Orthotics Melbourne
Custom orthotics for all ages
Our podiatrists in Melbourne can prescribe custom orthotic devices for all ages including children, adults, seniors and sporting feet. Custom orthotics are fantastic for treating nearly all conditions of the feet and can help treat ankle pain, shin pan, knee pain, hip pain and even lower back pain. They are also great for treating difficult conditions such as plantar fasciitis and heel pain.
At our Melbourne foot clinic custom orthotics are prescribed following thorough assessment and strict orthotic prescription guidelines. We also ensure accuracy of your devices through our custom orthotic comfort guarantee so why choose anyone else?
What are orthotics?
Orthotics (also known as orthoses) are foot devices designed specifically to improve foot function and lower leg mechanics. They are placed into your footwear and work by restoring and supporting the foot’s normal arch and alignment.
What are custom orthotics?
Custom orthotics are custom-made functional foot devices prescribed by highly trained podiatrists. These devices provide the most accurate support you can get for your feet. Custom orthotics are tailor made to your feet and follow a prescription based on your symptoms, your footwear and your biomechanics.
How do orthotics work?
Custom orthotics work by supporting the foot’s natural alignment and correcting biomechanical faults. When we walk or run we rely on our feet to function smoothly and efficiently. Stability and movement of the lower leg is affected by how much the foot moves. When feet function poorly it leads to problems further up the chain. We need some degree of foot pronation to help absorb shock and forces associated with ground contact. However when feet excessively pronate it leads to excess internal leg rotation, which then causes the knee to internally rotate, which rotates the hip and drops the pelvis. The end result is too much lower leg rotation, poor alignment and instability.
When placed in appropriate footwear custom orthotics help to eliminate these faults and this results in improved lower leg mechanics and gait. This leads to increased stability, better muscle function and can help treat and prevent many lower leg symptoms including foot, ankle, lower leg, knee, hip and back pain.
Advantages of custom-made orthotics
Custom orthotics have a number advantages over prefabricated and other types of arch supports.
Custom-made
These orthotics are made to YOUR FEET and not someone else’s. They follow a prescription which is tailored to YOUR NEEDS.
More corrective
Up to 15 degrees of rearfoot correction can be gained with custom-made orthotics. Most prefabricated devices will give only 4 degrees. Better for flat feet and better for providing OPTIMUM FOOT FUNCTION.
This type of orthotic also better follows your foot’s natural arch shape. This results in better midfoot support especially for feet with high arches. This is one of the reasons why these foot devices are MORE SUCCESSFUL in the treatment of difficult conditions such as chronic plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain.
Last longer
Whilst they are more expensive, custom-made orthotics can last you up to 10 years (depending on the material) giving you better VALUE for money. Most soft prefabricated devices will last only a few years before bottoming out.
More supportive
These orthotics are STRONGER and designed to support your body weight. When running up to 3-4 times your body weight can be placed on your feet! A lot of cheap prefabricated arch supports are soft and will simply collapse under the force leaving you with little support.
Professionally prescribed
Custom-made orthotics are prescribed by TRAINED PODIATRISTS, who have unsurpassed knowledge of the foot, its structure, muscles and function. Devices are prescribed following thorough assessment of your problems, gait and biomechanics.
Custom orthotic process at our Melbourne clinic
Custom orthotics are prescribed by our Melbourne podiatrists following thorough biomechanical assessment, computer gait analysis and 3D digital casts. They are manufactured at Footwork Podiatric Lab, a leading supplier of orthotics in Australia and known for their quality and precision.
Our podiatrists follow strict orthotic prescription guidelines and a thorough review process to ensure quality and accuracy of your devices. Don’t be fooled by podiatry clinics that try and cram this process into 1 or 2 appointments. More often this will result in a rushed and inaccurate orthotic prescription.
Please visit our custom orthotic process page for more detailed information.
Custom orthotics available at our Melbourne clinic
The possibilities are endless with custom orthotic prescription. They can be made out of a range of materials (rigid or soft) and designs (thick or thin) to suit any foot and footwear requirement. our Melbourne podiatrists will make sure that your devices are 100% comfortable and fully tailored to your needs. Below is a small selection of some of the custom orthotic options on offer at our Melbourne clinic.
