Training for the Mini?
Many people have aspirations of running the Indy 500 Mini-Marathon in May. They either began their training in the fall or sometime around the first of the year depending on their previous running experience. I see a lot of patients that are concerned about heel pain, arch pain, or ball-of-foot pain because it is interfering with their training. Often times the reason for this pain is that they have been sedentary until now or have tried starting the training too vigorously, thus causing an overuse type syndrome to some aspect of their feet. Orthotics work very well at easing the stresses on the feet that are caused from this type of training. The prescription-custom orthotics are a fine-tuned version that takes individual differences in feet into account. Whether flat-footed, high-arched, or even with a particular “deformity” such as a bunion or an arthritic joint these devices place the foot in a more balanced position which aids in decreased stress to not only bones and joints in the foot, but the ankle, leg, knee, hip, and back. Most of the time the custom orthotics are a covered item by local insurance plans. If you or a loved one are having any foot, heel, or ankle issues call our office today at 896-6655 or visit www.westfieldfoot.com. If your insurance does not cover custom orthotics then mention this article for 20% off in the months of January and February. Happy Training!
Showing posts with label orthoses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orthoses. Show all posts
The Truth About Foot Orthotics
“Do I Need Orthotics?”
What is an orthotic and why would I need one? An orthotic is a device that is worn inside of a shoe that supports the arch of the foot and helps to place it in a biomechanically balanced position. Orthotics or orthoses are used for a variety of reasons, not just for foot and ankle problems, but some practitioners will prescribe them for knee, hip, and/or back ailments. The patients that benefit the most from orthotics are the ones that have the most unstable feet. This can be someone that has a flat foot who pronates (rolls their ankle inward) excessively during gait or someone that has a high arch that cannot find a shoe that provides enough support and therefore puts excessive stress on the midfoot joints and the ball of the foot. Many of the most common diagnoses seen in a podiatry practice are treated with orthotics. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Plantar Fasciitis
2. Tendonitis
3. Arthritis
4. Apophysitis/Sever’s Disease (Growth Plate Problems)
5. Ball of Foot Pain (Neuromas, Metatarsalgia)
6. Bunions and Hammertoes
Orthotics both treat these diagnoses and help to prevent or slow the progression of the deformity or painful condition. For example, orthotics will not get rid of a bony bump, such as a bunion, but they will place the foot in a better supported, balanced position which will slow or halt the bunion’s progression.
There are prefabricated orthotics and there are prescription custom orthotics. Both serve a purpose. A solid shell prefab device provides much more support than almost any shoe that is available and is great for someone with an average arch height and a foot that is pretty “normal”. A custom made device is made directly from imprints, casts, digital scans, etc. and is specific for that patient. These are better than prefab orthotics for this reason. Often times a patient will start in a prefab and improve, but may plateau. This is a time the fine-tuned custom devices will give that extra needed benefit. Most local insurance plans cover custom orthotics when they are deemed medically necessary.
At Westfield Foot and Ankle, LLC a digital gait scan is done of the patient's feet both in static(standing) and dynamic(walking)phases of gait. The majority of the information that is gleaned from this scanning comes from the dynamic portion, which tells us what the feet are doing during gait. The pressure distribution is clearly seen. Prior to the scan, a comprehensive examination of the feet is done to determine what modifications may be needed, such as posting to further reduce the amount of pronation or rolling in of the ankle while walking. Overpronation is the culprit in many foot and ankle pathologies. Orthotics prevent this.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. David Sullivan visit www.westfieldfoot.com or call Westfieldf Foot and Ankle at 317-896-6655.
What is an orthotic and why would I need one? An orthotic is a device that is worn inside of a shoe that supports the arch of the foot and helps to place it in a biomechanically balanced position. Orthotics or orthoses are used for a variety of reasons, not just for foot and ankle problems, but some practitioners will prescribe them for knee, hip, and/or back ailments. The patients that benefit the most from orthotics are the ones that have the most unstable feet. This can be someone that has a flat foot who pronates (rolls their ankle inward) excessively during gait or someone that has a high arch that cannot find a shoe that provides enough support and therefore puts excessive stress on the midfoot joints and the ball of the foot. Many of the most common diagnoses seen in a podiatry practice are treated with orthotics. These include, but are not limited to:
1. Plantar Fasciitis
2. Tendonitis
3. Arthritis
4. Apophysitis/Sever’s Disease (Growth Plate Problems)
5. Ball of Foot Pain (Neuromas, Metatarsalgia)
6. Bunions and Hammertoes
Orthotics both treat these diagnoses and help to prevent or slow the progression of the deformity or painful condition. For example, orthotics will not get rid of a bony bump, such as a bunion, but they will place the foot in a better supported, balanced position which will slow or halt the bunion’s progression.
There are prefabricated orthotics and there are prescription custom orthotics. Both serve a purpose. A solid shell prefab device provides much more support than almost any shoe that is available and is great for someone with an average arch height and a foot that is pretty “normal”. A custom made device is made directly from imprints, casts, digital scans, etc. and is specific for that patient. These are better than prefab orthotics for this reason. Often times a patient will start in a prefab and improve, but may plateau. This is a time the fine-tuned custom devices will give that extra needed benefit. Most local insurance plans cover custom orthotics when they are deemed medically necessary.
At Westfield Foot and Ankle, LLC a digital gait scan is done of the patient's feet both in static(standing) and dynamic(walking)phases of gait. The majority of the information that is gleaned from this scanning comes from the dynamic portion, which tells us what the feet are doing during gait. The pressure distribution is clearly seen. Prior to the scan, a comprehensive examination of the feet is done to determine what modifications may be needed, such as posting to further reduce the amount of pronation or rolling in of the ankle while walking. Overpronation is the culprit in many foot and ankle pathologies. Orthotics prevent this.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. David Sullivan visit www.westfieldfoot.com or call Westfieldf Foot and Ankle at 317-896-6655.
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