Custom Orthotics: Expert Foot Care for Pain Relief

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Expert Foot Care: Why Custom Orthotics Make All the Difference

Many people think of insoles as simple comfort accessories. But when you’re dealing with real foot, knee, or back pain, the right “custom orthotic” device can play a significant role. Custom orthotics are specifically designed and fabricated to match the unique shape, biomechanics, and needs of your feet so that they can support proper alignment of your entire lower body.

Your feet are the foundation of your body’s “kinetic chain”: the way your foot strikes the ground effects the shin (tibia), thigh (femur), hips and spine. If your foot pronates (rolls inward) too much or supinates (rolls outward) excessively, it forces other joints and structures higher up to compensate. Over time, this misalignment can lead to knee pain, hip issues or low-back discomfort. That is why choosing footwear and inserts that support your biomechanics becomes very important. Therefore, custom orthotics aim to address that foundation by stabilizing, supporting and aligning your feet and ankles, which eventually help in relieve strain on knees and lower back.

How Custom Orthotics are made?

The fabrication process typically involves:

  1. A professional assessment of your feet, ankles, posture and gait.
  2. A mould, plaster cast or 3D/laser scan of your feet to capture contours and alignment.
  3. Designing the orthotic using CAD/CAM or other manufacturing technologies, in materials tailored to your activity, foot type and condition.
  4. Fitting the orthotic into your footwear and fine-tuning as needed for comfort and alignment.

Crafting custom orthotics with precision at Pro Function’s onsite lab.

How Custom Orthotics Can Support Your Back & Knees

  1. Improving Foot Mechanics

When your foot moves as it should well-aligned, neither over-pronating nor under-supinating the forces from each step travel upward in a more efficient, less compensatory way. Research has shown that custom orthotics can reduce first-step pain and plantar fascia thickness in conditions like plantar fasciopathy.

By reducing abnormal foot motion, they help stabilize the ankle-foot complex, which in turn diminishes aberrant rotation or loading on the knee and hip joints, and reduces stress on the lumbar spine.

  1. Redistributing Pressure & Load

Custom orthotics are engineered to redistribute pressure across the plantar surface of the foot, increase contact area, and absorb shock in key regions. One review found that certain orthotic materials (such as polyurethane, EVA) can reduce peak plantar pressures during walking.
This means less undue load on one section of the foot, fewer compensatory movements, and hence less downstream stress on knees, hips and back.

  1. Alignment-Driven Benefits

Poor foot alignment (flat feet, high arches, uneven gait) often translates into rotational or shear forces further up the kinetic chain. By correcting alignment via a well-designed custom orthotic, the tibia and femur track more favorably, the knee joint is less stressed, and the pelvis and lumbar spine maintain better posture. For example, custom orthotics can correct pronation or supination and promote more even weight distribution.
This alignment advantage means custom orthotics are not just about comfort — they are about structural support of the lower body.

Evidence-Based Benefits of Custom Orthotics

  1. Clinical research shows custom orthotics can significantly reduce foot pain in the short to medium term for certain conditions. For instance, one systematic review reported statistically significant improvements in foot pain and quality of life in short-term use of custom orthotics compared to no orthotics.
  2. Custom orthotics can improve foot biomechanics (balance, load distribution, dynamic stability) more so than generic insoles in some cases.
  3. They often use more durable materials and are tailored to individual needs, meaning better fit, longer lifespan and potentially greater benefit for individuals with complex conditions.

What the Current Consensus Suggests

For individuals with specific foot-structure problems (flat feet, high arches, severe pronation/supination, gait abnormalities), or those whose pain extends beyond the foot (knees, hips, lower back), custom orthotics may offer added benefit. For more general foot discomfort, an off-the-shelf insert plus proper shoes and exercise might suffice.

How to Choose the Right Custom Orthotics

  1. Start with a Professional Assessment

Consult a podiatrist, physiotherapist or orthotics specialist who can assess your posture, foot mechanics, gait and alignment. Without this assessment, you risk investing in an orthotic that doesn’t address the root cause. Studies show accuracy of custom orthotics depends heavily on the assessment and manufacturing process. https://profunction.ca/pro-function-services/

  1. Understand What You Need
  1. Do you overpronate (foot rolls inward) or over supinate (foot rolls outward)?
  2. Do you have flat feet, high arches, leg-length discrepancies or previous injuries?
  3. Are you dealing with knee pain, hip/back pain or just foot discomfort?
    Knowing your specific issues lets the provider tailor the orthotic properly.
  1. Choose Materials and Design Carefully

Different materials yield different pressure-redistribution and shock-absorption qualities. For example, polyurethane/EVA can reduce peak pressures beneath the foot. Also consider durability and the type of footwear you will use the orthotics in (running shoes, work boots, dress shoes, etc.).

  1. Match Footwear + Orthotics

A custom orthotic works best when paired with appropriate footwear that offers heel-to-toe stability, proper arch support, and the right drop and cushioning. A mismatched shoe can weaken the benefit of the orthotic.

