Orthotics can help make feet affected by arthritis & diabetes as comfortable as possible so you can keep doing the things you love
While the pain from conditions like osteoarthritis is caused by damage and degeneration within the joint, orthotics can go a long way to helping reduce the pain and improve your daily comfort. They do this by reducing the shock and impact forces through the joints, as well as redistributing weight and pressure away from painful, affected joints. In diabetes, those affected are vulnerable to difficult-to-heal ulcers from areas of high pressure on the feet. Orthotics work to redistribute pressure away from the ulcer site to both prevent their development and help facilitate the healing of ulcers that are already present.What is Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle?
Arthritis is a broad term for a number of conditions that destroy the workings of a normal joint. Arthritis causes inflammation in and around joints and can occur at any age. It is not curable, but treatments allow patients to manage pain and stay active. Orthotics are one such simple, effective and non-invasive treatment option.
There are three types of arthritis that may affect your foot and ankle:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the ‘wear and tear’ arthritis that affects many people after they reach middle age. Over time the smooth, gliding surface covering the ends of bones (cartilage) becomes worn and frayed causing swelling, inflammation and pain in the joints. While this damage that occurs over a persons lifetime can’t be reversed, orthotics can be used to help the joint function optimally and remove undue stress on the joints to make movement as comfortable and efficient as possible.Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease where a persons own immune system attacks and destroys its cartilage. This causes pain and swelling in the joints. We complement your standard RA treatment by helping to make your joints as comfortable as possible when you walk and removing any undue strain or pressure using custom-made orthotics. Doing this and reducing pain can have a massive impact on a persons quality of life and their ability to perform daily activities.Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis is caused by the wearing out of a joint that has had some kind of physical injury. This type of arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis as it may develop years after a fracture, severe sprain, or ligament injury.While developing arthritis is not uncommon as we age, it does not need to severely limit your everyday life or stop you from pursuing the activities that you love. We use custom-made orthotics to help you get the best results and reduce your pain so you can reach and exceed your goals!
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes has significant consequences on the feet that pose severe risks to those affected. Diabetes results in impairment of both the circulation and the nerves, and therefore sensation. Impaired circulation means a poorer blood supply to all the tissues of the feet and an increased healing time, leaving the body vulnerable to infection. Impaired sensation leaves the feet at risk of undetectable damage, which paired with a slow healing rate and the susceptibility to infection puts them at risk of ulceration, further infection and amputation. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation in the world. Unfortunately, this also means that even common foot problems and tasks can be dangerous for people with diabetes due to these increased vulnerabilities and risks. This is where orthotics can help. In diabetes, orthotics can help to:- Reduce the risks of ulcers
- Facilitate the healing of ulcers when they do occur
- Reduce pain from and the incidence of corns and callus
- Reduce the risk of breaks in the skin and from rubbing against shoes
- Help improve comfort and reduce fatigue in the feet and legs
