Orthotics are for everyone, whether you spend your day working at a desk or if you’re a high performance athlete. Give your feet the support they deserve!
Our feet are the foundation of a supportive and properly aligned spine. Custom foot orthotics are made to provide the support required to alleviate any pain or discomfort associated with poorly positioned foot bones and misalignment of the body. Orthotics can relieve pain, and improve skeletal alignment and function of the feet, legs, hips and spine and help prevent further injury.
Collapsed or high arches are two of the main reasons why people seek help from chiropractic doctors to talk about the benefits of wearing orthotics. These types of arches put stress on the ankles, knees, hips and lower back, and then eventually to other areas of the body. Both, when untreated, could cause further pain and greatly increases susceptibility to injury. By supporting the arches, the feet can properly support the spine that holds up the rest of the body.
They can help everyone, from those that spend most of their day sitting to high performance athletes. Even certain medical conditions can inadvertently require extra support at the feet, including those that suffer from diabetes, poor circulation, and severe foot deformities caused by arthritis.
Many insurance benefits cover custom made shoes and orthotics as insoles for footwear. By having custom-made orthotics, corrective support can continue throughout the day, not just after visiting a chiropractor or registered massage therapist.
What’s involved?
It’s a pretty simple and streamlined procedure to measure the feet for custom-made orthotics. Here’s what we do at Infinity Chiropractic & Wellness:
First the chiropractic doctor will go over your medical history, as well as current occupation, lifestyle and the types of footwear you most often wear
Then they will assess the joints, muscles and ligament structure, strength, alignment, and range of motion, as well as any other biomechanical dysfunction associated with the gait (the way a person walks)
Then you decide with your doctor on what choose for your custom orthotics (remember a prescription is required for your orthotic order to be placed if you wish them to be covered by any personal insurance you may have)
Next is adjusting the body before taking a scan of the feet very carefully as a proper cast is essential to create a truly custom-made orthotic (this step is for those who have chosen to incorporate chiropractic as part of their approach to natural healthcare)
The order is submitted and your orthotics are constructed from scratch and fabricated directly from your scan (you can expect at least 10 business days between your initial assessment and your fitting appointments)
Once the order has arrived, the doctor will explain how to break in your new orthotics, their lifespan, as well as how they should fit
Usually, the doctor will schedule a follow up appointment within 2‑6 weeks to see how it’s coming along
Note that there are some providers that supply what’s called a “best fit” footbed. These are prefabricated inserts that are matched to your cast, however the cast is never used in the actual manufacturing of the orthotic. These are not considered custom-made and would not qualify under some benefit plans. It also doesn’t help you as they aren’t manufactured specifically to your needs which can result in further pain and injury.
Taking the time to review your benefits plan and booking an appointment to speak to a professional to determine and measure your custom-made orthotics may take less time and aggravation when dealing with the adverse effects of poor foot mechanics.
Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. The content provided is for informational purposes only. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole discretion.