Inserts, footbeds, insoles, or orthotics – no matter what you call them, foot orthotics can prove beneficial for your feet. The foot orthotics are created to provide the right support your feet need to resolve any pain and discomfort.
Your back, ankles, and knees depend on your feet for proper range of motion and alignment. Even the slightest pain or misalignment of the feet can reduce the mobility of your joints, tendons, and muscles as your stride and stance try to compensate for the pain. If you are suffering from bunion pain, the Bunion Institute has the best treatment for you to keep moving forward.
Getting foot orthotics can provide you with relief from pain and discomfort by providing the right support. While it is created to help you recover, wearing orthotics requires a little getting used to it. It is crucial to wear them the right way to maximize their benefits.
Benefits of Custom Foot Orthotics
When there is an abnormality in your feet, for instance, your arches are too flat or too high, it modifies the alignment of your bones. Once your ankles and feet shift outward or inward due to the misalignment, it further impacts your knees, hips, and even lower back.
Foot orthotics can correct this misalignment and certainly provide you with relief from pain and discomfort but only if they are the right size. This is the reason why getting custom orthotics is crucial to ensure they properly work. You will feel a major difference in your condition when you are wearing custom foot orthotics.
Here are some of the many benefits of using custom orthotics:
- Better posture
- Reduced bunions, corns, and calluses
- Decrease in lower back pain
- Lack of pain when walking long distances and duration
- Improved balance
- Reduced leg or ankle pain
The right orthotics can provide appropriate support to your entire body and offer quicker results if you are wearing them the right way.
Tips from Foot Doctors to Wear Orthotics Properly
Many people assume that the orthotics will instantly fit their feet and they would be able to easily walk around without a problem. While custom orthotics are crucial for the right support, wearing them properly also plays a major role in providing steady support.
Here are some of the helpful tips from foot doctors to help you wear your new orthotics properly:
- Usually, your body takes around two to four weeks to get used to any type of orthotics, meaning you have to wear it regularly to ensure your body adjusts.
- Since it is a major change in your lifestyle, it is best to ease your way into it. During the initial few days, consider wearing the orthotics three to four times throughout the day.
- Begin with a few minutes and gradually build up. For instance, wear the orthotics for 30 minutes on the first day and take them off for a while before wearing them again.
- After the first day, keep on adding 15 or 30 minutes to each wear. This will help you gradually get used to wearing the orthotics for the entire day by the end of the week.
- Remember not to wear it when you are doing any strenuous activities until you get fully comfortable to wear it throughout the day. Even so, it is wiser to avoid wearing them during such activities to prevent any discomfort or soreness.
- Even when your body gets used to wearing the orthotics all day long, it is a good idea to give your body some rest between wears. Take it off for a while to allow a few hours of rest.
- Get your orthotics adjusted again after three weeks or so of wearing them. This is the time your feet and body should be adjusted to it and there shouldn’t be any discomfort or other symptoms. If you feel that the symptoms haven’t improved, it is important to get them adjusted to fit your body better.
- It is also important to make sure that you take proper care of your orthotics so that they can provide you with optimal support. Follow the care guidelines provided to you by your feet doctor to regularly clean them.
- Always use the orthotics with the shoes they have been made for. If you are unsure about it, you can ask your doctor. Remember, the orthotics made for work or athletic shoes are different from the ones made for formal and casual shoes.
- Always get rid of any additions or arch supports included in the shoes by the manufacturers before using them with the orthotic.
- Never use the orthotics without stockings or socks.
- It is normal to feel some slippage or odd pressure points during a few initial weeks of orthotics. However, if the discomfort is too much or continues even after a few weeks of use, get in touch with your doctor.
- If your shoes are making squeaking sounds, then sprinkle baby powder in the shoes after removing the orthotics. Insert it back and start using the shoes again.
- Bring the orthotics to your doctor for replacement or repair if they wear out or break. Never try to fix them yourself.
- Keep the orthotics dry as getting them wet can alter their shape. In case they get wet, air dry them before using them again.
- Use water and mild soap to wash the orthotics and use a dry paper towel to wipe them down.
Foot orthotics help relieve pain and discomfort and also correct any bone misalignment. It creates an upward effect to improve posture, alleviate pain, and decrease discomfort. Custom orthotics are crucial to provide maximum benefits and modifying the movement of the body in the right way.
Aside from reducing pain, orthotics also comes with the shock absorption ability to provide comfort to your hips, knees, and ankles. Using them the right way can make sure the orthotics can stay in good condition for two to four years, or even longer, based on your activity level and body weight.
Follow these tips to make the most of your new orthotics and enhance the quality of your life.