Orthotics – Footlogics Australia
Orthotics can provide great relief to people suffering from foot problems and pains. In the last 10 years, orthotic insoles have come a long way with the use of new materials and technologies. People who are involved in sports, running, excessive standing on the job need as well as people with common foot complaints are in need for support and re-alignment of the feet.
Orthotics for flat feet and over-pronation
Orthotics which provides a great relief to people suffering from foot problems and pains through insoles and supports, has come a long way. People who are involved in sports, excessive standing job need more endurance, strength and performance; and orthotics has aided them in doing so. People can relieve their extra weight on the feet thereby reducing pressure and other minor problems that may lead to back pain and spinal problems. There are varieties of orthotic devices available in the market according to the problems of a person. Many have problem related to knees, flat feet, Achilles and heel pain; solutions have been found to all including orthotics for flat feet.
A flat foot is a condition found in children as well as adults where the foot arch is considered as fallen. It means the tendons do not pull enough and ligaments are lax and the foot may be left with no arch type situation. Actually, the arch is the inside part of the foot which is usually raised off the ground when you stand, while the rest of the foot remains flat on the ground. The arch height varies from person to person. One can easily identify flat feet; when someone with flat feet stands, their inner arch flattens and their foot may roll over to the inner side, also known as overpronation. It leads to many complications such as the pressure of walking and standing is shifted to other portions of the feet and causes discomfort if left untreated. There may be many causes for flat feet such as over stretched torn tendons and ligaments, abnormalities at birth, abnormal nerve conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, dislocation of foot bones and wearing shoes with poor support. Special attention has to be taken for people with obesity, pregnancy and also elderly people. These symptoms may develop in adult stage or also may occur as hereditary and at birth. Flat feet that develop in later stages of life can be caused by a condition that affects the joints also better known as arthritis, or an injury to a muscle, tendon or joint in the foot. People feel pain and uncomfortable while standing and walking and the pain occur commonly as heel pain and arch pain. There is restricted foot movement and enough pressure is exerted on the foot, ankle, leg, hip and back. These symptoms should be well recognized in time and treatment should be taken with the advice of physician and medical practitioner. Orthotics has been proven a good treatment for flat feet.
Our feet contribute in many day to day activities like running, playing, walking and dancing; to keep proper care of them is our responsibilities. Feet have long arches to support the legs and provide shock absorption as well as support. Injury to the arches will ultimately result in foot pain and other incorrect functionalities which can make even walking difficult. Therefore, prevention like weight control and treatments with orthotics will be good choices for patients. Orthotics include addition of a custom device as an insole in the shoe, the device is manufactured from foot imprint or scan. It provides a great support to the feet, ankles, hips, knees, lower back and orthotics is also available for upper body parts such as forearms. These provide proper balance, control motion and improve alignment of the body part. It prevents the strain to occur and controls the pain. The physiotherapist suggests the type of device depending on your injury, foot type and lifestyle. He/she will undergo complete analysis, your historic background and full biochemical assessment. The orthotics is available at affordable prices and one should always remember health is wealth therefore spending a bit of money into health is equivalent to wealth gained.
Shoes are necessary accessories that need to be properly analysed before purchasing, its proper fitting in the foot should always be checked. One should take into account that the shoe purchased is neither smaller to your own feet size nor it is much larger. Correct choice of a pair of shoes that provides good support to your foot and heels will solve half of your problem. If there is any case where flat feet are caused by a condition that affects the nervous system, need of special shoes, insoles, or supportive foot or leg braces may occur. If left untreated in high time, surgery recommendation may be given by physiotherapist.
Orthotics and sports injury prevention
Sports injuries can occur as a result of many cases, for example, from direct contact with another player and therefore twisting some muscles/ligaments of leg portion, knee injury, hamstring tear and other sudden possible injuries. Before starting the treatment, it is necessary to clarify the right cause of injury, what made the injury to happen and what portion of the body is injured. In most of the cases, foot or knee injury takes place with the sports person. Some repetitive injury at the same place may cause worst effects; therefore soon after rectifying the injury cause, it is advisable to start the treatment.
