Experiencing foot pain can be distressing since it can be debilitating to an active lifestyle. This could occur due to a wide range of underlying problems, however poor biomechanics is believed to be the prime cause.
Orthotics offered by the foot doctor in Maryville, IL, and their expert team, are specialized shoe inserts fabricated to support your foot and help them move properly by minimizing painful symptoms.
What are orthotics?
Orthotics are special shoe inserts that help in treating various foot problems. These prescription medical devices have been successfully used for centuries as a treatment for foot pain and to improve comfort. Orthotics include devices like foot pads, braces, or cushioning inserts to provide additional support while you are wearing shoes.
They are either available in drug stores or are custom-made to provide you with an accurate fit. Your foot impression is taken to make a plaster mold to fabricate orthotics as prescribed by your foot and ankle specialist (podiatrist).
What are the types of orthotics?
There are two types of orthotics with specific ways they work to benefit you:
Accommodative orthotics: Provide cushioning and support, and alleviate painful symptoms arising from foot problems
Functional orthotics: Correct biomechanical issues by distributing your weight away from pressure points. They also guide your foot through corrected motions and improve foot alignment and gait
What conditions can be treated through orthotics?
Doctors may prescribe orthotics to treat many painful conditions such as:
Achilles tendinopathy: Abnormal swelling (edema) and painful tears in your Achilles tendon that are caused by tight calves.
Pronation and supination: Pain and structural problems that are caused due to abnormal rolling of your feet inward and outward.
Bunions: It is a bony protrusion that develops on the side of your foot due to improper alignment of your metatarsals.
Plantar fasciitis: It is an inflammation along the sole of your foot causing extreme heel pain.
Heel spurs: It is an abnormal accumulation of calcium deposits on your heel due to prolonged, untreated plantar fasciitis.
Metatarsalgia: An increased pressure between your toes and bones in your feet can cause excruciating pain.
Morton’s neuroma: It is a non-cancerous (benign) growth, that compresses the nerve between your toe joints.
Sesamoiditis: Tissue inflammation around the big toe joint.
Injuries: Trauma to the foot and ankle can impair your foot biomechanics.
High arches: Very high arches can stress muscles in the feet and lead to knee pain, and plantar fasciitis.
Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes may cause loss of sensation in your feet (diabetic neuropathy), causing foot ulcers.
Orthotics are emerging to be a part of a comprehensive treatment plan to help treat foot and ankle concerns. These devices help to alleviate painful symptoms, provide cushioning, and correct the impaired biomechanics of your foot.
