orthotics
What type of problems can orthotics help?
Orthotics help provide effective long-term relief from problems such as;
- Heel pain e.g. plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonitis (pain at the back of your heel)
- Shin splints
- Some types of knee pain e.g. patellofemoral pain
- Toe pain e.g. metatarsalgia, bunions
- Some types of low back pain, SIJ pain and hip pain
- ITB friction syndrome
- Flat feet, fallen arches and other foot pain
- Leg length differences
- Knock-knees and bow legs
- Your shoes wear out quickly or unevenly
- Your feet toe out when you walk
- Your parents had foot problems (genetics play a part in determining your foot biomechanics)
Your foot biomechanics (i.e. the way your foot moves when you put weight on it) is especially important for runners and people who play running sports such as football, soccer, netball, basketball and hockey. It is also very important for people who spend a good part of their day standing or walking on hard surfaces such as shop/retail assistants, warehouse workers and other manual workers.
What are orthotics?
Orthotics are thin custom-made devices that fit comfortably inside your shoes. They correct your biomechanics by supporting the bones, joints and muscles of your foot. They allow your feet, legs, hips, pelvis and back to function more efficiently. This improved efficiency reduces strain, relieves pain, and reduces the risk of persisting or recurrent problems from many different structures. Orthotics restore your natural walking and running patterns and are an extremely important part in the prevention and long-term solution of many problems in the feet, legs and hips.
What is the Gaitscan System?
The Gaitscan System is a state-of-the-art electronic system that allows your physio to assess your foot mechanics with outstanding accuracy and reliability. It detects abnormal foot function and produces a series of reports which enables your physio to treat you more effectively by seeing how your foot mechanics may be contributing to any problems you may have, and indicates if there is a need for custom orthotics.
How your Gaitscan assessment works
- Scanning your Foot
As you walk across the electronic pressure-sensitive plate thousands of tiny sensors capture the distribution of pressure of your foot over time. - Mapping your Foot Pressure
From your scan, the computer displays 2D and 3D visual representations of the pressure under your foot. - Your reports are printed and compared
Your scan information is presented in a series of reports that will be compared to an ideal foot scan. Your physio will print these out for you to keep, and discuss findings with you that are relevant for your current or potential future problems. The report findings enable your physio to evaluate if the pain you are feeling is related to faulty foot function, and if so, how best to correct it. - Do you need orthotics?
The information from these reports will allow your physio when determine if you need orthotic therapy, and they will discuss the reasons for this with you. - Your scan data is sent directly to the orthotics laboratory
If it is determined that you will benefit from custom orthotics your information is sent to the lab to have your orthotics custom made for you. You will have your new orthotics in about 3 weeks from the time your scan data is sent.
If you suffer any foot, knee, hip or back pain then call us today and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have and to discuss whether custom orthotics may be right for you.