Feet are the major part of the body that bears the whole weight of human. So, proper care and attention needs to be given to the feet while running, walking and playing. One should first of all consider of wearing a good pair of shoes while participating in one of these activities. Not doing so may put the player at risk. Human foot is not only meant to walk but it also supports many functions while playing and running, it is sometimes stretched and sometimes twisted. In order to ensure the right work of foot’s ligaments, tendons and muscles, every one of us should wear proper foot protection, shoes or slippers.
Those who have already faced injuries during different activities may seek help from the physiotherapist or the medical practitioner. Orthotics and sports injury prevention have been linked very appropriately. The various techniques of orthotics help in preventing and curing injuries resulted from sports or any other activity including jogging and fast walking. Our main objective when considering sports injuries is to identify and rectify the actual cause while treating the effect with orthotics. Different insoles and arch supports are available in the market that provide good support to the feet as well as other part such as knee, spines, upper body portion such as arms, wrist, etc
Ignorance to health is not at all appreciable and foot being a major part of human body, should be taken care of. Ignoring a minor injury may lead to affecting other parts like knee, spine, hip, etc. Therefore, it is better to prevent such injuries than to blame yourself afterwards. There are custom shoe insoles in the market which are often treated as medical devices to treat foot problems and these shoe inserts are known as orthotics. With the use of orthotics, one will have reduced pain and will be supported with better positioning thereby reliving pressure in the affected area, i.e. foot/ankle/heel/knee, etc. Sportspersons suffering from one or the other problem of foot may try orthotics for better performance and great relief.
These supportive orthotics are also meant for shock absorbance and these are manufactured as per the requirement; different sports requiring different types of insoles are available in the market, example, orthotics for ski boots, cycling shoes, golf shoes, skates and boots for hiking. These shoes with pain relief insoles are great medication source for sports injuries. There are varieties of injuries in sports and most of these are related to foot pain which come in form of heel pain, plantar fasciitis, arch pain, sprains, muscle twist, etc. ; and the pain experienced by sportsperson is felt while walking, running and playing.
Orthotics are responsible for repositioning the structures in the foot and optimizing biomechanical function and therefore reduce the chance of injury. While buying an orthotic device, one should have a good assurance of the quality and warranty provided with it. Many devices are available in the market that can otherwise show adverse effects. One should check these devices in good stores and pharmacies also taking the advice of doctors.
It is advisable to always ask the concerned medical person before purchasing to know about what type will be suited to your foot. Supportive archs are also available for knee, arm and wrist injuries. Having orthotics at use especially during indulge in sports is a fine idea as these devices provide proper balance, support and less pressure to the muscles, tendons and other tissues of the foot and body parts. One can avoid back pain and other kinds of pain using orthotics. Elderly people are also advised to make good use of the orthotic devices.
Orthotics in the news
People seeking treatment for arthritis, sports injury, knee and joint problems as well as foot pain can now rely on the effectiveness of orthotic therapy. With the latest know-how and advancement of biomechanical science, there has been possibility of providing relief from many muscle and tendon-related complaints. Scientists have been putting efforts and due to their research breakthroughs on orthotics, patients have got relief from the suffering of joint, knees, muscles, sports injury etc. Maintaining good health is utmost priority in person’s life and therefore taking care of all kinds of ailments providing effective treatment is on every person’s to-do list.
There are numerous kinds of aches and pains related to joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles. One of the more common foot complaints is heel pain. People usually feel a typical pain after resting for long especially while getting up from the bed in the mornings, they need to first warm up their body, give a good blood circulation to the feet and then can get up. Relieving this agonizing foot complaint, orthotics have brought up a good solution. With the help of arch supports and foot insoles, orthotics provide excellent relief for patients.
The risks associated with joints and muscles can lead to more complex conditions for any group of people, be it active sportsmen/women, overweight people, pregnant women, people working on their feet all the time, middle-aged and elderly people, arthritis patients, diabetic patients or people who wear shoes offering little or no support and stability. Therefore, it is necessary to find a solution to these problems before they get worse. It is now quite common for physiotherapists to practise foot assessment and gait analysis. Orthotic therapy gives physiotherapists another option in addition to more traditional treatment such as joint mobilisation massage, electrotherapy, acupuncture and dry needling. Here’s an interesting article explaining the difference between orthotics and regular footbeds.
