Before even going into the benefits of custom orthotics it is important to establish what they are so you can know how they will help you. Healthline defines them as follows, “Orthotics are a special shoe or heel inserts a doctor prescribes that are custom-made specifically for you”.
If you are someone that has any problems with your feet, whether that be heel pain, arch issues, or toe joint deformity, then custom orthotics are for you.
Note the word “custom” because this is the key to orthotics working well for your specific issue. Mass-made inserts that you can just go pick up at your local convenience store won’t cut it if you are looking for true relief from your foot pain.
Custom orthotics are tailored for your feet and your foot pain. Every foot is unique and has its own problems. No one wants to have issues with their feet, we use our feet every day for almost every task, so it’s not an understatement to say that custom orthotics can drastically improve your quality of life.
There are endless reasons why anyone with foot pain should buy custom orthotics but read further to see 8 amazing benefits they can offer you.
1. Pain Relief
This is first up because it’s probably your first concern for seeking relief from your foot problems. Trying to walk and get around with foot pain is not fun for anyone.
Custom orthotics give your feet cushioning and support in the areas your feet need it most, which will help take the pressure and excess strain off problem areas on your feet. A few ways this cushioning and support can help with your foot pain are if you have problems including:
- Arthritis
- Bunions
- Flat feet
- High arches
- Plantar fasciitis
There are many more problem areas in the feet that cause pain, but these are some of the most common, if you have foot pain, custom orthotic inserts will help relieve the pain.
2. Custom Orthotics Help Can Relieve Back-Pain
You may not think of your back when choosing shoe inserts, but you should. If you ever have back pain, an overlooked culprit is many times foot and shoe-related.
If you have high arches or your arches are too flat, it forces your feet out of alignment with your shins, this in turn will misalign your knees as well, and so on up until it is up to your back.
An issue that started with your feet, has worked its way up to your back, causing unsteady hip posture, and making your spine less stable. This entire issue can be solved by having custom orthotic inserts that stop the problem at the source, giving your feet and back the relief they need.
3. Hidden Support
As technology has advanced, so have companies’ abilities to make things that work and are high quality go unseen. If you are concerned with having ugly and visible orthotics, you would be surprised how well custom orthotics can be hidden.
Many modern orthotics are designed precisely to fit under your feet and are reasonably slim under your foot. They fit seamlessly in almost all types of shoes, and you can even have custom-made orthotics that are designed specifically for heels or sandals.
4. Prevents Future Injuries
If you have or have had foot problems, you know as well as anybody that you don’t want them to come back once you have gotten rid of the issues.
Custom orthotics not only help you get over current foot injuries or pains but also helps prevent them. Preventing further pain and issues is just as important as recovering from current problems.
The main concern is that typically when the same injury comes back a second or third time, it’s often more severe than the first time. So, wearing orthotics when you don’t have any current foot pain is a sure way to help keep your feet pain and injury free.
5. Worry-Free Workouts
Working out and regular exercise is already difficult enough, when you have foot pain or foot deformities, it is near impossible.
If you enjoy walking, running, lifting weights, or just about any form of exercise, your feet will be involved. If you have foot pain, wearing custom orthotic inserts will give you worry-free workouts because the extra support will give you confidence in your feet that regular tennis shoes won’t give you.
6. Custom Fit
This has already been mentioned briefly in a few of the above benefits but having the inserts fit custom for you is one of the benefits of having orthotic foot inserts. They are made to form and fit you perfectly, by taking a mold of your feet. This gives the maker an exact representation of your feet which will lead to great fitting, comfortable inserts.
7. Better Well-Being
Foot pain will give you a much lower quality of life than if you could walk and move around on your feet without pain.
To be able to enjoy life more and not have to worry or stress every time you must walk or stand up, getting custom orthotics will give your life a boost as well as your feet.
Less Foot Pain, More Enjoyable Life
There you have it, 7 great benefits to custom orthotics. If you have foot pain or foot deformities, it is a no-brainer to get them.
Even if you haven’t had issues with foot pain in the past, you can help prevent ever having to deal with it by having orthotic inserts that are designed for your foot and how you walk and move.
Feet are very complex, with each foot having 26 bones, not to mention all the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the foot, there is a lot going on in your feet. One of the best ways to protect them is with custom orthotics, as clearly stated by the benefits mentioned above.