What Do You Want to Know About Orthotics?

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There is a close connection between your feet, legs and you back. A series of tendons and nerves connect these parts. The interconnection is essential because it coordinates your movements and helps you maintain good posture when sitting, standing and walking among other activities. Sadly, certain parameters can interfere with the health of the body parts mentioned earlier. For example, involvement in a severe road accident, illness and age can lead to a deformity in your legs, feet or back. When this happens, the use of orthotics can help you restore your health. Here are some of the critical things you need to know about orthotics:

Defining Orthotics

Footwear has a significant effect on the health of your lower limbs and back. Orthotics are unique and custom-made heels and shoes designed to help you recover from posture-related health concerns. Podiatrists recommend and prescribe orthotics when they need to treat leg, foot and back problems.

Prescription of Orthotics

In most cases, orthotics are often a complementary part of a bigger treatment plan. They are effective in the initial stages of the medical condition you are suffering, although practitioners can recommend its use throughout the treatment period. The primary objectives of using orthotics are:

  • Enhancing the better functioning of your ankles and feet.
  • Eliminating the risks of secondary injuries resulting from the condition you currently have.
  • Correction of foot deformities.

Orthotics and the Conditions They Treat

Orthotics are handy in treating several medical conditions. These conditions include:

  1. Back pain — poor sitting posture and bad positioning of your feet can result in severe back pain. Arching, inward rolling and the absence of cushions result in unwarranted pain. You can rely on orthotics to reduce the effects of such pain.
  2. Arthritis – Arthritis is a medical condition that causes lots of discomfort in the feet. Orthotics offer a good surface that cushions the feet and minimises pain

Types of Orthotics

There are different kinds of orthotics to suit your specific medical needs. These are:

  1. Customised orthotics – these are rigid and firm orthotics used to treat advanced cases of foot deformity. Good examples of such deformities include pronation and supination. Pronation occurs when your feet roll inwards while supination happens when the feet roll outwards whenever your feet make contact with the floor or ground, and these problems will increase over time. Your posture can change because of these conditions.
  2. Heat-moulding orthotics – heat-moulding orthotics operate in the same way that the custom ones do. However, they are available for purchase in the market and are not made on an ad-hoc basis.

To learn more about orthotics, contact an NDIS podiatry provider in your area.

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