Keeping fit is a vital task for human and trying every possibility to regain our lost fitness is greatly valued. It is well understood why preventing any kind of medical trauma or condition is better than curing it. Therefore, with the medical advancements of today we have the opportunity to stay on top of our health. For example, restoring our natural foot biomechanics and body posture, orthotics can help people live a normal life without any pain. You can return to your work, practice exercise and sports without the risk of injury. It is always recommended to wear good supportive shoes to everyone, as poorly designed footwear can damage ligaments and cause injuries. An effective treatment is the need of the hour for people suffering from knee/joint/spinal/muscle pains. There are supportive foot orthotic insoles available in the market and choosing the precise one will work for you.
Specialization in the provision of orthoses (devices) is done by healthcare professionals who are named as orthotists. There are many types of lower-limb orthoses available for treatment of the foot and ankle, knee-ankle-foot orthoses, knee orthosis, functional and rehabilitation or spinal braces. All of these are externally applied for a controlled position and motion of the concerned part, to compensate for weakness caused and correct deformities. They give relief to athletes, elderly and everyone preventing the formation of ulcers in case of risk with diabetes. Another variety are upper-limb orthoses and these are designed to support the shoulder, arm elbow, forearm-wrist etc. These upper-limb orthoses are also in the news for the same functionality of relief and structural & functional improvement. Well fitted devices provide a good support to the affected portion of the body be it upper-limb or the lower-limb. Going to the trustworthy vendor is essential to attain satisfaction and effectiveness in treatment.
Today orthotic devices are manufactured and designed using different materials like plastic, glass-fibre, metals, elastic, etc. Using latest CAD/CAM techniques and 3D printing method, experts are engaged in creation of this useful device that aids people to run, walk or run. In addition, a wide range of so-called pre-made orthotics are on the market, which can be prove equally effective for many people, depending on the severity of their foot or leg condition. The pre-made devices can be dispensed quickly and easily, at a fraction of the cost of custom-made orthoses.
Latest studies and research
Orthotics provides medical devices for patients who suffer with foot pain, knee pain or other joint pain. It is made up of different materials, silicon foot insoles being one of the renowned names. Silicon foot insoles are creatively designed to comfort both men and women that are available in the market in varying sizes, namely, Small, medium, large and extra large as per the foot sizes. All people suffering from the problem of diabetic feet, plantar fasciitis, heel pain, spurs, post-surgical feet, sports injuries, etc. are recommended to use the insoles and arch supports known as orthotics.
These are extremely effective in relaxation and helping calm the foot fatigue and pain. The stress and pressure exerted on feet is reduced and the person no more faces any problem while walking, standing and running. These orthotic devices can be easily cleaned and have long life guarantee. Orthotics with light weight and non toxic nature are appreciated and considered to be of high quality. Much research has been made in orthotics and scientists are making their efforts to combat foot pain and joint relief with the help of orthotics.
A number of studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of foot orthotics in the treatment of foot complaints and disorders. A recent Latrobe University study showed the wide variety of types of orthotics used in clinics throughout Australia. One study suggests that in many cases expensive custom-orthotics are no more effective in treating foot conditions than so called ”off-the-shelf” orthotics.
Besides the studies from researchers, it is well known fact that the use of foot orthotics is wide-spread, as many people have appreciable results using these devices. Orthotics provide great support while standing, walking and running. People of all ages can benefit from orthotic therapy: from elderly people to young children.
Athletes also utilize these devices for better performances, balance and support.
Many medical practitioners advise patients to follow traditional exercise programs to help relieve problems in the knees, however a recent study has showed that orthotics can be effective in knee alignment by reducing excess pronation. Over-pronation is a condition whereby the foot and ankle roll inwards excessively. When over-pronation occurs, then laxity of soft tissues take place and many problems occur such as hammer toes, bunions, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, fallen and painful arches and calluses. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize orthotic device for treating such condition where it is inserted inside the shoe facilitating prevention and/or rehabilitation of injury. According to proven research and latest orthotic technology about Orthotics, it supports the arch, prevent and correct functional deformities, and improve biomechanics.