Orthotics in

Injuries to the foot, ankle or leg are of course very common in contact sports like football, rugby, basketball and hockey. But they also frequently occur in walkers, runners, dancers and tennis players. For active people, it is highly advisable to wear custom fitted orthotic insoles as a way of preventing these injuries. As an example, it happens all too often that a tennis player slips and falls, and in the process injures his or her ankle or foot. But by wearing orthotic inserts, the foot is correctly supported which prevents the ankle or foot from twisting or collapsing inward, and the risk of injury from falling is reduced. Orthotics also allow the foot to heal much more quickly.

Conditions of the foot are extremely common in diabetes patients, but the wearing of custom orthotics can prevent them. The use of an arch support for example will help to prevent foot deformities and also provide support to the whole body. Orthotic shoe inserts can also be used to help relieve the pain of common diabetic foot conditions by supporting the joints and muscles correctly.

Orthotics for the Prevention of ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Injuries

These knee injuries are extremely common in contact sports, which involve a sprain or tear to the anterior cruciate ligament. Orthotics are very useful for the prevention of this injury.

The first day, start with two hours of exercising the foot on a device. For each day of exercise, the time on the device will be increased by one hour. Each individual and foot is unique. Foot arches, legs, knees, and hips need to be broken in different ways. We also recommend the amount of time needed for each type of foot problem. You should be able to feel some soreness and mild discomfort specifically around the foot arch, leg, knee, or hip. It may take a couple of weeks for the pain to disappear completely.

You should schedule a review appointment to be seen in about 2 weeks. At that time, you may be wearing your orthotic devices comfortably for 8 or more hours per day. It is possible that your orthotics device may require some small adjustments to improve its function or make them more comfortable.

Once you have successfully completed the break-in process, wear the device as much time as you can during the day. Ideally, this would be around 80% of the time. You should also wear the device during your regular work activities, and only then should you start doing higher impact activities such as running and other sports.

Clean your orthotics with soap and cool water on a damp cloth. Never use warm or hot water on the orthosis, as this may distort the devices. Avoid submerging the devices in water. To avoid orthotics squeaking sprinkle a small amount of talcum powder in your shoes this will eliminate the friction that causes the squeak.