Secrets to Treating Heel Pain: Orthotics

Custom-made heel supports are known as orthotic devices and are worn under your heel and the arch of your foot. These devices are molded to be anatomically matched to your heel and they do more than just provide support. Orthotics are designed to realign your feet and heels to a neutral or natural position to alleviate pain in your feet, legs and back, as well as restore balance, improve sports performance and relieve foot fatigue.

Research shows that the majority of heel problems can be directly connected to skeletal imbalance. More and more people tend to have some amount of either hyperpronation (flat feet) or hypersupination (high arches). The presence of these conditions can cause the heel to be unstable during normal everyday activity. This constant stress on the heel can lead to pain in the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips and back. Orthotics can improve function in the heel by compensating for existing imbalances and in most cases can relieve or prevent the associated pains.

How do you know if the use of orthotics is right for you? If you have an obvious imbalance that causes such symptoms as flat feet or high arches, or if you have external misalignments such as "knock knees", "bow knees", in-toeing, or out-toeing you are probably a good candidate for orthotics. If you participate in an activity that places stress on your feet or if your work requires you to be on your feet for extended periods of time, orthotics could be beneficial. The use of orthotics is just one of the conservative foot treatments used in our offices. They can be used to treat foot, heel, and arch pain and to prevent sports injuries or improve sports function. Orthotics can be used to treat children as well as adults. The best way to find out if orthotics can help you is to make an appointment with us for an exam.