Chronic foot pain is one of the most common obstacles to achieving your personal activity goals, and also one of the most overlooked. But fortunately, it’s something that can usually be treated successfully without surgery—and quite often, custom orthotics are part of the solution.
Whether you’ve never had custom orthotics before and are struggling with foot pain, or you already have a pair you wear regularly and love, now may be the perfect time to pick up a new pair. Work with the foot and ankle specialists at Sunshein Podiatry. Since 1991, we've helped people throughout Greater Dayton benefit from the effective, non-invasive relief that orthotic devices provide.
Why Are Custom Orthotics So Versatile and Effective for Foot Pain?
First, an important caveat: orthotics aren't going to be the solution to every foot problem. Not everyone will require them. Some people do fine with over-the-counter, prefabricated arch supports. Others may not need arch supports at all. However, there’s a reason medical orthotics are frequently a great solution for many types of foot, leg, and even hip and lower back pain, and it has to do with biomechanics and alignment.
A significant percentage of painful foot problems—including many forms of heel pain, overuse injuries, and even foot deformities like bunions—are partially the result of feet that have fallen out of alignment with the leg. Weak or flat arches, overpronation, and other structural or biomechanical foot problems can increase the amount of pressure and stress on certain areas of the foot, and also force joints and muscles further up the body to work harder in order to compensate.
Wearing the correct set of orthotics for your foot shape and condition—not the flimsy drugstore generic variety—helps restore proper alignment, relieving strain and pain throughout the feet and beyond. And prescribed insoles are going to give you the best possible performance, since our foot and ankle specialists design them to fit you and you alone, using precise molds of your feet.
They also last much longer than off-the-shelf orthotics—typically 3–5 years on average, as opposed to 6 months or less for cheap retail alternatives.
Why Might Two or More Pairs Be Better Than One?
But maybe you already knew all of that—because you already have a pair of orthotics, and you feel the benefits every day! If so, we're so happy they’re working out for you! Here’s a question to ponder, though: have you ever considered picking up an additional pair? We know, we just said custom orthotics last up to 5 years. That’s a pretty decent lifespan already. Why would you need to pick up a second set so soon?
There are actually a number of good reasons:
- They’ll last even longer. When you have one pair of orthotics, they’re holding up your entire weight all day, every day. When you have two or more pairs, now the load is being shared. That 3–5 year expected lifespan for a single pair could easily become 6–10 years for two, condition permitting, if you cut the wear and tear in half for each set!
- We can customize them for specific footwear. Our podiatrists want to know your "why" so we can better serve your lifestyle. No two pairs of shoes are exactly the same. Dress shoes, for example, may run a little narrower and have less give and wiggle room than casual athletic shoes. If you have only one pair of orthotics, they might fit really well in one pair of shoes, but not as well in another. However, using your footwear as a guide, we typically modify your medical inserts at our Centerville office so you can have one pair for one type of shoe, one pair for another, and a great fit for both.
- They’re less hassle. We typically recommend our patients wear their orthotics every day, all the time. If you have several different pairs of shoes and boots that you wear regularly, that means you’re switching your orthotics constantly between them. More choices for insoles mean fewer swaps, greater convenience, and make it more likely that you can just throw on your shoes and go!
There’s one more thing to consider, and that is—of course—finances. Many insurance plans will fully or partially cover new orthotics at regular intervals, often yearly, even if an older pair is still in good shape. You may also be approaching a deadline to spend tax-advantaged FSA money. If you're in either of these situations, acquiring a new pair of devices now actually makes financial sense, too.
When you consider all the benefits, the reality is that for most patients, adding a second pair of orthotics to their collection provides more than double the value of a single pair.
Make a Valuable Investment in Foot Health and Comfort
Don’t let foot pain keep you from all the things you love. The team at Sunshein Podiatry can help you restore comfort and mobility and get that spring back in your step. Custom orthotics—whether they’re your first pair, or just a new pair—may well be the answer. Or, they may not be. Either way, our doctors are trained to help you find the best path forward to total foot and ankle relief.