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A Closer Look at How Custom Orthotics Work to Ease Foot and Ankle Arthritis
Custom orthotics are much different than the gel and cushion shoe inserts you buy at the local pharmacy. Created from molds of your feet, they’re individually designed to correct alignment problems and provide support so you can be pain-free.
When you get custom orthotics, you’re not just buying the insoles. Instead, you’re purchasing the expertise that goes into evaluating your gait, determining misalignments in your feet, pinpointing areas of pain, and designing corrections for foot issues.
If you have arthritis in your feet or ankles, orthotics help take the pressure off your joints. In fact, orthotics can help relieve the pain of knee and hip arthritis, too.
At North Park Podiatry, our expert podiatrists want you to walk comfortably and freely, even if you have arthritis. As part of Arthritis Awareness Month, we encourage you to take your foot comfort seriously. If you have foot or ankle arthritis, we may recommend custom orthotics at our San Diego, California, offices.
How do custom orthotics ease foot and ankle pain? Below is a brief description.
Orthotics redistribute stress
Every time your foot hits the ground — whether you’re walking, running, or jumping — the shock runs through your bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. If your foot’s misaligned, that shock can cause extra stress on already inflamed joint tissues and nerves.
Custom orthotics are based on your natural footprint. With our guidance, a lab modifies the shape to redistribute stresses when your foot makes contact with the ground.
That means your entire foot absorbs the shock. This redistribution of stress reduces the biomechanical load on the lower body.
Orthotics correct structural problems
Long-term RA, and sometimes even OA, can deform your joints. You may develop uncomfortable conditions, such as:
- Hammertoes
- Bunions
- Claw toe
- Flat foot
- Metatarsalgia
In some instances, orthotics can compensate for the structural abnormality. In all cases, the shape and support of the orthotic help protect your foot and ankle from bending forces when your foot flexes.
Although it may feel more comfortable at first to wear store-bought cushioned inserts or shoes, these aren’t good for your feet over the long term. A more rigid orthotic gives your foot better support, redistributes stresses more accurately, and provides a more natural pressure load on the foot.
Custom orthotics improve your gait
When it comes to custom orthotics, increased comfort is just the start. The goal of custom orthotics is to create a healthier, more natural, and aligned gait.
Because your feet and ankles are the beginning of your leg’s “kinetic chain,” they must be stable and well-aligned. The better your feet and ankles handle the stresses placed upon them, the less they affect the joints further up your leg (i.e., the knee and hip). The right orthotics even help to alleviate or prevent lower back pain.
Custom orthotics are prescribed
There’s nothing generic or one-size-fits-all when it comes to custom orthotics. They’re not just based on the actual shape of your foot but also on how you use your feet and other joints.
Your custom-orthotics journey begins with your podiatrist conducting a gait analysis to identify issues in the way you distribute your weight in your foot and along the kinetic chain. We examine your foot and ankle — which may include imaging studies — to determine if you have structural abnormalities that must be accounted for.
Once we take your measurements, we will instruct the lab on how to modify the orthotic. The final, tailored product redistributes stress on your foot and alleviates pain points.
You have other benefits with custom orthotics
In addition to alleviating foot pain, your orthotics can provide other benefits. A stable base in your feet and ankles can improve your balance, reducing your risk of falls.
Your stable, well-aligned base makes it easier to stand tall and straight. So, by correcting your feet, you may find that your overall posture improves, too.
Finally, there’s some evidence that orthotics slow the progression of RA. You may find that your insurance also pays for all or part of your custom orthotics if you’ve been diagnosed with OA or RA. Custom inserts last for about five years.
Slow the progression and end the pain of foot and ankle arthritis with custom orthotics. Reach out to our knowledgeable team today by phone or online appointment form.