Orthotics are orthopaedic insoles that fit into your shoes to support your arch, or to offload injured areas of your foot. Essentially these insoles can help to restore regular balance and pressure on muscles and joints. Perfect for stubborn injuries that haven't responded to exercise rehab and physio treatment. Orthotics are also good treatment option for somebody who consistently suffers for a range of niggles. They’re a good option if you regularly fix one issue, only to be stopped by another injury.
Orthotics can help with a wide range of biomechanical issues such as Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints, fallen arches, plantar fascitis, patella-femoral pain, meniscal tears, back pain and much more.
Everybody is different and therefore have different requirements. We prescribe various types of orthotics to suit each individual, these will be further tailored to suit your cause of pain. This helps to ensure that the orthotic is perfectly suited to you and your needs. It is important to note that orthotics are not guaranteed to correct all issues. So we provide a progressive home exercise program to help reduce your pain, prevent future injury and increase the success of the orthotics. In most cases orthotics will resolve your issues but in some cases they may only reduce your symptoms. We will be able to advise you on the realistic expectations for the benefits of the orthotics.
Control excessive movement at the ankle and knee joints
Minimise flattening of the arches of your feet
Correct weight bearing distribution through the joints and soft tissues of your legs.
We have created a dedicated website for orthotics, how they work for each injury, their benefits and what type work best for each injury. This website was designed to give you an idea of whether you need orthotics, what type of orthotic you might need and what it should be comprised of. Click on the link below if you would like to read more about orthotics and specific injuries.
When you book in with us we will start by taking a full history of you injury and we will conduct a full and comprehensive assessment of the injury. We discuss the issues that you are having, we will get to the root cause of your pain and give you the best treatment option available to you. This will include whether orthotics are the best treatment option for you. We will discuss whether physio or further medical referrals will benefit you more than orthotics, or if a combined approach is best.
During the physical assessment we will assess your gait, joint range of movement, muscle strength and specific bone orientations in your feet. Your physical examination will also include a functional assessment to see how the movements and strength of your feet impact on the movement of your legs and pelvis above them.
If custom made orthotics are a suitable treatment option, we will take a cast of your foot using either a foam box cast or a plaster cast. All modifications and additions will be recorded and this will be sent to our partners PPL Biomechanics in Cork to fabricate the orthotics. The orthotics are returned to the clinic, usually within 7-10 working days. We will then fit you for the orthotics to be sure they do what they are supposed to do, and to ensure you correctly break them in. We provide ongoing support in case you have any issues in the future.
At ReBalance Physiotherapy we also supply and fit semi customizable off the shelf orthotics. These are precast orthotics and are heat treated in the clinic to better fit your arch. These are perfect for minor foot problems such as mild over pronation, or for preventing future issues. A range of these orthotics, and sizes, are kept in the clinic so we can supply and fit them on the day of your assessment.
Hours of Availability
Monday: 08:00-20:00
Tuesday: 08:00-20:00
Wednesday: 08:00-20:00
Thursday: 08:00-20:00
Friday: 08:00-16:00
