Let’s begin by discussing what an orthotic is.

Simply stated, it’s a piece of prescriptive material, or a device placed into your shoe, to help redistribute plantar pressure and aid you in your walking (gait) cycle.

It is not something required by everyone (much like glasses or dentures), and some people make go through life with no foot pain or injuries.

An orthotic is best prescribed by the most qualified people to do so, that being a podiatrist.

A full history will be taken, followed by testing of different muscle groups. The clinician may access how you walk and determine whether this would be a suitable option for you.

Someone who requires an orthotic would:

• Generally have injured themselves
• Have footwear patterns that are uneven or exacerbated
• Feel unstable on their feet
• Have feet that have disfigured due to injury/ gout/ arthritis
• Have pain in their feet, ankle, hips, knees, lower back or even neck
• Have trained too hard and increased frequency and duration too quickly

Orthotics prescribing is not a simple thing. There are a few things to determine:

• The activity level of the patient
• Footwear choices
• Top cover material (What is the orthotic meant to achieve)
• Apertures/ poron fills (are we trying to redistribute forces)
• And the actual pour of the device
• An over the shelf insoles is not dispensed by a clinician and could overcompensate for your problem, causing an increase in injury, leading to further expense down the road

If you think an orthotic may benefit you or have already purchased something that is of no help to you, and you are unsure if a customised device would change things, please do call the clinic and speak to one of our podiatrists. As ProHealth Podiatry, we promise to walk you through this process towards better feeling feet.

Remember, ProHealth Podiatry is located on both sides of the river, North and South in Red Hill and Mount Gravatt, contact us on (07) 3076 7306 or info@prohealthpodiatry.com.au