  1. Monitor and Adjust

Your feet and gait may change as you gain/lose weight, increase activity, or change footwear. Periodic assessment ensures the orthotic remains effective. Some devices may need tweaking or replacement after a number of months.

  1. Cost and Insurance

Custom orthotics are more expensive than generic ones. Some insurance covers them, some don’t. It’s worth asking about warranty, replacement policies, and whether you can trial them before full commitment.

When Custom Orthotics Are Especially Useful

  1. If you have persistent knee, hip or lower-back pain that appears connected to your foot mechanics.
  2. If you have flat feet, high arches, foot deformities or leg-length differences that cause alignment problems.
  3. If you participate in high-impact sports or heavy-duty standing/walking work and need durable, performance-oriented support.
  4. If you have underlying conditions like diabetes, arthritis or foot ulcers, where customised off-loading and pressure distribution are vital.

Integrating Custom Orthotics into a Holistic Strategy

Simply getting an orthotic and putting it into your shoe isn’t enough optimal results happen when orthotics are part of a broader approach:

  1. Wear suitable footwear: shoes should align with your foot type (arch, drop, cushioning) and be compatible with the orthotic.
  2. Strengthen and mobilize: exercises for ankles, calves, glutes, hips and core help the chain above the foot stay strong.
  3. Monitor gait and posture: consider gait analysis or physiotherapy if knee or back pain persists despite orthotics.
  4. Replace/upgrade: orthotics lose shape/cushion over time; footwear worn with them also needs replacing when worn out.
  5. Be realistic: understand that orthotics help but do not replace movement, strength or lifestyle factors. In many cases, studies show modest benefit but meaningful for many individuals.

Conclusion

Investing in a well-fitted custom orthotic is more than a comfort upgrade it’s a health investment for your lower body. When your feet are properly supported and aligned, the relief can extend well beyond your soles: your knees track better, your hips move more freely, and your lumbar spine avoids compensatory strain. https://profunction.ca/contact_us/

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Book with Brooke
Brooke Edwardson

MClSc (AHCP-SEM), MPT, BScPT, Sport Cert.  

Physiotherapist London Ontario
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Sports Injuries Physiotherapy
Post Surgical Rehab
Sports Team On-Field Medicine

Choose Brooke for:
• Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball and Running Injuries
• Industrial / Physically Demanding Jobs + Injuries
• Spinal, Hip and Knee Injuries
• Pre- and Post- Surgical Cases (eg. ACL Recovery after Surgery)
• Strength and Conditioning
• Sports Team Medical Coverage; Tournaments, Travel, Seasonal

Brooke Edwardson

MClSc (AHCP-SEM), MPT, BScPT, Sport Cert.  

Physiotherapist London Ontario
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Sports Injuries Physiotherapy
Post Surgical Rehab
Sports Team On-Field Medicine

Choose Brooke for:
• Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball and Running Injuries
• Industrial / Physically Demanding Jobs + Injuries
• Spinal, Hip and Knee Injuries
• Pre- and Post- Surgical Cases (eg. ACL Recovery after Surgery)
• Strength and Conditioning
• Sports Team Medical Coverage; Tournaments, Travel, Seasonal

Book with Brooke

If you’re an athlete, at any level, you’ll want to meet Brooke.  Brooke Edwardson’s resume and skillset with athletes is extensive, and recently she added to her resume with a Masters in Advanced Health Care Practice in Sports and Exercise Medicine (AHCP-SEM) from Western University.   While in the program,  Brooke focused on all aspects of delivering comprehensive sports medical coverage for a wide variety of venues.  Additionally, she completed research on ACL-related injuries based on playing surface types in collaboration with several sports medicine and surgical physicians.  Brooke says the experience gave her one-of-a-kind insight into the risks, prevention strategies, and  keys to post-ACL surgical rehabilitation at the highest of levels. 

Having originally graduated with a Masters of Physiotherapy from Western, Brooke has quickly developed into one fo London’s brightest and most dynamic sports physiotherapists. Brooke sees patients both on and off the field and when in clinic, she chooses to treat at Pro Function’s sports injury clinic due to the fact that the facility has 40,000 sq ft of turf and two weight-training areas which allows her to really challenge her patients as they return to activity/sport. 

Professionally, Brooke has worked in various formats with Skate Canada, the Toronto Rock, at both the Canada Games and the Ontario Summer Games, with the Toronto Triathlon, St George Rugby, Great Lake Canadians (GLC) Baseball, and right here in London as the lead physiotherapist with FC London. Additionally, Brooke works as a consultant for GM Canada and feels the physicality and endurance required with line-side work mimics many of the soft tissue injuries commonly associated with the training errors seen in athletes. 

Outside of the clinic, Brooke loves finding creative ways to stay active and is up for the challenge of trying out a new sport or skill.  She enjoys running, rock climbing, hiking, water sports, and of course soccer!  She also loves to travel and spend time with family and friends.