Do I need Orthotics?

Orthotics are a type of medical device used to correct issues with your feet and can help to relieve pain and discomfort from a variety of sources. Below are a few easy ways to see whether you could benefit from wearing Orthotics.

Pay Attention to Your Gait

A person’s gait is a description of how they walk. If you’ve got an abnormal gait, it could be the result of misalignment. Several issues may cause your feet to be out of alignment with the rest of your body.

Usually, you’ll notice that you’re feeling unstable while walking. Get someone else to watch you take a few steps. A lot of the time, it’s easier to see gait abnormalities from an outside perspective. If your gait is abnormal, orthotics could help.

Check Your Knee-Foot Alignment

Typically, a person’s kneecap should sit right above their two largest toes. If they’re not aligned with them, you’ve most likely got some sort of foot problem.

Knee-foot alignment problems should be corrected whenever noticed. Otherwise, your knees will exert excess pressure on the patella.

Relieving that pressure with orthotics could make walking a lot more comfortable.

See How Far You Can Raise Your Toes

While standing, try to lift your toes without moving. A healthy person should be able to move their toes freely without any pain. Whenever pain is present, it might indicate you’ve got flat feet. Orthotics are an ideal treatment for that condition.

You can also try standing up onto your toes. Typically, the foot forms a convex shape whenever standing on them. However, people with development issues might have a concave shape instead. That usually causes some level of discomfort while standing.

By getting a pair of orthotics, you’ll relieve pressure from your feet while standing.

Look at Your Inner Arches

Your inner arches are usually in the middle of your foot toward the inner leg. Usually, you can fit several fingers underneath your inner arches without moving. If not, you’ve probably got an issue with your arch development.

People with flat feet usually can’t fit anything under their inner arches. Often, they’ll feel pain in their feet while walking as a result. Orthotics help relieve pressure from this region of your foot, relieving discomfort.

Inspect Your Shoe’s Wearing Pattern

Another easy way to check for flat feet is by looking at your shoes. Normally developed feet tend to wear them out symmetrically. When there’s asymmetrical wearing, it might indicate an issue with your foot’s shape.

Most of the time, a simple pair of orthotics would be an effective treatment. They’ll correct for any foot shape abnormalities while walking. So, you should feel more comfortable if you start wearing them.

Are You Suffering From Runner’s Knee?

Runner’s Knee is a health condition where pain develops around the front of someone’s knee.

Overpronation is the most common cause of this condition. People with abnormal gaits tend to over-rotate their knees while walking.

Using a good pair of orthotics tends to correct these issues, thankfully. By using them, you’ll relieve pressure off of the patella. Then, you shouldn’t experience as much knee pain anymore.

Do You Get Shin Splints Often?

There are two types of shin splints, anterior and posterior. You’ll notice them whenever you’re overusing the Tibialis muscles. Often, runners get them after overexerting themselves. However, they’re also relatively common among people with bone structure issues.

If you’ve noticed difficulty lifting your foot, Tibialis inflammation might be the cause. When you overexercise the Tiablis muscles, they become inflamed, constricting your nerves. Constricted nerves could develop into a permanent issue without corrective help.

Fortunately, orthotics can help you reduce inflammation of the Tiabilis muscles. So, they’re an effective treatment for shin splints most of the time.

How Does Your Achilles Feel?

The Achilles tendon connects to your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. You’ll find it along the backside of your feet. When these become inflamed, it’s called Achilles tendonitis. You’ll feel a constriction along the back of your ankles, near the top of your heels.

Over-pronated feet tend to cause this issue. Also, running up a lot of hills might also lead to its development. Either way, you’ll want to treat it before damaging your tendons.

Orthotics can help correct over-pronation, reducing the severity of this condition. They’ll also help improve arterial blood flood to the area as well.

Have You Ever Had a Lower-Body Injury?

Even people without prior development issues could develop them after an accident. Injuries to the lower body don’t always heal properly. As a result, your previously normal gait might become abnormal.

Then, you’ll start feeling foot pain a lot more often. If you’ve had a lower-body injury before, talk to your doctor about orthotics. They can help to correct any issues after your accident.

Have You Had Diabetic Neuropathy?

Diabetics always have the risk of developing neuropathy in their feet. When this happens, your nerves begin to die. You might also lose blood supply to the area.

If you’ve had complications due to diabetes, your feet might need some attention. Ask your doctor to check them out for any problems. Correcting them by using orthotics could alleviate any pain.

Other Common Signs You Might Need Orthotics

So far, we’ve covered quite a few health conditions that benefit from orthotics. However, there are several other signs that could indicate you’d benefit from them as well.

Sharp pains in the heel tend to indicate orthotics would be beneficial. Typically, heel pain is the result of plantar fasciitis. Orthotics can help reduce any associated inflammation, reducing your pain.

Swelling of the feet would be another common sign you might need orthotics. Your feet shouldn’t swell while doing everyday activities. If they do, you’ve probably got an issue a podiatrist could detect. Ask one of them to inspect your feet. Usually, they’ll prescribe you some orthotics to correct anything wrong.

How Orthotics Could Help Your Health

Orthotics are a device used to correct issues with your gait and feet. Leaving issues alone tends to exacerbate the problem. Simply placing a pair of orthotics in your shoes could correct them without any issues. So, if you’ve had abnormal pain, you’d want to consider them.