4 Surprising Benefits of Custom Orthotics

Most people know orthotics can help relieve foot pain due to bunions, flat feet, neuromas, and other problems. But these custom shoe inserts can do a lot more than that. With the right prescription, custom orthotics offer plenty of benefits for your comfort, health, and quality of life.

Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, is a leading provider of custom orthotics for patients and uses durable, comfortable materials with advanced patient-centered design techniques for long-lasting benefits. In this post, Joel S Segalman, FACFAS, FACFAO, and Stephen Lazaroff, DPM, FACFAS, describe four surprising ways custom orthotics could benefit you.

1. Reduction in back pain

As many as 80% of people will experience back pain at some point during their lives, primarily lower back pain, making it a leading cause of disability. Back pain can take a toll on many daily activities, making sleeping at night difficult.

So, how can foot problems cause back pain? Partly, by changing how your body distributes your weight and altering your posture. When you have foot problems, even a small change in posture can strain your lower back and hips, resulting in nagging back pain, especially in the lumbar spine.

Uneven strain on your spine increases wear-and-tear on your vertebrae and spine joints, potentially increasing your risk of herniated discs or degenerative conditions, like arthritis. Custom orthotics help correct posture problems for better weight distribution and less strain on your spine.

2. Reduction in knee pain

Your lower back isn’t the only part of your body affected by foot problems. Your knees can pay the price, too. 

Once again, foot-related knee pain is related to posture deviations resulting from changes in weight distribution when you walk, run, climb stairs, or even stand still. These changes put extra strain and pressure on your knees, leading to acute and chronic pain.

Alterations in posture cause uneven wear-and-tear on your joint components, too, increasing your risks of arthritis, kneecap problems, and problems affecting the tendons and ligaments that support knee movement. By correcting your gait and weight distribution, custom orthotics can reduce your knee pain and protect your joints from future problems.

3. Injury prevention

Your feet are subjected to pressure and strain daily with every step. Even spending a lot of time standing still can put excess strain on your foot joints, ligaments, and tendons. Not surprisingly, all that excess strain can weaken your feet and increase your risk of injuries.

Custom orthotics are made individually and designed to provide ideal support based on each patient’s needs. By providing extra cushioning and protection, orthotics also help prevent added strain that can quickly lead to more serious injuries. They’re also designed for all types of shoes, including athletic shoes, absorbing shocks and lessening muscle fatigue for better health and improved foot mechanics.

4. Improvement in overall health

This step is a catch-all benefit because its impact can extend to many areas of your lifestyle and health. By correcting foot-related problems, activities like walking, climbing, and running become more comfortable, making it easier to be more active.

In turn, being more active can benefit your health in other ways — for instance, by helping you maintain a healthy weight, normalize your blood pressure, and even reduce high cholesterol. That means you could reduce your risk of chronic conditions, like diabetes or heart disease, simply by improving your foot health with custom orthotics.

Better mobility is also crucial for athletes and anyone who enjoys tennis, running, biking, or basketball activities. By optimizing your gait and posture, you can enjoy enhanced athletic performance and improved enjoyment of your preferred activity.

Custom orthotics for truly personalized pain relief

Custom orthotics support pain relief without relying on medication, helping you be more active, engaged, and comfortable. To learn more about custom orthotics and how they can improve your health and overall quality of life, request an appointment online or over the phone with the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists team in Waterbury and Newtown, Connecticut, today.