CUSTOM-MADE SPORTS ORTHOTICS
What are custom-made sports orthotics?
Custom-made sports orthotics are medical devices that allow the feet and ankles to function without pain, and to protect them from the repetitive stress of sports activities; or from just normal walking. They are designed and made from molds of your feet, constructed with comfortable "space age" materials, under the supervision of a Board Certified podiatrist who has 30 years of experience treating athletes.
WITHOUT ORTHOTICS |
WITH ORTHOTICS |
During midstance, the ankle and heel are misaligned, and your foot has no arch. |
At heel contact, orthoses limit the swing of your heel so your heel strikes the ground correctly. During midstance, your orthoses support your foot so it can regain its arch, allowing the ankle and heel to align. |
How do they work?
Our feet have nearly 100 individual working parts. To be pain free and 100% efficient, these complex parts must exist in a specific relationship, one to the other. Unfortunately, we may be born with fallen arches, loose muscles, or biomechanical defects such as pronation (a rolling out of the foot); or we may develop heel spurs, bunions, or other defects which ruin the perfect relationship of one foot structure to the other.
When this happens we develop tired, aching feet and ankles, or pains in specific areas of our feet and ankles. Custom-made orthotics relieve foot and ankle fatigue and pain by supporting the individual components of the feet, and stabilizing the ankles. They allow the feet to function with 100% efficiency again.
Each sport applies intense and abnormal weight and stress to specific areas of the feet and ankles; these parts are not constructed to bear these abnormal forces. The result can be fatigue, pain, loss of efficiency, or all three. These orthotics will protect the stressed areas, and re-distribute the abnormal weight to the entire foot. This will increase efficiency, allowing you to be a better athlete; and reduce fatigue so you can participate in your sport for longer periods of time. But most important, by accommodating for internal foot abnormalities, redirecting weight and stress, and supporting and stabilizing the feet and ankles, your pain will disappear.
What are they made of?
Depending on your sport, they are made of semi-rigid or semi-flexible "Space Age" thermoplastic materials, which are guaranteed to be comfortable; and, these orthotics will last for many years. These materials have a "memory," so that as you apply your weight to the foot there is a certain amount of "give." When your weight is removed from that foot, the orthotic returns to its original shape and height. This provides shock absorbency to the feet, ankles, knees, and lower back; and makes these orthotics extremely comfortable.
Sports Orthotics
Tennis & Racquetball
The "ready position" in tennis and racquetball requires you to bend your knees and put all of your weight on the balls of the feet, so that you can get a fast start to run toward the ball. This is not a natural position, especially when you place all of your body weight on the balls of the feet, instead of distributing this weight evenly across the entire foot. This stance will cause foot fatigue, achiness, and eventually pain, making you less efficient, and taking "the fun out of the game." To "keep you in the game" and pain free, we have designed an orthotic which takes the abnormal weight placed on the balls of the feet, and gently re-distributes this weight to the entire foot. This relieves the abnormal forces on the balls of the feet, and reduces foot fatigue and pain.
How Our Orthotics Work:
The advanced technology we employ enables our custom-made orthotics to gently hold the heel of the foot in a neutral position, thus stabilizing the rear foot and ankle. This will help to prevent: ankle sprains, Achilles Tendonitis, shin splints, and inflammation of the tendons that run down the front of the ankle into the foot. Our custom-made sports orthotics provide these pain relieving features through their unique design, and the modern materials we use. These orthotics will also provide semi-flexible support to the arch. This support "gives" a bit, and the entire orthotic’s arch decreases in height a specific amount. The orthotic’s arch thus absorbs the shock of each step rather than our foot (the orthotic acts in the same way that a shock absorber does on an automobile). When our weight is removed from the orthotic, the arch returns to its original height since the material we use has a built-in "memory." This action of the arch will help to prevent: plantar fasciitis, heel spur, arch pain, and lower back pain.
Increase Your Endurance and Efficiency:
Our custom-made sports orthotics can increase your endurance and efficiency, and help to prevent injuries to the feet, ankles, shins, knees, hips, and lower back. By providing increased padding and support for the balls of the feet using materials that mimic the action of our own fatty pads, these orthotics will not only provide comfort, but will also help to prevent stress fractures, joint pain, and callus pain.
