Orthoses
At Kinetic Podiatry Clinic we use the most up to date advanced 3D foot scanning technology. It is essential that the manufacture of a patient’s bespoke custom orthoses are as accurate and precise as possible. To achieve this, we use the iQube e500 plantar scanner which allows us to produce high quality 3D images with an accuracy to within +/- 0.4mm. This is the attention to detail that is essential for the high-quality service you will receive.
At Kinetic Podiatry Clinic we treat many people with both simple and complex biomechanical problems safely and painlessly with insoles or Orthotics. All forms of Orthotics are made to fit firmly and discreetly inside your shoes designed for use with your every day footwear or for specific footwear worn for sport and other physical activities. It is not uncommon for our clients to have different Orthotics for various types of footwear, especially when combining multi sports with an active lifestyle.
Orthotics can be custom made very specifically by skilled technicians to our specifications to treat or counterbalance the niche biomechanical disorders of your feet. Many wearers benefit from reduced impact of lower limb injury and other conditions that help to minimise pain, as the Orthotics work to restore the natural function of your feet. These can be effective, depending what activities they are used for, for up to 5 or 6 years on average!
No two Orthotics are the same!
Made from contemporary material, for example, carbon fiber or poly propelyene, each Orthotic is individually crafted to cradle your foot perfectly in the base of your own shoes. The make up of Orthotics differs depending upon your specific use, the diagnosis made for each individual foot and your lifestyle. For example Orthotics for a ‘general’ shoe (including ‘heels’) will be different from those of a running shoe. Orthotics for a cyclist’s shoe will be different from those for a running shoe, and so on.
The benefits that can often be achieved either immediately or over an extended period can be enormous, especially if you have been experiencing continual pain. As the Orthotics start to work they begin to counter-balance problems from your lower limbs, helping to strengthen the structure of your feet whilst alleviating pressure, re-aligning your feet and ankles and improving your posture.
Sometimes Orthotics can help prevent surgical intervention or, used to assist after an operation to maintain or realign your foot, ankle, knee and hip.
It may be tempting to try an off-the-shelf insole and so a friendly word of warning. Shop-brought insoles are generic, inexpensive and are not designed to achieve the long-term results of wearing bespoke insoles or Orthotics which need to be fitted properly and designed very specifically to benefit the performance of your own feet.
However, we understand that in certain cases shop-brought insoles are your only option for the short-term. If this is the case, we urge you to bring them to us for correct fitting and have the required wedging which will help you to achieve better results. The saying, "you get what you pay for", applies to insoles as well.
To further explain the function of prescribed Orthotics is to provide an analogy with, say, prescription glasses. Glasses do not offer the wearer a cure, but without them sight is significantly worse. Likewise, without wearing Orthotics your symptoms will continue to compromise your overall health and cause further pain. Continual wearing of Orthotics can, in fact, very effectively reduce or remove the severity of your symptoms, eliminate pain and provide the basis of a deterrent for potential future problems through a corrective and realignment process. Many Orthotics wearers also experience reduction in fatigue and general improved mobility and feelings of wellbeing.
An Introduction!
At Kinetic Podiatry Clinic, following the initial biomechanical/gait assessment, we initially prescribe temporary insoles with padding that is positioned for your specific requirements. This enables the wearer to become ‘used’ to the new ways in which the foot (and other areas of the body) feels and to experience initial benefits. This will give you the confidence and peace of mind that insoles are the way forward for you.
Temporary insoles require the wearer to attend clinic every 3-4 weeks for checks and adjustments to be made. They are a good option for getting used to the alien ‘feel’ of insoles, for experiencing positive effects and for building confidence. However, once the patient feels that there has been a significant improvement, only then can they decide to choose to have a bespoke pair of Orthotics made. The long-term benefits and investment in bespoke Orthotics outweighs that of temporary insoles. Bespoke Orthotics are of a high quality, finitely designed to the needs of your foot. On average they endure for at least seven years or more before the wearer is advised to return to the clinic for re-assessment.
To enable the team at Kinetic Podiatry Clinic to make bespoke orthoses for you, the patient; it is vitally important that we are able to capture and replicate your foot. To gaurantee that every orthoses is fit for purpose and to allow for every contour of each foot, we use the ultimate and most technologically advanced 3D laser scanner, to achieve the most accurate representation of your feet.
Orthotics can:
Reduce or eliminate pain felt in your feet
Reduce or eliminate corresponding pain to the knee, hip, back and neck
Help to improve your posture
Help to improve your general mobility
Reduce feelings of fatigue or general lack of energy
Improve your walking and running
Improve your overall sports performance
Promote better levels of wellbeing
Improved quality of life!
At Kinetic Podiatry Clinic we prescribe Orthotics for:
Children and adults of all ages
Those with flat feet, heel pain, ball of feet pain and outside knee and hip pain
Those suffering specific lower limb conditions, injuries, disease
Those suffering from pain to the feet and lower limbs
Those experiencing attributed pain to the knee, hip, back and neck
Anyone looking for improved mobility
Those involved in sports and high level/competitive activity
Those with bunions, hammertoes, corns and calluses
Those with previous accidents, club foot and other growth conditions of the lower limbs
Orthotics should only be worn on the advice of a sports Podiatrist and with the aim of addressing specific irregularities.
