Orthotics are shoe inserts that are primarily designed to provide support to the foot. Most people requiring foot control and support have feet that excessively roll inwards (called hyper-pronation), or who have flat feet (pes planus).

Patients with excessive rolling of the foot and ankle, or hyper-pronation, are more likely to experience pain from musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb.

These can include:

• Osgood-Schlatter’s disease (knee pain in children)
• Sinding-Larsen-Johansen disease (knee pain in children)
• Severe’s disease (heel pain in children)
• Achilles tendinitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Shin splints
• Knee pain, especially pain at the front of the knee (knee-cap or patellofemoral knee pain)
• Patellar tendinitis

Orthotics are relatively inexpensive (approximately $200 a pair), can be transferred between enclosed shoes of the same size, and should be worn for the majority of the day where possible. Correction with orthotics is often part of the management of lower limb conditions and orthotics can be made for school shoes or for work shoes.

If you believe that you may require orthotics, please bring in enclosed shoes (not sandals or thongs), so that the orthotics may be made at the same appointment.