Orthotic Therapy 
So many people come to see the Podiatrist with pain. The pain can be in their feet, ankles, or even elsewhere in the body (knees, hips etc).
Often, the reason for their pain is a problem with the alignment of their feet while standing or walking. This can lead to muscles and joints having to function in a different way to compensate for this malignment.
Orthotics can help to improve the alignment & function, thus playing a part in relieving the pain.
Common conditions treat with orthotics:
| Heel Pain | In-Toed Gait (Pigeon Toe) |
| Ankle Pain | Persistent corns/callus |
| Foot Drop/Fallen Arches | Childhood growth problems (Severs or Osgood Schlatters Disease) |
| Knee pain | Muscle and joint fatigue |
| Hip and lower back pain | General foot soreness |
| Osteoarthritis | Leg Length Difference |
| Achilles Tendonopathy |
Whilst you’ll see many different type of orthotics around, they all fall into one of two main types:
- Pre-fabricated/Pre-formed Orthotics
- Custom-Made Orthotics
Pre-fabricated or Pre-formed orthotics will make up the majority of orthotics you’ll see, particularly sold in retailers like chemists and shoe shops.
Podiatrists, Physiotherapist and Chiropractors will use them also as a quick and effective way of managing a problem.
Their great advantage is the fact they can fitted off the shelf, meaning patients can walk out the door wearing them from the first visit. They are often considerably cheaper than the custom-made version.
A custom made orthotic is an innersole which is custom made for each individual patient. It takes into account the correction or improvement required for each foot, as well as the patient’s needs in terms of footwear, level of cushioning and even the colours preferred. For many years, orthotics tended to be very hard and bulky in footwear, but with modern manufacturing techniques and materials, we can design orthotics that are both effective and comfortable as well as being able to fit into most types of footwear.
They take a bit longer to get manufactured and fitted (approx 2 weeks), but once fitted they will usually last for 3-4 years on average.