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Custom Orthotics
What are custom Orthotic devices?
Customised orthotic devices are tailor-made, medically prescribed assistive devices to suit your lifestyle by aiding mobility. Orthotic insoles devices are made for the following reasons:
- Support and cushion the foot because memory foam is only a temporary solution for foot pain.
- To correct gait by realigning the foot. Unfortunately, memory foam is not sturdier enough, so our manufacturers turn to more durable and environmentally-friendly materials.
A bend test is designed to assess the strength of your orthotic. Should the device bend or roll in any position, it is designed to cushion the heel for comfort. However, if the orthotic’s arch does not bend, it is meant to support the heel and realign the foot. A quality orthotic is suggested when the patient experiences chronic foot pain or pain in the heel. In addition, custom orthotic devices are prescribed to address foot pathology and correct foot posture.
How are custom orthotic devices made?
Three-dimensional impressions or scans taken of the limb are made to create your personalised orthotic. Custom orthotic devices are different to the orthotic insoles you buy at your local chemist because they are made according to your specifications. For example, abnormal gait is usually due to irregular foot and lower extremity mechanics, affecting the spine, pelvis, legs and feet. Fortunately, a custom orthotic is designed to correct your gait and reduce foot pain. By using dense foams and sturdy plastic orthotic devices, a fault in the biomechanics of the lower extremity can be corrected.
The manufacturing of an orthotic device is a multifaceted process that first involves an examination by your podiatrist.
Your podiatrist/Orthotist may ask the following questions during an examination of your foot:
- How and when did your symptoms begin?
- What symptoms are you experiencing?
- Do you have foot pain?
- Is there pain in the arch of your foot?
- Do you suffer from chronic health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, knee pain or bursitis?
- Have you undergone surgery?
After a visual gait and foot assessment, an x-ray is requested to rule out foot pathology. Then, based on your symptoms, preferences, examinations and underlying conditions, your Orthotist will design your orthotic device that meets your standards. Finally, your prescription is delivered to a high-tech laboratory to create the orthotic device.
Contact us today for a biomechanical assessment, 3D scan and personalised design of the orthotic device.
FAQ
The first stage involves a biomechanical assessment consisting of a foot and visual gait exam and a footwear evaluation. The second step entails taking a 3D scan of the feet. Finally, the impression is sent to the lab to produce the product.
Our orthotic devices are a blend of recycled, organic materials aimed at reducing our carbon footprint. Usually, common materials used to create orthoses include thermoplastics, metal and Plaster of Paris (PoP). However, these devices are tweaked or substituted to promote sustainability and improve the patient’s experience. For example, PoP has been replaced with advanced computer design, so the body is scanned, and a replica of foam is made; this is vastly different from the body being wrapped in a bandage made of plaster.
Custom-made orthotic devices are uniquely designed to meet your postural needs. Shoe inserts are made to relieve foot pain and strain. If these inserts do not fit, this will result in knee pain and knee instability.
We try to remember that medicine is for the patient. We try never to forget that medicine is for people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow, and if we remember that, they have never failed to appear. The better we have remembered it, the larger they have been.