Think back on that last time you “broke in” a new pair of shoes or consciously decided to wear the trendy, fashionable shoe instead of the footwear that was more appropriate for the activity you were doing. Did you get painful blisters? Don’t be embarrassed. Most of us make that mistake at one time or another.
But if you have high arches, flat feet, foot or heel pain, or painful conditions like bunions or hammertoes, off-the-shelf footwear may exacerbate the issue, creating undue pain or discomfort, making that fashionable shoe incident in your past seem like a walk in the park.
The good news is that custom orthotics may be just the thing to keep you active while helping relieve the pain caused by your underlying condition.
Dr. Jarna Rathod -Bhatt, Dr. Rahul Bhatt, and our team at Apple Podiatry Group unpack the topic of custom orthotics so that you can weigh whether they’re right for you.
Here are three things custom orthotics do to benefit your health.
Sometimes patients ask why they should go to the expense of buying custom orthotics when they can just pick up insoles in the drug store. Cookie cutter insoles may bring a certain level of comfort for some minor foot conditions, but no two feet are exactly the same.
To illustrate this point, two people may have flat feet, but their weight and the unique way that their foot connects with the ground differs, so one size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to orthotics.
Custom orthotics are basically a tailor-made prescription for insoles that fit into your shoes. You may have a sports injury, a physical foot issue like high arches or flat feet, or foot pain from conditions such as heel spurs, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or Achilles tendonitis. No matter what foot condition you’re dealing with, custom orthotics can help relieve your discomfort.
At Apple Podiatry, we scan your feet using state-of-the-art technology to capture precise digital molds of your feet. This information goes to a podiatric lab, which creates your custom orthotics. With this digital process, we help you go from “Ouch!” to “Ahhh ...” in a few short days. Now, doesn’t that sound good?
Your feet are your body’s natural shock absorbers. They take the brunt of everything you do while standing, walking, jogging, or running. The actions your feet take, whether it be a simple step forward or a kick, also set up a carefully choreographed motion going from your feet to your ankles, knees, and hips, and all the way to your spine.
If everything from your feet to your spine aligns, all is well. But if you have muscle or joint issues or high arches or flat feet, the way your feet connect with the ground may change and affect your spine. Custom orthotics can address spinal alignment issues.
If you have diabetes, you know that diabetic foot care is a critical part of staying healthy. Due to circulation issues and compromised pain receptors, what might be a small cut to an average person can easily turn into a hard-to-heal foot ulcer or serious infection for a person living with diabetes.
Despite practicing vigilant foot care, up to 25% of all diabetic patients will develop a foot ulcer. Your podiatrist may recommend custom orthotics as part of your diabetic foot care treatment plan. Custom orthotics can help relieve pressure on your foot ulcer, giving the wound a chance to heal and helping prevent a future ulcer from forming -- a definite win-win for anyone living with diabetes.
If you’d like to learn more about custom orthotics, book a consultation to find out if orthotics are right for you. Click the online scheduler or call one of our offices in Arlington or Irving, Texas.
Our office is open with modified hours during the pandemic. Our highly trained podiatrists are seeing patients with urgent cases only, such as infections, ingrown toenails, severe pain, and fractures. You can even schedule an appointment by video.
