ORTHOTICS
Orthotics are modified inserts that sit inside your shoes and have the potential to significantly reduce foot pain, improve foot function, optimise the way you use your muscle function (thereby reducing that tired achy feeling in your feet and legs) and genuinely improve the way you live each day. Our orthotics are 100% patient and pathology specific, meaning each orthotic for each foot is individually and expertly designed for your foot to address all of your foot and leg ailments.
HOW DO
ORTHOTICS
WORK?
Orthotics work by altering the centre of pressure, ground force reaction and biomechanics of your feet (the way your bones, muscles, joints and soft tissues function and move through gait) to achieve your desired result - whether that be to offload the pressure from a painful or damaged area, support muscles in a current state of overuse (that tend to get sore and tired throughout the day), stop the bones of your feet rubbing against a swollen nerve therefore stopping the pain you’ve been experiencing with every step and so much more.
It really is very specific to the exact problem you’re having but to sum it up - it helps relieve your pain, helps injured tissues and musculature to heal by reducing the strain on them and can be a prophylactic - help reduce the risk of the incidence of injury.
I’VE HAD ORTHOTICS BEFORE AND THEY DIDN’T WORK. WHY ARE THESE DIFFERENT?
This is similar to asking why one article of clothing may fit and suit you, but another under the same category of ‘shirt’ doesn’t.
While all different types of orthotics tend to be classified under the one name of ‘orthotic’ or ‘orthosis’, they are in fact very different. An orthotic is made precisely to the specification of the prescribing podiatrist - they decide exactly what control and support you do and don’t need, what materials the orthotic will be made of, how it will fit into your shoe and every other aspect of it.
At Physio Connect, sports medicine and lower limb injuries are one of our greatest passions and we specialise in this area. As such, we ensure we are up to date with the latest advances in musculoskeletal concepts and orthotic therapy to ensure you receive the best device that has our years of clinical expertise combined with your individual needs and goals to produce the best outcome for you. What this looks like can be very different from a prefabricated “off the shelf” foam device that assumes that all feet are the same with the same issue and are happy with a one-size-fits-all approach. You are unique and your orthotic should be too.
HOW ARE THESE ORTHOTICS MADE?
After a comprehensive biomechanical assessment and gait analysis by our podiatrists, your orthotic prescription is sent alongside casts of your feet to New Zealand’s leading orthotics laboratory where your orthotics are expertly designed using a 3D CAD/CAM system. From there they are expertly hand finished according to our specifications and we fit them to your footwear, ensuring they function accurately and achieve the goals and movements specific to your foot ailment. We then monitor and review your progress to ensure we are both seeing the results we want!
Therapy - Orthotics are modified inserts that sit inside your shoes and have the potential to significantly reduce foot pain, improve foot function, optimise the way you use your muscle function (thereby reducing that tired achy feeling in your feet and legs) and genuinely improve the way you live each day. Our orthotics are 100% patient and pathology specific, meaning each orthotic for each foot is individually and expertly designed for your foot to address all of your foot and leg ailments.
