be possible, make sure that the heels and soles of the shoes are not excessively worn. Before you place your new custom orthotics in either new or old shoes, it is important to take out the removable insoles from inside the shoes.

You should initially wear your new custom orthotics over a gradually increasing period of time until you can wear them comfortably all day:

First day 2 hours including sitting time.
Second day 4 hours including sitting time
Third Day 6 hours including sitting time
Fourth Day 8 hours including sitting time

Any time during this break-in period should you develop uncomfortable feelings in your feet, ankles, hips, knees, or low back - you should remove the new custom orthotics from your shoes and go without them for a day possibly 2 days. You make take your choice of OTC pain relief medication. After pain has subsided then you may put the new custom orthotics back in your shoes and begin wearing at the time frame that the pain started - Say Second Day 4 hours when pain began - pick up with the instructions for Second Day. You should continue this pattern until you can wear your new custom orthotics all day.

Helpful Hints to assure your satisfaction with new custom orthotics:

Always bring your orthotics when buying shoes - Remember, shoes with deeper heel seats (depth in the back of the shoe) and higher heel counters ( the outer part of the shoe that supports the back of your foot) will enhance the success of your new custom orthotics

Women's Shoes/ Low Cut - Your heel may possibly slip out of the shoes, especially if they are the step-in shoes. Should this happen, try other shoe styles with the new custom orthotics

Cleaning - Wipe the vinyl surface with a damp, not wet cloth. Never soak your new custom orthotics in water!

Take new custom orthotics out of your shoes overnight - "Airing" will enhance both the life of your new custom orthotics and the life of your shoes.

Squeaking - sometimes your new custom orthotics will "Squeak" in your shoes. Should this happen, sprinkle some baby powder in your shoes before putting the new custom orthotics inside. Sometimes soap or wax to the edges of the new custom orthotics also works.

Professional Evaluation for your new custom orthotics - Make sure you see your foot care specialist at least once a year. Make an appointment sooner if you experience wight gain, become pregnant, injured, or uncomfortable in your new custom orthotics. Make sure to bring your custom orthotics and your shoes in which you wear them to each appointment for evaluation.

Custom Orthotics

Women tend to bring into our office with them a bag full of dress shoes, whether they be casual, flats, dress pumps or dress heels . Men and Women alike need to realize that a custom orthotics if not a shoe issue, custom orthotics are to be made for their feet. We must treat the pathology of the foot not the shoe. Let's face it women have alot more pairs of shoes then men do. Women do like their shoes, I know I do. We have to take into account the variety of function and fashionable shoes, evaluate the bio mechanics of the foot, and what specific material and unique orthotic materials and modifications are necessary for the patient. A dress shoe can be labeled from the most functional/ stable shoe to the least stable shoe. Choosing a custom orthotics for the dress shoe is very much the same as choosing for an athletic shoe. Dress shoes that have a stiff heel that holds the heel in a stable position and also allows a functional custom orthotics to increase the stability of the rear foot. To test your dress shoes or any other shoe for a stiff heel - squeeze the heel counter ( back of the heel ) together and make sure it is firm. Stability in the mid shoe for the mid-foot - hold the shoe with one hand on the toe box and the other hand on the heel box - try to twist the shoe from side to side and bend in the middle - a good shoe will not flex much / You want the shoe to not bend like a pretzel - this will prove to be a stable shoe. Shoes that have a removable original insole will allow for more room in the shoes for a custom orthotics. A loafer or dress flat shoe is the best representative of the most stable shoe- stiff heel counter and stiff upper. Women need to understand that the custom orthotics and the proper shoe will provide the best bio-mechanics control for your feet.

Custom Orthotics

Merry Christmas! Remember to contact us for all your footcare needs.

Custom Orthotics

Custom Orthotics should last years depending, of course, on how often they are used and activity level. The top covers ( especially soft cushion materials) and posts ( additions to the bottom of the orthotics) may need to be replaced sooner however, depending again on your activity level. Repairs and recovering of orthotics are not covered by insurance. to help the longevity of your Orthotics - remove them nightly from your shoes to increase air circulation around the orthotic. You may also wear your orthotics in different shoes as long as there is enough depth to accommodate the insert.

