When it comes to foot health, many people don’t know how much their feet impact the rest of their body. Sore knees, tight hips, even lower back issues can sometimes trace back to how your feet move and support you. That is why in physiotherapy, we focus on the interconnections of the body to find the source of your issue. As a result, if you’re dealing with foot pain, or pains related to your foot posture, you should try custom orthotics! Let’s break down how physiotherapists use custom orthotics as part of their treatment plans.
What are custom orthotics?
Think of orthotics as personalized inserts that fit inside your shoes. Unlike store-bought insoles, custom orthotics are designed specifically for your feet, taking into account your arches, the way you walk, the areas you put more pressure on, and more. They can be customized in thickness, length, and cut to fit into different shoes, including smaller types like women’s dress shoes. Ultimately, their main job is to improve alignment, reduce strain on the foot, and make movement more comfortable.
At PhysioNow, we have expert physiotherapists who are trained in foot assessments. They can perform custom orthotics fittings for you at your appointment and order them straight to the clinic! We can also assist with managing insurance and many of our patients have great orthotics coverage and take advantage of our direct billing for physiotherapy. Our patients love this option as it saves them time and effort. Their physiotherapist already knows them and how their body works, and can easily make the right recommendations for their custom orthotics.
Why does physiotherapy help foot pain?
Unfortunately, orthotics alone don’t solve everything. While they help you maintain the alignment in your foot or add extra cushioning, the strength and mobility in your feet must also be evaluated. That’s where physiotherapy makes the difference. A physiotherapist looks at how your entire body moves, from your feet all the way up to your spine. They’ll assess whether your foot pain is coming from muscle imbalances, stiff joints, previous injuries, inappropriate foot or walking posture and more. By combining custom orthotics with targeted physiotherapy, you’re ensuring that you treat not just your feet, but the whole body. This might include exercises to strengthen your arches or leg musculature, stretches to relieve tight muscles like calves, balance training to improve stability, manual therapy to assist pain and mobility and more!
Who should get custom orthotics?
If you’ve been dealing with ongoing foot pain, chances are you will benefit. Some examples of conditions or symptoms that orthotics and physiotherapy can help with are:
- Flat feet or high arches
- Plantar fasciitis
- Sports injuries like shin splints, sprained ankles etc
- Long standing or walking hurts or fatigues your feet
- Looking for more comfort or support while on your feet
Orthotics and physiotherapy work very well together. When used in tandem they ensure that your foundation for movement (your feet!) are strong enough to support you and everything that you do.
Looking for a solution foot pain?
Then look for PhysioNow! We can create custom orthotics for you in combination with elite physiotherapy treatment. Get back to doing what you love today! We offer free parking at all our clinics, extended evening hours and weekend hours, one on one treatment and private treatment rooms! We have 10 locations across the GTA for foot pain treatment including in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Etobicoke so you don’t have to go far to find us. Discover why our patients have loved PhysioNow for 20+ years and book your first assessment and treatment today!
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