What will I need to bring with me to my/my child's appointment?
It is helpful to bring a list of any regular medication you/your child is taking. A selection of regularly worn footwear can be very useful in allowing us to assess shoe wear patterns and heel height etc. Older shoes are better than shoes only worn a few times. Examples of sports footwear are especially helpful i.e. anti-pronatory, minimal control trainers, dance shoes etc. It is also always interesting to see any previous orthoses/insoles that you/your child may have been prescribed in the past.
What will I/my child need to wear to the appointment
Comfortable long shorts/skirt or loose fitting trousers that can be rolled up are ideal.
How often will I need to attend?
This really depends on your/your child's diagnoses. Some patients may only need to attend once. An agreed treatment plan will be discussed with you/your child at the initial assessment where your Podiatrist will be able to give you an idea of how many visits are required. Unlike physiotherapy though, MSK Podiatry patients may have a few weeks or even months between appointments whilst they complete an exercise programme or trial some orthoses/insoles. Once symptoms have resolved then you/your child may not require a follow appointment for 6-12 months.
What are foot orthotics?
A foot orthotic is a shoe insert that is custom made to prescribed specifications. A foot orthotic can:
help correct an abnormal walking or running pattern- reduce pain
- provide support
- rest an over worked/injured structure
- prevent or protect against worsening foot deformity
- provide better positioning/alignment
- relieve pressure on a certain area of the foot
- improve overall mechanics of the foot and lower
- correct a leg length difference
- provide shock absorbancy
- improve overall mechanics of the foot and lower limb
At ProPodiatry we pride ourselves on the large range of orthoses we offer. We will always suggest the device that is most suited to you not the most expensive one!
For the majority of patients casted/fully bespoke orthoses are simply not required and for many conditions those types of orthoses have been proven to be no more effective than their cheaper semi-custom made orthotic cousins. For the majority of conditions it is highly likely that you will be recommended to trial a semi bespoke orthoses that we build (in our in-house lab) to your specific prescription. This way of working allows us to change the prescription incrementally and alter the prescription easily should conditions change. These type of orthoses will provide effective treatment for a good 12 months.
After this time period the orthotic may be removed if it is no longer required, replaced with a new pair or made into a more permanent version of the prototype device. We do of course offer fully custom made orthoses for those patients who require an orthotic made out of a stronger material, require a very complex prescription or have a foot that doesn't 'fit' with the average foot shape.
If I'm prescribed orthoses/insoles, will I need to wear them forever?
Not all MSK podiatry patients are prescribed orthoses and often they may only be used for a short period of time whilst an injury heals. In growing children a long term prescription is often inappropriate as their body changes and grows and symptoms change. Unless you/your child has a long term foot problem or deformity then often patients are advised to wean themselves off the orthotic/insole as long term use can weaken the foot.
