Our feet quite literally bear the weight of our bodies all day long. Whether you’re on your feet for work, exercise, or just the business of everyday living, standing and walking for extended periods can lead to pain and fatigue in the feet, legs, and connective joints. These issues are often exacerbated by ongoing ailments in the feet and toes. If you’re in the Waterloo area of Toronto and are living with foot pain, and looking to connect with a physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener for custom orthotics, we can help!
What are orthotics?
Put simply, orthotics are devices designed to be inserted into footwear or sporting boots to support ongoing issues with the feet. Orthotic inserts come in a vast range of sizes, materials, and purposes and are made by a wide range of companies with varying degrees of medical knowledge. While you can walk into any pharmacy in Waterloo and purchase a generic orthotic, it may not help in the long run as your feet and walk have not been assessed by a qualified professional.
Custom orthotics, on the other hand, are individually tailored to support your particular concern. They are created to fit you exactly, after a thorough series of assessments by a trained expert to determine the source of your problem and the most appropriate orthotic solution. Inserts can be made from all kinds of materials depending on their purpose and desired lifespan. Popular materials are foam, cork, acrylic, fibreglass, and polypropylene. If you’re looking for a physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener, our physiotherapist will meet with you to discuss your medical history, and how your pain is affecting your life and your gait. We will then conduct a series of exercises and evaluations to determine how exactly your feet are moving and what is causing the pain, thus beginning the process of building a plan for custom orthotic solutions.
What kinds of ailments can orthotics treat?
One of the most common issues addressed with orthotics is plantar fasciitis. This is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a length of connective tissue running along the bottom of your foot. It connects your toe and heel bones as well as supports flexion in the foot. When this fascia is inflamed, it can lead to extremely painful stabbing in the foot and up the heel, negatively impacting your ability to walk. Custom orthotics can be designed and fitted to support your arch, cushion the stress on the plantar fascia, and provide pain relief as well as increased mobility. For the orthotics to be most effective, however, they must be designed and fitted by a physiotherapist rather than purchased off the shelf. This way the insert will work to support the exact anatomy of your foot, and do its job, instead of potentially causing further imbalances by applying pressure in the wrong areas. Other common ailments that would cause someone to seek help with orthotics are bunions, heel spurs, bursitis, and flat feet.
Often someone may be experiencing pain in their back, legs, and knees and not realize the pain is stemming from improper foot positioning that could be corrected with custom orthotics. Other applications can include inserts designed for rehabilitation after injury. Fortunately for Torontonians living with pain, reaching out to our physiotherapy clinic in Kitchener for custom orthotics can offer you hope and get you back on your feet.
