What Are Orthotics?

Foot Orthotics are devices worn in your shoes that provide correction and assistance to your feet, helping them function more efficiently. Poor foot function and alignment may be the cause of a number of different pains you may be experiencing including:

Foot pain
Back pain
Hip pain
Knee pain

Prescription foot orthotics can help relieve your pain by realigning and stabilising the bones in your feet, restoring your natural walking pattern. At Reflex we prescribe both pre-made orthotics and prescription orthotics made for each individual by Foothealth UK

At Reflex we have been prescribing foot orthotics for over 12 years. We have people of all ages, from children to their grandparents, walking happily. We have also provided orthotics for Premiership Footballers, other elite athletes as well as many casual sportspeople.

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What Foot & Ankle-Based Conditions Can Be Helped by Foot Orthotics?

There is now peer-reviewed scientific evidence to confirm that custom foot orthoses are effective in treating plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, hallux limitus, adult acquired flat foot, rheumatoid arthritis foot, tarsal tunnel syndrome and lateral ankle instability. If you are unsure about whether you have any of these conditions please ask us!

If you agree with any of the statements below, please ask us how foot orthotics could make you feel better, from the ground up.

My feet are sore on a regular basis

I spend a good portion of my day standing or walking on hard surfaces

I play sport regularly (squash, golf, running, etc)

Standing, walking or running gives me joint pain (ankles, knees, hip, or back)

I am over 40 years old

I have visible foot problems (bunions, fallen arches, corns etc)

One of my legs is shorter than the other

I have knock-knees or bow-legs

My shoes wear out quickly or unevenly

My feet ‘toe out’ when I walk

What Types of Chronic Back Pain can Foot Orthotics Help or Not?

Medical research appears focused on the assessment of whether or not foot orthotics help alleviate low back pain and improve daily function and quality of life in general, rather than on a specific low back diagnosis. Many studies covering use of foot orthotics in the treatment of low back pain use the term chronic, non-specific low back pain, sometimes abbreviated as CNS-LBP. This term typically means non-neurologically compromised low back pain—i.e., no nerve-root compression or subsequent focal muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, etc.

Chronic non-specific lower back pain generally includes lower back pain resulting from one of several possible conditions, including but not limited to:

Degenerative Disc Disease
Lower Back Muscle Strain
Disc derangement not pinching a specific nerve root
Facet syndromes, such as lumbar osteoarthritis
Sacroiliac joint syndromes, such as sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Likely several more unspecified low back conditions
Varying degrees of lumbar spinal stenosis (without nerve root impingement, radiating leg pain)

This definition does not include patients with a diagnosis of herniated disc with nerve root entrapment and active radiculopathy—also known as radiating leg pain or sciatica — as candidates for treatment with foot orthotics. Similarly, it would not be a treatment option for symptoms such as leg weakness, numbness, or foot drop.

While some of the finer points of whether foot orthotics provide a measurable benefit for specific low-back conditions remain unanswered by the current medical literature, there is strong evidence that use of foot orthotics can benefit many patients experiencing low back pain as well as those suffering from a number of foot and ankle conditions.

Does the Effectiveness of My Orthotics Rely on the Type of Shoes I Wear?

Orthotics are most effective in shoes that are constructed well, fit properly and are in good condition. It is best to bring in your shoes when your health care practitioner is fitting you for orthotics. Knowing the type of footwear you wear the most will help your practitioner prescribe the right style of orthotics for your lifestyle. It is quite normal for some practitioners to prescribe two pairs of orthotics to patients (ie. Dress and Sport). When shopping for new shoes, it is also best to bring your orthotics with you for fitting purposes.

To schedule an appointment, call your Reading Spinal Health centre today. If you a suffering knee pain please read the linked article.

How Often Should I Be Wearing My Orthotics?

Your orthotics should be worn every time you are on your feet — during work, at home and play. Orthotics are like eyeglasses, they work when they are worn. As soon as you take your orthotics out of your shoes or take your shoes off your feet, the stress and discomfort you experienced before wearing your orthotics is likely to return.