Foot Orthotics
Your feet lay the foundation for the rest of your body. Therefore, foot orthotics are a valuable treatment tool for a variety of injuries. Foot orthotics can help to treat foot pain, knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain. They help to facilitate proper foot position while walking and standing to support all of the joints of the lower half of the body. Physical therapists can play a large role in the determination if a foot orthoses is indicated. This can be either a "pre-fabricated" foot orthoses that can be bought in the store and is made to fit a variety of foot shapes and sizes. It can also be "custom" where a cast is made of the patient's foot and a specific pair of foot orthotics is made just for them to fit their foot shape and provide them with the correction necessary.
There are many benefits of the use of foot orthotics, these include:
Decrease in pain during weight bearing
Reduction of pressure on the foot while weight bearing
Correction of poor alignment of the foot during standing and walking
Stabilization of the foot and arch during walking, running, jumping, hopping and stair climbing
Promote better balance
Enhance athletic performance
Custom Orthotics
At Swift, we can provide you with an evaluation and fitting of a custom orthotic. We partner with Biomechanical Services to provide orthotics at a reasonable rate. Many orthotic users prefer and rely on custom devices because they are specifically fitted and molded to the exact shape of the users feet. The fittings include making sure the orthotics are an exact match and measurement of their foot’s shape, which may differ from side to side. This can result in a more adequate fit than a pre-fabricated orthotic which will be more comfortable to the patient.
During your initial appointment to fit you for a custom orthotic we will take detailed measurements of both of your feet and create foot casts. These casts will be sent off to be used to create your custom pair of orthotics. After the orthotics arrive, a second appointment will ensure that the orthotics are fitting well and have been made according the specifications determined at the initial visit. It will take 3-4 weeks from start to finish to receive your new orthotics and complete the final fitting.