Questions and Answers

Custom foot orthotics are corrective insoles for your feet. They help correct biomechanical variances in your gait, such as over-pronation, in an attempt to alleviate pain or discomfort in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

While we believe most people, in some small form or another, can benefit from having an orthotic support tailored to their individual feet. No. Some people will never need to wear orthotics and will make due with a good pair of shoes. Others may not be so fortunate, requiring a little (or a lot) of extra support to aid in keeping them injury-free and on their feet.

This largely depends on the severity of the foot condition or concerns. Accordingly, some people may need to wear them more frequently than others. Generally, it is recommended that you use your orthotics during activities of longer duration, prolonged standing, and/or heavier impact.

There have been cases where patients slowly wean themselves off of foot orthotics. Unfortunately these cases are rare. Once the bones in the feet have matured, how the joints move in relation to each other predominately determine how your foot functions.

With the guidance of a physiotherapist or chiropractor, certain exercises and manipulations can help increase mobility in the feet. However, if it is such that you need orthotics to control hyper-mobility, strengthening exercises will do very little to "fix" the problem.

Custom foot orthotics are made for different types of shoes and different activities. As one can imagine, you will need varying degrees of support for all your activities of daily living. If you are out hiking all day long, it is best that you get the optimal amount of support from your orthotics and shoes. But if you are just at the office all day in your dress shoes, we will need to design the orthotics according to fit and comfort.

Your usage and activity level will greatly determine the lifespan of your orthotics. Typically patients will replace their orthotics every 3-4 years; however, having a pair for each type of shoe will prolong the life of each pair.

Most extended medical plans do have custom foot orthotic coverage. Depending on the options of the plan, your orthotics may be partially or fully covered under your benefits. We advise that you contact your insurance carrier for more details.

Plantar Fasciitis; Patella-Femoral Pain Syndrome; Shin-Spints; Hip/Knee Osteoarthritis; Arch Pain; Lateral Ankle Instability; Achilles Tendinopathy; Posterior tibialis dysfunction; 1st Metatarsal-phalageal Osteoarthritis; Bunions; Lis Franc injury; Os-good schlatter's disease; Sever's disease; Diabetic Ulcerations; Lower-limb Neuropathy

Compression socks are graduated pressure knee, thigh, or waist high stockings that increase your lower body circulation. They are used to prevent blood clots, treat deep vein thrombosis, reduce swelling, fight fatigue and tiredness of the legs, wear while flying, and also reduce lactic acid build-up during and after sporting activities.

Your physician will determine what level of compression is needed in your case. Most medical cases will only require between 20-30 mmHg. In more severe cases, however, higher compression may be required between 30-50 mmHg. 

Just like regular socks, you can wear them all day long to receive the benefits of increasing your circulation. Using your compression socks, during long periods of sitting and standing will be of most benefit.

Yes. Most plans will have compression stocking coverage. Coverage will vary depending on your plan's options. We recommend that you contact your insurance carrier for details.