Jogging, Walking, and Long Distance Running
Due to the fast-paced gait pattern of these sports, intense and repetitive pressure is applied to the heels; and, as our weight is shifted through the cycle of gait, these abnormal forces are shifted to the arch, balls of the feet, and to the toes. Our orthotics are designed to comfortably maintain the feet in a neutral or normal position, allowing the feet to meet these forces and stresses with the greatest support and shock absorbency possible, thus reducing fatigue and pain.
Increase Your Endurance and Efficiency While Relieving Pain:
Our custom-made sports orthotics can increase your endurance and efficiency, and help to prevent injuries to the feet, ankles, shins, knees, hips, and lower back. By providing increased padding and support for the balls of the feet using materials that mimic the action of our own fatty pads, these orthotics will not only provide comfort, but will also help to prevent stress fractures, joint pain, and callus pain.
Our doctors have been designing sports orthotics since 1971.
Aerobics
Due to the impact nature of this type of exercise, the jarring stresses on the feet must be reduced, or the feet eventually begin to breakdown and hurt. Our orthotics provide maximum shock absorbency, and quickly distribute body weight and stress across the entire foot, protecting the balls of the feet, arches and heels from abnormal stress.
Golf
Golf is a sport that places a great deal of stress and abnormal forces on the back, the lower extemities, and the feet and ankles. Golf requires you to swing your golf club, and walk some distances on uneven surfaces. Both of these activities can cause the body pain. The golf swing forces the entire body to rotate as if it were one unit, rather than what it is: many individual joints, muscles, and bones working together in various degrees of harmony. If the body is firmly and properly supported by our feet and ankles, then the structures above will work more harmoniously together, and function as a pain free unit. However, if the feet cannot provide our body with a stable foundation or support—because of fatigue, pain, or biomechanical defects such as pronation—then all of the body’s joints, muscles, and bone alignments are forced into abnormal positions. When this occurs, the knee, hip, back, and neck are forced to endure abnormal stresses which cause inflammation, fatigue, and eventually pain. Our body can be compared to a building; if the foundation of a building is not straight and strong, the upper floors will tilt and eventually crumble due to the abnormal forces they must bear. Our body’s joints, and especially our back (the vertebra and disks), will begin to crumble (degenerate and subluxate) when the body’s foundation (our feet) are not capable of providing the proper support. How well we are able to walk on uneven surfaces also depends on the ability of the feet to support our body properly, and how well they protect us from injuries, such as ankle sprains. When the feet are not in a neutral position, and do not line-up properly with the leg at the ankle, then we will experience frequent injuries, fatigue, and pain. Again, pronation is the most common cause of the feet’s inability to function properly when walking on uneven surfaces.
Football
Running on uneven surfaces, frequent sudden stops, and quick changes in direction apply intense and abnormal weight and pressure to the balls of the feet, the arches, and especially the ankles. Our custom-made sports orthotics for football are designed to comfortably keep the feet in a neutral (or normal) position, allowing them to meet these forces and pressures with the greatest support and shock absorbency possible; thus fatigue and pain are reduced. To "keep you in the game," and pain free, we have designed an orthotic which takes the abnormal weight and pressure incurred, and gently re-distributes it evenly across the entire foot. This will reduce foot pain and fatigue, and help to prevent injuries.
Basketball
Running, frequent sudden stops, quick changes in direction, and jumping apply intense and abnormal weight and pressure to the balls of the feet, the arches, and especially the ankles. Our custom-made sports orthotics for basketball are designed to comfortably maintain the feet in a neutral (or normal) position, allowing them to meet these forces and pressures with the greatest support and shock absorbency possible; thus fatigue and pain are reduced. To "keep you in the game," and pain free, we have designed an orthotic which takes the abnormal weight and pressure incurred, and gently re-distributes it evenly across the entire foot. This will reduce foot pain and fatigue, and help to prevent injuries.
