Your feet and ankles are made up of a complex network of ligaments, tendons, and bones that all work to support your weight in perfect balance. Because of this, any damage to these integral pieces can make walking or moving around incredibly hard. Also, problems with your feet or ankles can have a domino effect and lead to issues with the rest of your body.
Thankfully, many foot and ankle issues can easily be prevented or treated with proper precautions. Investing in high-quality shoes is a vital part of injury prevention, and so is picking out orthotics to insert into your proper footwear.
At The Woodlands Sports Medicine Centre, our team is passionate about preventing injuries and other foot and ankle issues. In this blog, we review how orthotics work and what issues they can prevent or help treat.
Orthotics are medically prescribed devices inserted into your shoe to correct biomechanical foot issues such as an irregular walking pattern. They reposition your foot inside your shoe and improve how your foot and lower leg move. Orthotics can also address foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis and prevent foot deformities such as bunions.
These medical-grade shoe inserts work like shock absorbers by removing pressure and stress from painful areas around your feet and ankles.
Orthotics are custom-made for you and are developed from a mold taken of your feet. Because of this, they’re much more effective than inserts you can buy from your local drugstore or shoe store.
Although orthotics can treat many foot and ankle issues, these are some of the most common:
Plantar fasciitis is a foot condition that occurs when the ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia) becomes inflamed. While this condition can sometimes happen without reason, it’s typically caused by running in improper shoes that don’t offer support. Orthotics inserted into high-quality running shoes can do wonders for reducing pain from plantar fasciitis.
If you participate in sports that require constant change in movement, such as basketball, you can be at a high risk for ankle sprains. Ankle sprains can range from mild to severe, and severe ankle sprains can make it hard to put any weight on the affected foot and put you at risk for future sprains.
Orthotics can supply much-needed extra support for your ankles and are especially beneficial for helping sprains heal and preventing future sprains.
Flat feet is a term used to describe feet with no arches, meaning the entirety of your foot comes into contact with the ground while standing. Some people don’t experience any issues or pain with flat feet; however, when flat feet are caused or exacerbated by a weak posterior tibial tendon (PTT), it can lead to a lot of pain and difficulties walking.
If you have severe foot pain due to flat feet, orthotics can give you the cushion and support you need to move around with ease.
As mentioned earlier, issues with your feet or ankles can actually lead to pain or problems in other portions of your body. When your feet or ankles don’t move like they should or are in an abnormal position, it can lead to back pain. Orthotics position your feet just right and encourage a normal walking pattern, which should lead to reduced back pain.
If you struggle with chronic foot and ankle issues, orthotics could be just what you need. Contact our team to set up an appointment by calling your nearest office location or booking online. We proudly serve The Woodlands and Conroe areas of Texas.
