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Custom Orthotics - Chiropodist in Sarnia, London and Chatham, ON
Chiropodist Jamie Maczko of Mazcko Chiropody and Orthotic Centre discusses how custom orthotics can help correct biomechanical problems of the foot to alleviate heel pain and other foot problems.
http://www.maczkochiropody.com
Chiropody and Orthotics
Written on December 28th, 2010
Feet are an amazing complex structure containing one quarter of the body’s bones, held together with ligaments, muscles, tendons and fascia. Each day they carry you smoothly and efficiently through thousands of steps.
Sometimes biomechanical problems develop interrupting smooth, pain free gait (walking). Careful examination of your feet and gait, by a Chiropodist, is an essential step in correctly addressing your foot problems. Biomechanical problems can be simply due to body structure or related to a medical condition. In order to address a biomechanical problem, your chiropodist may prescribe custom orthotics.
Custom orthotics alter the way your feet interact with the ground. Everyone’s feet, legs, hips and biomechanics are unique. Improper foot alignment or skeletal imbalances can cause pain throughout your body by overstressing muscles, tendons, bones and joints. As you walk, custom orthotics help to control your foot motion and weight distribution. They work to eliminate the specific causes of your pain, not just the symptoms.
Chiropodists, Podiatrists and Orthotists are the only professions in Ontario who are licensed to prescribe, manufacture and dispense custom orthotics. Many other paramedical professions provide orthotics or arch supports but their educational background and biomechanical knowledge does not allow them to be licensed in this province.
When you walk, the first part of your foot to hit the ground is the outer edge of your heel, and then your foot pronates (rolls inwards). This is good, up to a point. Pronation ”unlocks” the foot, allowing it to absorb the shock of your body hitting the ground. Too little pronation sends the shock of landing up your leg and can result in shin splints, knee, hip and/or back pain. Too much supination (the foot rolls on its outside edge too far when landing on the ground during heel strike) and you will not push off your body weight properly, leading to callus buildup or corns, often under your little toe.
Problems can present at any stage of the walking process, and custom prescribed orthotics address your specific problem. Therefore, careful examination of your feet and gait by a chiropodist is essential. No orthotic can be truly considered custom without a thorough biomechanical examination, gait analysis and a three dimensional volumetric casting of the feet.
Orthotics come in a variety of materials, ranging from rigid plastics to soft foams. Soft orthotics tend to provide cushioning and protection while rigid orthotics provide biomechanical control. Most adults require some control and cushioning combined.
While prescribing your orthotics the chiropodist will endeavor to choose the proper choices of materials to fit your specific needs to provide maximum support and comfort.
Rigid orthotics are made from strong thermal plastics or graphite materials. They provide maximum control to improve the foots function (performance). They are sometimes used for growing children to control/ resolve biomechanical issues.
Semi-rigid orthotics control foot movement and provide some shock absorption. They use flexible plastics and help to reduce pain due to over used strained soft tissues in the feet and legs.
Soft orthotics cushion the feet when standing/ walking, but do little to control the foot biomechanics.
Accommodative orthotics protect the feet form the stresses of standing / walking. They often incorporate foams or cork material and may have indentations or raised area to take pressure off of painful areas of the feet.
Visit our website: http://www.maczkochiropody.com
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