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FAQ

Current insurance card
Certificate of Medical Necessity (only for diabetic footwear)
One or two shoes you will be wearing orthotics in (you may need to buy different shoes)
A prescription if you are given one

Foot orthotics control motion of the foot. Many foot problems are caused by excessive motion of the foot – either over pronation (rolling excessively inward) or supination (rolling excessively outward). By controlling the excessive motion orthotics can help reduce the pain associated with these conditions.
Orthotics Balance the foot. By supporting the arches and in some cases repositioning parts of the foot, orthotics help distribute pressure more evenly across the foot and reduce the stresses placed on the foot during weight bearing activities.
Orthotics can also protect the feet. Some of our patients have medical conditions that can result in foot ulcerations. Orthotics can be made to help protect the feet and help prevent these ulcerations.

Yes, orthotics transfer from one pair of shoes to another to a limited extent. Shoes usually need to have some sort of closure system (i.e. laces, velcro, or buckle) and a removable insole. They also need to be large enough to accommodate the foot and the orthotic. Certainly the size of the orthotics will make a difference in the shoe’s ability to accommodate it. Larger orthotics (full length or accommodative) will not fit in as many shoes.

For some people orthotics are a lifelong commitment. For others they are a temporary measure until an acute problem has gone away. Some people wear orthotics only sometimes depending on the activity in which they are participating. Then length of your orthotic treatment is something that should be determined by your doctor and your comfort level when being without the orthotics.

A Podiatrist is a physician. Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) diagnose, treat, operate, and prescribe medicine. They go to podiatric Medical School and are required to have residencies just like Medical Doctors (MD) and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). A Pedorthist is an allied health professional, not a physician. Pedorthists work with podiatrists and other physicians to help in the treatment of foot problems, but do not diagnose or prescribe an kind of treatment.

Proper care for you orthotics is important. The type of material that the orthotic is made from will dictate the type of care. You should always remove your orthotic from you shoe at the end of the day (or whenever you stop wearing them for the day). This allows both the orthotic and the shoe to dry out if there is any perspiration present. Different materials need to be cleaned and cared for differently. If you have questions regarding care you should consult the person who fit your orthotics.

Orthotics last anywhere from a few months to several years. The lifespan of an orthotic depends on the material used to make it and how active the person wearing the orthotic is.

If you have problems with you orthotics you need to go back to the person who fit you with them, especially if they are new or newer. Adjustments are common on new orthotics and you should not feel discouraged if you need to have them made. If you have had your orthotics for more then a year and they no longer function the way they did originally, you need to have them evaluated by your doctor or Pedorthist to see if you need to have them remade.

When your first few steps out of bed in the morning cause severe pain in the heel of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis (fashee-EYE-tiss). It's an overuse injury affecting the sole or flexor surface (plantar) of the foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band of tissue (fascia) connecting your heel bone to the base of your toes.

Diabetes is caused by inadequate levels or reduced effectiveness of insulin. Insulin is responsible for the proper metabolism of blood sugar and the maintenance of blood sugar level. Aside from the immediate effects of elevated blood sugar, the long-term effects of diabetes relate to blood vessel changes.
Blood vessel changes often lead to difficulties with the feet. Because of this, people with diabetes are at a greater risk for amputation, which emphasizes the need for proper fitting shoes. Proper fitting footwear can greatly reduce this situation.

A build-up is a modification that can be done to most footwear. When doing a build-up we rough up the surface of the sole and glue on material in order to reach the required height. Build-ups can be both a straight build-up (building up the entire shoe) or a heel build-up (adding extra heel height)