Custom Footwear Prescriptions
Custom footwear prescription in orthotic practice involves the design and fabrication of tailored shoes to address specific foot issues, enhance comfort, and improve mobility. This process starts with a thorough assessment of your feet, including their structure, function, and any pathological conditions. Based on this assessment, we can then prescribe footwear with the necessary modifications to meet your individual needs.
Steps in Custom Footwear Prescription
- Assessment: This initial step includes a detailed evaluation of the patient’s foot anatomy, skin integrity, and gait analysis, as well as their lifestyle, activities, and specific footwear needs.
- Casting and Measurement: The orthotist takes precise measurements of the feet, which may involve casting or 3D scanning to create an exact replica of the feet.
- Design: Based on the assessment and measurements, the orthotist designs the footwear. This can involve selecting appropriate materials, deciding on cushioning levels, and determining necessary orthotic components like arch supports, heel cups, or custom-molded insoles.
- Fabrication: The custom shoes are then fabricated, often involving both handcrafting techniques and advanced technologies like CAD/CAM systems.
- Fitting and Adjustment: After the shoes are fabricated, the patient tries them on, and the orthotist makes any necessary adjustments to ensure a perfect fit and optimal function.
- Follow-up: Ongoing follow-ups are crucial to monitor the patient's adaptation to the footwear and make adjustments as needed based on wear patterns and feedback.
Benefits of a Good Assessment and Prescription
- Improved Comfort and Function: Custom footwear is designed to fit the contours of the patient’s feet precisely, providing superior comfort and functionality compared to off-the-shelf options. This is particularly important for patients with diabetes, arthritis, or deformities.
- Enhanced Mobility: Properly designed custom shoes can significantly enhance mobility, especially for individuals with conditions that affect their walking ability. By aligning the feet and distributing pressure evenly, these shoes help improve balance and gait.
- Injury Prevention: Custom footwear helps prevent injuries by accommodating specific vulnerabilities of the patient’s feet, such as areas prone to ulcers in diabetic patients, or by providing extra support where needed.
- Reduced Pain: By addressing biomechanical issues and providing proper support, custom shoes can reduce pain in the feet, ankles, knees, and even the back. This is crucial for enhancing the quality of life for patients with chronic conditions.
- Accommodation of Orthotic Devices: Custom footwear can be designed to integrate seamlessly with other orthotic devices, providing a holistic solution to the patient's orthotic needs.
- Durability and Longevity: Custom shoes are often made with higher quality materials and craftsmanship than mass-produced footwear, which can extend their lifespan and provide better value over time.
The key to maximising these benefits lies in the quality of the initial assessment and the precision of the footwear prescription and fabrication by key hand-picked suppliers in our network.
