What are custom orthotics? – Foot orthoses are shoe inserts designed to improve your foot and leg mechanics so that your feet can function more efficiently, improving performance and preventing injury.
The podiatrist who treats your lower limbs and feet, who has also analysed and diagnosed your foot and gait pattern is the same person to design your custom full length EVA orthotics. First in Feet Podiatry do not send your orthotics to be modelled and made by a third party. By using one of the best 3D scanning, modelling and milling CAD/CAM orthotic systems in the world, we are able to produce some the best foot orthotics in the world.
When are orthotics used? – In cases of trauma, overuse injuries and general lower back/hip/knee/leg/ankle/foot pain, your Podiatrist may prescribe orthotics after a comprehensive assessment, taking into account your own biomechanics, footwear, occupational and lifestyle factors.
PAROMED CUSTOM ORTHOTICS
Orthotics can be used for the following
- Lower Back Pain (if foot mechanics is a contributing factor)
- Hip Pain (trochanteric bursitis, arthritis, increased loads)
- Heel pain (plantar fasciitis, heel spur, nerve entrapment, fat pad syndrome)
- Posterior Tibial Muscle Tendon Dysfunction
- Shin Splints
- Achilles tendon Injuries
- Knee pain (Patello Femoral Syndrome/Chondromalacia Patella, Medial Knee Compartment pain, Pre Patella Bursitis, Arthritis, Trauma, ITB syndrome)
- Forefoot Pain including Plantar Plate tears, Morton’s Neuromas, Metatarsalgia, Intermetatarsal Bursitis, Fat Pad Atrophy and Skin lesions such as corns and calluses
- Post-Surgical Conditions (Post Knee or Hip Replacement)
- Trauma including Stress Fractures, Muscle/Tendon/Ligament tears and strains
- Ankle Sprains and fractures
- High Heel Orthotic Options
- Bunions (Hallux Abducto-Valgus)
- Sesamoiditis
- Osteo Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Leg Length Differences
First in Feet Podiatry utilizes a pressure measurement plate to clinically measure the forces occurring through your feet. Deflecting forces from painful bunions or heels to protecting an ulcerated wound, we are able to diagnose, measure and get the best result.
FOOT PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
3D LASER SCANNER:
No more messy plaster casting required! A 3D laser scanner is used to accurately capture the exact contours of the individuals feet ensuring the most accurate and comfortable fitting orthotics are produced.
- ORTHOTIC THONGS:
Thongs that are actually good for your feet – no it’s not a joke! Being proud Queenslanders we are very excited to be able to offer this as a treatment option. These are fully customised footwear produced via Paromed 3D foot scanning and computer modelling. A great footwear solution for those problem feet.
- FOOT MOBILIZATION:
First in Feet practitioners are trained in Foot mobilisation and manipulation therapy. Our feet perform best when the joints are able to move efficiently through their full range of motion. Reduced joint flexibility or stiffness forces surrounding soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) to work much harder which can lead to pain. As a manual “hands on” therapy it is used as part of the overall treatment which ultimately leads to effective pain relief and better performance.
- DRY NEEDLING:
Dry Needling is the technique of releasing myofascial triggers with fine needles to stimulate the healing process of soft tissues. It relieves the pain caused by musculoskeletal dysfunction through relaxing muscle trigger points, tight bands (“knots”) that develop within a muscle that can occur in cases of both acute and chronic pain. This technique allows for immediate reduction in painful symptoms post treatment.
- FOOTWEAR ADVICE:
Excessively worn shoes or the incorrect shoe for your foot type/activity can actually cause lower limb pain. But choosing the right shoe for your feet can be an absolute nightmare with so many different styles, shapes and materials available across various footwear. It is vital to not only have the right shoe for your foot and health condition, but also the right type of shoe for the environment in which you plan on using it. First in Feet Podiatry are up to date with the latest footwear developments in training, hiking and work footwear.
- BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENT:
A Biomechanical Assessment is both the static and dynamic examination and assessment of joint complexes (foot and ankle, knee, hips and spinal column) and their interrelationships, under both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions.
The information gained from the biomechanical assessment and gait analysis helps our Podiatrist’s to recommend the most effective treatment program for your specific problem.
A biomechanical assessment involves the following:
- Alignment of the leg, knee, foot and ankle
- Joint quality and range of motion
- Foot and ankle muscle strength
- Video gait analysis (An individual’s walking pattern is observed both visually and recorded digitally for freeze-frame analysis of specific points in the gait cycle )
- Leg length discrepancy
Biomechanical abnormalities can lead to the various overuse and sport injuries people experience. For example, restriction of the big toe joint will change the timing when our heel rises from the ground with each step (an early heel rise). This in turn causes extra loading on the Achilles tendon which for some, will lead to an Achilles tendinopathy.
At First in Feet Podiatry the results of your biomechanical assessment are used to form a treatment plan to specifically help you. This may involve stretching and strengthening programs, foot mobilisation to restore joint function, foot orthoses to unload the foot and footwear advised to best suit your activity and foot type.
- GAIT ANALYSIS
What is gait?
Gait simply refers to the way a person walks. An abnormal gait can be caused by one or more parts of the body (such as hips or knees) underperforming, which can lead to imbalances elsewhere in the body when moving.
What is a gait analysis?
Gait analysis is a scientific analysis used by podiatrists to study how the body moves – or its biomechanics and effects on the feet, knees, hips, lower back and limbs. During gait analysis your body’s movements are observed, measured and recorded via digital video and assessed. Then a diagnosis can be made, and treatment plans can be prescribed for conditions which may affect your ability to walk, or are causing recurring pain.
What can it tell about your body?
Gait analysis can tell you a lot about your body and how you move. For example, if you are suffering from hip pain, this could be related to the way you walk. You might be in-toeing (feet turning inwards) or out-toeing (feet turning outwards), and the compensation your muscles are making to keep you upright may be the cause of your pain. Or perhaps your knees turn in, which can affect the quality of your movement – at First in Feet we don’t just study the feet in a gait analysis.
It is important to note that compensations in the body can lead to imbalances around the joints and the main muscles – such as hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves. This means those areas may become less active and end up contributing less than they should. A gait analysis will reveal such issues.
- CHILDRENS FEET
Children’s feet are forever changing as they grow. The skeletal system can quite literally grow overnight. Although it is not uncommon for children to have foot or limb pain as they grow (growing pains), a wide variety of growth plate and developmental disorders can occur in children’s feet in addition to conditions common to adults.