Saturday, June 11th, is National Making Life Beautiful Day. Whether you decide to do this by planting a tree, telling an important person in your life you love them, or coming up with some other idea is up to you. Another way to make your life beautiful is to take care of your feet. Wearing an orthotic device can potentially help with so many different foot conditions.
Prefabricated Vs Custom Orthotics
Orthotics come in two different types: over-the-counter and custom-made. Over- the-counter orthotics can be bought at almost any grocery store or pharmacy and are good for adding cushioning or support in certain areas. For instance, they can be used to support the arches or add padding to the heel in the form of a heel cup. They can be for short or long term use, but it’s important to replace them every so often once the padding wears down. Custom orthotics are more advanced and are unique to your own feet. They can be used to control range of motion, heal an injury, or add extra padding to the shoe of a person who has diabetes.
Orthotics for Runners
Runners may also benefit from wearing orthotics. If you know what type of gait you have, you could benefit immensely from putting orthotics inside your shoes to prevent an injury. A person who has flatfeet or high arches may need more or less support in certain areas of their running shoes. However, in this case a custom-made orthotic is usually a last result type of treatment. Orthotics may be very beneficial, but custom orthotics can also be costly. If an over-the-counter insert can help fix the same issue, we will always try that first.
If you have more questions about the different types of orthotics and how they can benefit you and your feet, please call Dr. Peyman Elison and Dr. Viedra Elison at (623) 584-5556 to schedule an appointment at Fixing Feet Institute in Surprise, AZ. You’ll be surprised at all the benefits orthotics, both over-the-counter and prescription, can provide.