Remember, your feet are the foundation for your entire body. They do a tremendous amount of work each day. Even the slightest misalignment of the bones and muscles can cause a lot of discomfort. Consistently wearing your prescription orthotics can be the best investment you can make to your overall well-being. Period orthotic checks are essential to ensure that this investment is still working properly and supporting your body in the correct manner.

Custom Orthotics

Custom -made heel supports are know as orthotic devices and are worn under your heel and the arch of your foot. these devices are molded to be anatomically matched to your heel and they do more than just provide support. Orthotics are designed to realign your feet and heels to a neutral or natural position to alleviate pain in your feet, legs, and back, as well as to restore balance, improve sports performance, and relieve foot fatigue.

Research shows that the majority of heel problems can be directly connected to skeletal imbalance. More and more people tend to have some amount of either hyperpronation (flat feet) or Hypersupination (high arches). The presence of theses conditions can cause the heel to be unstable during normal everyday activity. This constant stress on the heel can lead to pain in the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips, and back.

Orthotics can improve function in the heel by compensating for existing imbalances and in most cases can relieve or prevent the associated pains.

How do you know if the use of orthotics is right for your? If you have an obvious imbalance that causes such symptoms as flat feet or high arches, or if you have external misalignment's such as "knock knees", "bow knees", in-toeing, or out-toeing you are probably a good candidate for orthotics. If you participate in an activity that places stress on your feet or if your work requires you to be on your feet for extended periods of time orthotics could be beneficial. The use of orthotics is just one of the conservative foot treatments used in our offices. They can be used to treat foot, heel, and arch pain and to prevent sports injuries or improve sports function. Orthotics can be used to treat children as well as adults. The best way to find out if orthotics can help you is to make an appointment with us for an exam.

Cautions on Retail Orthotics

Over-the-counter orthotics and other insoles have come a long way. These items can do a great deal to help reduce pain and control foot mechanics, especially misaligned foot mechanics. Nut there are some concerns to keep in mind any time you are buying an over-the-counter orthotic.

1. Retail orthotics do not come with a diagnosis from a medical professional. Sometimes orthotics are recommended by an orthotic sales-person or are suggested based on a pressure image of your foot. The problem is that a sales-person is just that. They want you to purchase their product, but do not have the medical training necessary to actually diagnose a problem with your feet. This means that orthotics may not be right for you, or that retail orthotics cannot solve your problem as they are not customized to your feet. You should see a podiatrist if you think you need orthotics. Not only can your doctor diagnose your foot problem, they can recommend over-the-counter orthotics brands which they trust and that can provide you with the greatest relief from your foot ailments. They also can recommend a custom-molded orthotics which will offer the greatest relief and support for your foot mechanics. Also bear in mind that a scan of your feet only shows where you put the most pressure, either when standing or walking. It does not show if there is a misalignment or other foot ailment which is causing you to bear this weight in a different area of your foot than normal.

2. Some retail orthotics make such an effort to add additional support to the arch that they can cause more pressure on other areas of the foot, especially the big toe joints. Over time this pressure can lead to changes in the foot or arthritis. The orthotics can also cause you extra pain by forcing your arch higher than is normal or comfortable.

3. A retail orthotic can sometimes increase arch support without controlling the mechanics of the whole foot. This may mean that you are not getting relief from another problem which you have, and this problem could continue even with the orthotic in place.

4. Buying a retail orthotic can over-correct or under-correct your problem. Perhaps you do have problem which requires orthotics. Sometimes when an orthotic isn't customized to your foot it can over-correct or under-correct your problem, perhaps stretching your arch either too high or not high enough. Your condition may not be severe enough to warrant the use of an orthotic. Be careful not to buy an orthotic device which you do not need.

Bear these things in mind when you are considering purchasing over-the-counter orthotics. These orthotics do offer an inexpensive solution to some foot problems, but they should be recommended for use by your podiatrist. A sales-person in a store is not likely to have your footcare needs as their primary goal, and often lack to expertise to advise you on your footcare. You need to see a podiatrist who is primarily concerned with your healthcare and has the knowledge and experience to diagnose a problem. You should allow your podiatrist to recommend retail orthotics to you.