Design options
Courthotics are slim fitting devices generally prescribed by our podiatrists for slim fitting ladies fashion shoes. They are made out of a very thin 2mm polypropylene shell and are approximately 4mm more narrow in width compared to our traditional and concave wedge designs. Courthotics can be prescribed in either a full heel design or a hook design for more difficult to fit footwear.
Traditional devices have a heel cup that helps to cradle the fat pad of the heel. This makes it an excellent device for treatment of heel pain and plantar fasciitis. These devices are generally made out of 3-4mm polypropylene shell and are best fitted in lace up footwear or athletic shoes.
Concave wedge devices have no heel cup and are generally made out of 3-4mm polypropylene shell. These devices are slightly more low profile when compared to traditional devices and this can help with shoe fit. They make a good fit option for lace up shoes, business shoes and ladies boots.
Inverted devices contain large amounts of rearfoot correction built into the design. They are made to control the rearfoot with and apply little forces through the midfoot. They look similar to a wedge under the heel and can achieve up to approximately 15 degrees of rearfoot correction. These devices are prescribed by our Melbourne podiatrists for moderate to severe flat feet and are great for people that have little or no arch.
Cover options
Standard orthotic devices have a cover made to the end of the shell. This enables the device to be slim fitting and transferable to different shoes. These devices are made to be worn on top of any existing insole and will fit most shoes even if the shoe doesn’t have a removable insole.
Web length devices have a ¾ length cover that finishes at the webbing of the toes. This enables certain forefoot padding options such as metatarsal support pads to be incorporated into the prescription. These devices are more slim fitting than full length devices and are designed to be worn with the shoe insole removed. They are generally transferable between most shoes provided the shoe is orthotic friendly and has a removable insole.
Full length devices have a full length cover and are designed to take up the whole length of the shoe. This enables plenty of forefoot padding options to be included in the prescription and also allows more cushioning to be incorporated into the device. These devices replace the existing removable insole in the shoes. Because these devices are generally customised to fit one pair of shoes you may only be able to transfer them between shoes of similar shape and size. At our Melbourne foot clinic full length devices are generally prescribed for running, sporting, or athletic footwear as the full length design prevents movement of the device in the shoes.
For more information on custom cover options and materials available please visit our page on orthotic repairs.
Why choose Melbourne Podiatrists for custom orthotics?
Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics are the preferred choice when it comes to custom orthotic therapy for the whole family.
- Our podiatrists, unlike other health professionals, are university trained in biomechanics, gait analysis and custom orthotic prescription.
- We have unsurpassed knowledge about the foot, its structure, muscles and function.
- Our podiatrists have the expertise and experience to prescribe custom orthotics for all ages and to help treat problems associated with for children’s feet, adult, seniors and sporting feet.
- We know what type of custom orthotic works best to treat difficult and chronic foot conditions like plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain.
- We know that custom orthotics are often only part of the solution. That’s why we prescribe you with other treatment, such specific strengthening and stretching exercises, to help solve your problem.
- The podiatrists at our Melbourne podiatry clinic have many years of experience in custom orthotic prescription and follow strict in house protocols to ensure accuracy.
- We can prescribe custom devices to suit almost any footwear including sports shoes, business shoes and slim fitting ladies fashion shoes.
- We use the latest technology including computer gait analysis and the Delcam iQube 3D laser scanner to produce accurate digital casts and custom foot devices.
- We ensure accuracy of custom orthotics through our orthotic comfort guarantee. We are unaware of any other Melbourne clinic that provides this level and quality of service.
Need accurate custom orthotics?
Our Melbourne podiatrists can improve your feet and prescribe you accurate custom orthotics following thorough consultation and computer gait analysis. The podiatrists at our Melbourne foot clinic are experienced in orthotic therapy for all ages including children, sporting feet, adults and seniors.
For accurate and comfortable custom orthotics book a consultation with one of our professional podiatrists today.