Soccer
Running, frequent sudden stops, and quick changes in direction apply intense and abnormal weight and pressure to the balls of the feet, the arches, and especially the ankles. Our custom-made sports orthotics for soccer are designed to comfortably keep the feet in a neutral (or normal) position, allowing them to meet these forces and pressures with the greatest support and shock absorbency possible; thus fatigue and pain are reduced. To "keep you in the game," and pain free, we have designed an orthotic which takes the abnormal weight and pressure applied incurred, and gently re-distributes it evenly across the entire foot. This will reduce foot pain and fatigue, and help to prevent injuries.
Skating (Ice Hockey, In-Line Skating and Figure Skating)
These sports require a "pushing away" motion with the feet, and sudden starts and stops. These repetitive actions place stress on the sides of the feet, arches, and ankles. Our orthotics quickly redistribute these abnormal forces to the entire foot, thus protecting the otherwise stressed areas. And equally important, they stabilize and protect the ankles, eliminating fatigue and pain. Shock absorbency is also provided for the knees and lower back.
Skiing
Skiing requires a "pushing away" motion with the feet, and sudden starts and stops. These repetitive actions place stress on the sides of the feet, arches, and ankles. Our orthotics quickly redistribute these abnormal forces to the entire foot, thus protecting the otherwise stressed areas. And equally important, they stabilize and protect the ankles, eliminating fatigue and pain. Shock absorbency is also provided for the knees and lower back.
Cycling Injuries
Cycling requires that the entire lower extremity function as a harmonious unit, and bring sufficient force down on the bicycle pedal to move us forward. This tremendous force begins in the hip joint and thigh muscles, and passes through the ball of the foot to the pedal. As long as the bones, muscles, and joints of the lower extremity are properly aligned with each other, there is an efficient and pain-free excursion of the pedal. The most mechanically efficient alignment of the lower extremity is one where each part of the extremity is parallel to the frame of the bicycle. Deviations from this alignment may eventually cause foot, ankle, lower leg, knee, thigh, or hip pain.
Causes of Cycling Pain:
The most common cause of cycling pain is due to the height of the seat. If you have determined that the seat height is correct, then the next most common causes of pain are due to one or more of the following problems:
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Bowlegs and knock knees cause the lower leg to rotate inward or outward. When this occurs, the legs are no longer parallel to the bicycle frame; and the foot is rotated on the pedal, so that the outer or inner aspect of the foot is elevated off of the pedal. This causes all of the pedal force to be exerted on half the ball of the foot. When this occurs, foot and knee pain eventually occur. Bowlegs and knock knees will not only cause pain, but will also reduce efficiency and speed.
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Short leg syndrome causes the foot on the short leg to "reach" or plantarflex, so that it can sit properly on the pedal. When the foot plantarflexes, it will also rotate inward at the ankle, helping to "make it longer." When this occurs, the inner aspect of the foot is raised off of the pedal. Thus, all of the pedal force is directed through the middle and outer portions of the ball of the foot. This quickly causes fatigue and pain in the foot, ankle, and outer aspect of the knee.
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Painful foot and leg disorders as discussed above, as well as plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, shin splints, and Achilles Tendonitis force the foot to sit on the pedal in such a manner as to reduce the pain. The body tries to compensate by rotating the foot to a more "comfortable position;" thus, the foot is not allowed to sit flat on the pedal. This compensation eventually produces foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain.
Pain and compensation of the lower extremities causes the legs and knees to turn in or out, so that they are no longer parallel to the frame of the bicycle. This allows only a portion of the foot to sit flat on the bicycle’s pedal. The results are pain and a reduction in efficiency and speed.
Treating These Disorders:
Custom-made sports orthotics specifically designed for cycling can prevent these disorders from reducing efficiency and causing pain. Our custom-made orthotics compensate for any abnormal twisting or rotation that your lower legs and feet must endure due to bow legs, knock knees, pronation, or short leg syndrome. This allows the feet to sit properly on the pedal, the lower leg’s rotation is decreased, and the knees are brought into a more efficient alignment relative to the bicycle’s frame. This allows the force generated in our hips and thighs to be passed to the bicycles pedal in a more efficient manner, which helps to reduce pain and fatigue. The bones and joints of the lower extremity are brought into a more normal alignment, helping to eliminate joint and soft tissue pain.