Orthotics

Orthotics are shaped inserts that fit inside your shoes, cushioning and supporting painful feet. If you have problems like bunions, plantar fasciitis, or flat feet, visit the Foot and Ankle Specialists for expert orthotics fitting. At offices in The Woodlands, Memorial City, and Huntsville, Texas, the practice’s highly skilled foot doctors offer the highest quality ready-made orthotics and individually designed custom orthotics. Call the Foot and Ankle Specialists today or book an appointment online to find the right orthotics for your foot or ankle problem.

What are orthotics?

Orthotics are inserts you put in your shoes to cushion and support your feet and ankles. You can buy ready-made orthotics over-the-counter, but these aren’t as effective as the orthotics the Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Woodlands offers.

One option is PowerStep® orthotics, a superior over-the-counter product. The other is custom orthotics explicitly designed for your feet. Orthotics come in two primary forms:

Rigid orthotics

Rigid or functional orthotics use hard plastic and carbon fiber. These inserts correctly align the bones, joints, and connective tissues in your feet and legs.

Soft orthotics

Soft or accommodative orthotics are made of spongy materials like silicone gel and foam rubber. They reduce pressure on tender, painful parts of your feet.

Because custom orthotics are made especially for you, the manufacturer can combine soft and hard materials to suit your needs.

The Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Woodlands also provides Dr. Comfort diabetic shoes. These high-quality, comfortable shoes offer many features that help prevent severe foot health complications from diabetes.

Medicare and supplemental insurance might cover all or part of the cost of your Dr. Comfort shoes and prescription inserts if you have diabetes and meet the qualifying criteria.

What conditions do orthotics treat?

Orthotics can successfully treat many foot, ankle, and leg conditions, including:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Arthritis
• Flatfoot
• Diabetic ulcers
• Calluses
• Tendinitis
• Bunions
• Hammertoe
• Bursitis
• Pain after surgery

Aching and pain in your legs and lower back can sometimes stem from feet and ankle problems that orthotics can correct. The Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Woodlands team examines your feet and ankles and looks at how you walk to determine if orthotics can help you.

What does getting custom orthotics involve?

The first step to custom orthotics is having a laser scan of your feet that creates 3D images. Using these images, your doctor makes adjustments to the basic orthotic design so that it accommodates all your specific requirements.

When custom orthotics come back from the specialist lab that creates them, you return to the Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Woodlands for a fitting. The orthotics should fit your feet and shoes just right, but they’re adjustable if they don’t. Most patients experience some improvement within the first week of using orthotics.

Call the Foot and Ankle Specialists of The Woodlands today or book an appointment online to learn how you can relieve foot and ankle pain with orthotics.