Special Report on Orthotics

First of all, what are orthotics? Orthotics are custom made devices that fit inside your shoes and improve the function of your feet and ankles. You can think of them as “glasses for your feet.” Just like a pair of glasses causes your eyes to function in the proper way, a pair of orthotics improves the function of your feet and ankles. It also decreases pressure on the bones and skin of the foot, decreases pain and aligns the joints of the foot, ankle and knee.

What aren’t orthotics? Orthotics are not soft, gel or foam things that you can bend with your fingers. For an orthotic to work it must put your foot into a position that your foot does not want to go. During walking, all your weight is on one foot at a time. Imagine all of your weight on a soft, gel or foam device. It will flatten to nothing and will not improve the function of your foot.

Are orthotics comfortable? Absolutely, when they are made properly you don’t even feel them in your shoes. The only way that a pair of orthotics will be strong enough to work and yet comfortable enough that you will actually wear them, is to have them custom molded exactly to your foot.

But what about the ones you can get at the drug store from “the machine” or from the “foot store?” Collectively, the doctors of Sarasota Foot Care Center have been practicing medicine for well over 65 years. Not only do we know how to get you the true orthotic you need, but we will be there to help you down the road if anything happens and adjustments are needed. Try that with the “machine” or the “foot store.”

But aren’t they expensive? Expensive is when you pay good money for something and get no results. We don’t care if the so-called orthotics you can get at the shoe store only cost $60 dollars, they won’t help you. So is $60 dollars for a worthless pad a good deal? I don’t think so.

A pair of custom orthotics will last for about 3-5 years. It will improve your foot function and decrease your pain. Is that worth two installments of $225? How much does your heel hurt? How much would you pay to get out of the bed in the morning without that stabbing, shooting pain? How much would you pay to be able to exercise and finally lose those pounds you need to?

In these very sensitive economic times we completely understand priorities. If the decision is food or orthotics…that is a very simple decision. Another question you have to ask yourself is if you can afford not to get orthotics? Can you afford to miss more work because of your foot pain? Can you afford to take 6 weeks off because of a possibly avoidable surgery? There is not one golfer we know that would not pay that cost to shave a few strokes off of their game. How much easier would tennis be without the pain in the ball of your foot?

What foot conditions do orthotics treat? Orthotics treat a large group of conditions that all stem from the movement of the muscles and bones of the foot. These conditions include, but are not limited to: heel pain, heel spurs, flat feet, “fallen arches,” bunions, neuromas (pinched nerve in the foot), painful corns and calluses under the ball of the foot, sore feet and ankles, tendonitis and joint pain.

What will happen if I need orthotics but I don’t get them, can I do permanent damage to myself? Yes you can. Flat feet are genetic and are usually noticed early in life. If untreated, the excess pressure and abnormal wear and tear on the joints can lead to severe arthritic conditions and loss of function. Heel pain is ultimately a problem with alignment and no amount of stretching or cortisone shots will cure the problem with out addressing the underlying alignment issues. In fact, all the conditions that are treated with orthotics have a major alignment component to them. Leaving this alignment uncorrected only leads to further pain and loss of function. It is critical to correct the root cause of these conditions and the root cause is the deranged alignment. Orthotics are the only thing that can correct this alignment problem.

Will I have to get bigger shoes to fit the orthotics? No, you should not need a larger size to fit your orthotics. Most athletic shoes have a removable foot bed that will create the room needed to fit the orthotics. The same goes for most lace-up loafers or boots. In fact, there are some sandals that have a removable foot bed and work with orthotics as well. There are, of course some shoes that will not work with orthotics. High heels and flip-flops come to mind immediately. Have no fear. If you wear the orthotics when you are most active, occasional flip-flops and high heels are acceptable.

If you have been experiencing pain or soreness in your foot, what are you waiting for? Biomechanical problems, which is to say bone, muscle and joint problems, do not just heal themselves. You would never expect your vision to miraculously improve and you should not ask for miracles with your feet either. If your feet have been hurting you, or you have been watching someone you care about suffer with foot pain, stop waiting and get the pair of orthotics you need, today.


Committed to your health,

Dr. Craig Conti
Sarasota Foot Care Center
www.sarasotafootcarecenter.com

The Ghost in the Machine

If you have been to the drug store or grocery store lately you may have noticed the Dr. Scholl's machine. It looks impressive enough, with colorful images of your feet that show the different pressures. After standing on the machine for a few seconds it spits out a number and that is the pair of foot supports that you are supposed to use. Simple right? Wrong.
Custom foot supports, or orthotics as they are called by foot doctors, are a complicated science. The science of how living things move is called biomechanics. This is the science that one must you to properly diagnose and treat conditions with a pair of orthotics. The machine has none of this training. The foot is a very dynamic structure with 28 bones, 33 joints and over a hundred ligaments in each foot. Placing the foot in the proper position is crucial in obtaining a good representation of this moving target.
As an example, we have all heard of someone having 20/20 vision. What that means is that at a standard of 20 feet a person can see a size of type that has been designated as the standard font. This system breaks down if you measure people at 10 feet or with a different font size. When molding someone for an orthotic in my office I have similar standards that I have to abide by. The foot, ankle and knee must be in the standardized position. If not taken in this very specific way the mold is useless. This is exactly what happens with these machines. There is no uniformity. There is no standardizing.
As someone who has prescribed hundreds of orthotics in my career I can tell you that there is an art as well as a science involved. You have to know the activity level of the patient and the types of shoes they most often wear. There are some sport specific adjustments that can be taken into account and let us not forget the follow up. When you get a pair of orthotics from me or my colleagues you are sure to have the devices evaluated and any adjustments made in order to get the results you want. Every year thousands of people buy a 1/4 inch drill bit. None of these people want a 1/4 inch drill bit...they want a hole that is 1/4 inch around. The same can said for orthotics. No one really wants a piece of custom molded plastic in their shoe...they want pain free walking, running, golfing etc.
People often ask why orthotics are so expensive. The answer is because they are time consuming if you are going to do them correctly. You can get a piece of padded plastic out of a machine in a grocery store all day if you want to, just don't call that an orthotic. The ghost in the machine is not going to follow up with you. The ghost does not care if the device works. The ghost is not going to adjust the device and improve your comfort and quality of life.
You do get what you pay for in life and this is just another example of cutting corners and you will suffer for it. Remember that when you do end up with a inferior device you only have yourself to blame...the ghost in the machine doesn't care.


Committed to your health,

Dr. Craig Conti
Sarasota Foot Care Center
www.sarasotafootcarecenter.com