Custom molded orthotics Part 4. So what really makes a custom molded orthotic made by your podiatrist foot and ankle expert different form the other outlets that are offering cheaper alternatives. First of all your podiatrist had four years of medical school training and on average two to three years of residency training on only foot and ankle. I myself did even an extra year of orthopedic training in limb lengthening and reconstruction. Now that we have the mold of your foot the next thing is to write the prescription to the laboratory on where the modifications need to be made. Look at the picture of this patients hind foot alignment, his heel everts (turns away from the leg)

Pronated everted calcaneus

the left foot is worse than the right, so the left foot orthotic prescription needs to have a different amount of correction of the pronatory forces. The doctor will tell the lab how much to adjust based upon his/her measurements. That’s not all does the person have a rigid stiff deformity or is it flexible. Patients tend to tolerate different orthotic materials based on if the foot is stiff and arthritic. The older one is usually they dont tolerate hard stiff orthotics. They work much better in children and patients up to thirty years old. Also modifications can be made to the arch height for flat feet , and the ball of the foot. Different degrees of tilt can unload different joints to give relief. If one is suffering from hallux limitus or hallux rigidus there are modifications that can be made such as kinetic wedges and cutouts to relieve the joint.

Therefore when you are getting a custom device form a podiatrist you are getting a thorough exam of the foot and ankle and a prescription that is specific

custom orthotic for posterior tibial tendon dysfunction

to address your deformity with careful consideration of age, activities and your personal needs. Custom molded orthotics can be a great way to get rid of your heel pain and plantar fasciitis.