How Custom Orthotics Can Change Your Life

When foot pain limits your life, it’s time to learn if custom orthotics are the solution you need. Custom orthotics fit in your shoes like the inserts in your local pharmacy, but orthotics provide vastly different benefits.

Orthotics are medical devices created for your unique feet. Most importantly, they’re individually designed to correct the problem causing your foot pain.

The custom orthotics designed by Vinai A. Prakash, DPM, at Lake Washington Foot and Ankle Clinic can ease the pain of foot conditions, correct structural and gait problems, and enhance athletic performance.

Custom orthotics vs. over-the-counter inserts

Over-the-counter (OTC) shoe inserts are a one-size-fits-all product that adds extra cushioning inside your shoes.

We produce custom orthotics to fit the contours and shape of your feet and target your foot problem. Although prescription orthotics add cushioning, they do more; they treat or correct the problem causing your symptoms.

The critical question is this: Why do you have foot pain?

OTC inserts can ease the pain of minor problems. If your feet are healthy but hurt because you stand all day at work, or you have occasional heel pain, a cushioning OTC may help.

If, however, your foot pain is caused by a problem in the foot’s structures (ligaments, tendons, bones, joints, and nerves) or due to gait or movement problems, using an OTC insert could do more harm than good.

An OTC insert may relieve the pain enough to let you stay active. But staying active despite the pain is guaranteed to make the condition worse and may complicate your treatment.

How custom orthotics work

Prescription orthotics improve foot and ankle challenges by:

• Providing stability
• Absorbing shock
• Eliminating strain
• Improving balance
• Correcting biomechanical problems
• Improving foot and ankle function
• Controlling foot and ankle movement
• Aligning foot structures
• Correcting deformities
• Preventing injuries
• Offloading pressure (relieving pressure points)

As these changes occur, pain improves, and you can return to daily activities.

Benefits of custom orthotics

Let’s explore three key benefits of prescription orthotics:

1. Relieving pain and treating foot conditions

Custom orthotics use one or more of the techniques listed above to treat the underlying problem and ease your pain.

We use soft, semi-rigid, and rigid materials to create the structure and cushioning needed to eliminate pain from wounds, deformities, and movement problems.

We may prescribe custom orthotics for many different foot conditions, including:

• Heel pain
• Sprained ankle
• Plantar fasciitis
• Hammertoes
• Bunions
• Tendonitis
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Sprained ankles
• Flat feet

This list isn’t comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of the range of conditions that improve with orthotics.

2. Improve biomechanics

Biomechanics refers to how your feet and ankles produce movement and propel you forward. Their movement depends on the health and function of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

Any injury, foot condition, or misalignment in the foot’s structures can lead to biomechanical problems. Then, you end up with pain and a higher risk of developing additional foot problems like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and ankle sprains.

We design your orthotics to correct structural changes, control foot and ankle movement, and ensure foot, ankle, and leg alignment.

3. Enhance athletic performance and prevent injuries

Everyone’s feet endure stress, but athletic activities magnify the strain. As a result, athletes are prone to structural fatigue that limits their performance and raises the risk of stress injuries.

Orthotics can overcome the strain of sports and reverse those challenges. Here are a few examples:

• As orthotics support proper alignment, the muscles and tendons in your feet and legs don’t sustain the stress of overcompensating for imbalances.
• Using an orthotic that evenly distributes your body weight reduces the impact on bones and lowers your risk of stress fractures.
• Orthotics that absorb shock and eliminate pressure points enable you to run, jump, and stay active longer.
• Semi-rigid orthotics that provide support and guide movement prevent sports injuries and enhance performance.

We evaluate your gait, foot, and ankle issues and consider the demands of your sport to develop custom orthotics that improve your game.

Learn how orthotics can help you

Book an appointment online, or call Lake Washington Foot and Ankle Clinic today to learn how custom orthotics can ease your foot pain and improve mobility.