Orthotics, some times called Orthoses are special bespoke (hand made) insole devices, which are worn in your shoes. They are manufactured by very highly trained specialists in the Sub-4 laboratory. They are manufactured from a plaster of paris cast of your feet so that we can create an exact replica of them. After the assessment we can write the prescription, which we use to manufacture bespoke orthotics in the Sub-4 lab. We use orthotics to treat a wide variety of injuries (See About: Biomechanics on the front page) and have over 95% success.
 
The cast of the feet is taken non-weight bearing so the foot is held in what we call neutral, which means it is neither pronated nor supinated. Specialists in the Sub-4 orthotic laboratory can then correct the misalignments with compensation and stabilization techniques. The finished orthotic is then placed in the patient's shoe and helps keep the foot and upper body in proper alignment.
Who Should Use an Orthotic?
Because perfect feet are very rare, almost anyone can benefit from orthotics. They can prevent and alleviate many of the common foot complications that cause discomfort in otherwise healthy people. An analogy can be made between orthotics and eye glasses. Both adjust bodily imperfections that inhibit people from functioning at their maximum physical potential.
Almost anyone can achieve some benefit from an orthotic. There are several common symptoms that may indicate misalignment of the feet. Remember we live in a flat world made mainly of concrete under foot, which has a high energy return. This can create a negative shock wave, which passess up through the body affecting various joints , especially the lower back. Orthotics help to prevent this making our lives much comfortable on a daily basis. 
How Does an Orthotic Work?
This answer could be very complex but we feel it is important to keep it simple. Orthotics can be the most comfortable thing you can do for yourself. They simply make your body think that you are walking on a surface for which it was designed millions of years ago, creating clarity of proprioceptive information traveling from the sensors in your body to the cerebellum in the brain resulting in musculoskeletal harmony. They also align your body. All humans are asymmetrical e.g. one leg longer than the other, and orthotics help to level the pelvis, align the feet, allow symmetry to funtion in the legs, stabilise the body centre of mass (COM) and make breathing easier etc etc. They do so many things. A biomechanical assessment generally ends in a cast of your feet being taken. This is followed by the writing of a prescription so that orthotics made from the cast can be hand made to your needs. Once you have experienced our orthotics you will never want to be without them! |
Orthotics
