How Can Orthotics Help Me?

Orthotics are devices that you can wear in your shoes to help place your feet in better anatomical alignment. This helps you function in a way that reduces stress and strain on your feet. Orthotics help support the arch and this in turn will help distribute the pressure more evenly across the bottom of your feet. If there are certain areas of your feet where you tend to have more pressure or even build a callus, the orthotic will help reduce the pressure here. 

There are many foot pathologies where orthotics will be of help. For example, orthotics are commonly used to treat flat feet.  If you have flat feet your arches will naturally flatten out. This places the bones and joints in a poor position resulting in excessive pressure and pain along the arch that can even extend to other parts of your feet. Long term, you can injure surrounding tendons and ligaments and develop arthritis resulting in chronic pain. Using an orthotic early on will reduce pain and give you adequate arch support so that you are at least risk for complications that can arise from flat feet.

There are two types of orthotics, custom and over-the-counter (OTC). Custom orthotics are made specifically for your feet and generally are more supportive then OTC orthotics for this reason. Custom orthotics can be further modified to better address the specific foot issues you have. OTC orthotics can be purchased off the shelf. They may be helpful in giving you some support, but because they are prefabricated they may not address the specific issue you may have.

We offer both options here at Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates and can create orthotics to address your specific needs. If you are interested in learning more about orthotics or think you may benefit from them, call our office today!

Author

Visoth Chan, DPM Dr. Visoth Chan is the owner and medical director of Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience. Following this, she received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at the California School of Podiatric Medicine in Oakland. She subsequently completed her podiatric surgical residency at White Memorial in Los Angeles. She takes great pride in her role at Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates and strives to make sure her patients have the best care possible. When not treating patients, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family, especially her daughter, Emmylou.