Functional Orthotics to Reduce Pain
Central Alberta Podiatry offers high-quality, custom-made orthotics. Our doctors understand that the pain, inflammation, or discomfort in your feet and ankles prevents you from living a full and healthy lifestyle. Our solution for many common foot problems is custom-made orthotics.
Who Should Wear Orthotics?
Orthotics aren’t designed for a single type of foot injury or condition. In fact, they can help treat a range of issues stemming from the feet. Some of these conditions include flat feet and arch pain, Achilles tendonitis, sports injuries, arthritis, and heel pain (plantar fasciitis).
A podiatrist can accurately assess whether orthotics can improve your condition with a quick consultation.
What’s the Difference Between an Orthotic Insert and a Shoe Insole?
Non-custom inserts, footwear, and insoles are not designed specifically for your feet. While these may help or provide comfort, they aren’t often a long-term solution to heal or adjust the alignment of your feet. For these results, you’ll likely need custom orthotics.
Functional orthotics are biomechanical medical devices. In many cases, people who struggle with foot, knee, back, and neck pain can benefit from having biomechanical corrections in their feet.
What Type of Orthotics Do I Need?
Not all orthotics are equal. Well-constructed functional foot orthotics are designed to shift the physical alignment of the foot (in most cases) to create a positive change. Often, this offers a great deal of pain relief for patients, both in the short-term and long-term.
Orthotics may be made of different materials, depending on where and why they’re created.
What’s the Process for Getting Custom Orthotics Made?
The doctors and professionals at Central Alberta Podiatry will assess your orthotic needs during a consultation. Once we’ve determined whether or not you’ll benefit from custom orthotics, we’ll create a cast or mold of your foot. The cast will be sent to a specialty lab, where your custom orthotics created and shipped back. Once you put them on for the first time in our office, we’ll help you test them out and make sure it’s a perfect fit!
Will My Insurance Cover Orthotics?
In many cases, your health insurance policy will cover some or all of the cost of orthotics. Coverage varies, so the first step is to contact your insurance company to learn what’s covered.
How Long Does it Take for Orthotics to Work?
Everyone is different, but in most cases, it takes a few weeks for your feet and body to adjust to your new custom orthotics. The more often you wear them (i.e. inside the house, as well as outside), the more quickly your body will adjust. The results can vary, but most people experience great relief of pain and other symptoms within a few weeks or months of wearing their new orthotics. If symptoms worsen or stay the same, it’s best to book a follow-up appointment with your podiatrist to see if adjustments need to be made.
We Treat Our Patients
Like Family
At Central Alberta Podiatry we want our patients to feel like they are in a safe, and trusting environment which is why we treat our patients as if they were family. Using the absolute highest attention to care with our methods in foot and ankle care our patients can be sure their concerns are treated properly.
