With any new year, many people set lofty goals to be more active, exercise, and achieve physical and mental goals. Some people are trying to walk more, where others are going for that fifth straight ultramarathon. Whatever goal you have, Align Foot and Ankle wants to make sure your feet can get you there. One area often misunderstood by patients is the importance of custom orthotics. Custom orthotics are the absolute best thing to align the feet to prevent injuries, reduce overuse, and allow recovery that no shoe, ice bag, or rest can achieve. Not all inserts are custom, even if they carry a custom badge, and Dr. Barnett will outline why Align Foot and Ankle is the place to get your feet realigned!
What are Custom Orthotics?
An orthotic is a device made specifically for someone’s specific foot type. A true custom orthotic takes a person’s foot impression and corrects the inherent problems with the structure, eliminating pain and protecting the ligaments and tendons. There is not one specific foot type, and no one has structurally perfect feet. Some are too high-arched, too flat, curved, flexible, or stiff. This malalignment causes mechanical breakdown during walking (known as gait). The gradual breakdown of the structures can cause tendon pain, swollen ankles, and painful heels. A custom orthotic should overcorrect the underlying alignment issues, thus allow the pulley system (tendons) to work as they were intended.
How is an Align Foot and Ankle Orthotic Different?
At Align Foot and Ankle, we utilize the most advanced gait analysis software to capture how the foot is being used while walking, not just standing. Next, the foot is placed in its most accurate, non-weight bearing position. This is called subtalar neutral, or where the heel is straight. The forefoot is then positioned to reveal its relation to the back of the foot. This is all digitized with 3D software and placed on AutoCAD. The position the foot is digitally corrected to get the perfect alignment, then the device is designed to hold that ideal position while walking, running, etc.
Align Custom Inserts are NOT made to fit your current foot shape, it is made to CORRECT your foot structure. That is vastly different than other clinics. Most clinics make an insert to fit the foot mold, thus not actually correcting the deformity. The lack of biomechanical insight in designing a corrective device is why those devices rarely resolve foot pain. Most of these types of devices other clinics make are accommodative devices that quickly lose effectiveness within days. Align Foot and Ankle inserts will move the foot in a better position, giving long term results. Also, Align Foot and Ankle devices have a full 90-day warranty for adjustments, corrections, and redesign if needed. No other clinic offers that level of guarantee. It may just need a few degrees of adjustment, but that may make all the difference in someone loving a device or throwing them in the closet because it isn’t working.
