If you nurse painful knees, swollen ankles, or aches in your Achilles, your first line of defense is probably over-the-counter shoe orthotics. But what if the pair you picked up from the drugstore just isn’t cutting it? Custom shoe orthotics may be your next step. At Floyd Brace Orthotics and Prosthetics, we create shoe orthotics tailor-made to your feet and needs. Take a look at the work that goes into each custom pair:
- Injury History
The first step to understanding pain is pinpointing the cause. You’ll tell us where, how long, and what type of discomfort you’re experiencing, as well as provide family history and insight on activities that increase pain.
- Biomechanical Examination
Based on the information you give, your practitioner will conduct a number of biomechanical exams of your feet and lower limbs. These may involve standing, lying on an examination table, or performing simple motions. This portion provides a look at the motion of your joints and the alignment of bone segments, helping direct attention to foot or leg muscles and tendons that are too tight or too weak.
- Gait Analysis
Next, insight from your biomedical exam will guide the gait analysis. During this stage, your practitioner will watch you walk to determine if one leg is shorter than the other or if your feet are pronated (falling inward) or supinated (pushing outwards). In-shoe pressure measurements and running on treadmills filmed by cameras may also be used during this portion of the exam.
- Plaster Casting
Requiring skill that comes with experience, your doctor will create a plaster cast of your foot to capture exact contours determined by joint flexibility. A cast may be formed to your foot while it’s in contact with the floor, as you lie in a non-weight bearing position on an examination table, or with a 3-dimensional laser scanner that provides schematics for a plaster cast.
- Prescription Writing
Combining information from your history, biomechanical examinations, gait analysis, and 3D cast, your practitioner will order a prescription orthotic tailored to your exact needs. It will dictate the orthotic’s flexibility, width, depth of heel cup, and length to best fit your foot and function.
Our experts at Floyd Brace Orthotics and Prosthetics are backed by credentials, experience, and ongoing training to provide you with the best in orthotic care. Schedule a consultation to see if custom shoe orthotics are best for you.
Tags: custom shoe orthotics, pedorthists
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