Starting Functional Orthotic Therapy

Your prescription orthotics have arrived, and you can't wait to try them on. Before you launch straight into your new life, you need to give your body time to adjust to wearing them. Below are some general guidelines to give you an idea of what you can expect.

The first time you wear your orthotics, don't expect them to be comfortable. Just like when you first put on a new pair of glasses, things feel strange. This is perfectly normal and to be expected. After all, your feet have been functioning abnormally for many years, and it is simply not possible to undo in weeks what has taken years to acquire.

For the first couple of weeks, you need to allow your body time to adjust to this new foundation. It is commonly recommended to wear your orthotics for 1-2 hours on the first day, and then double the amount of time you wear them daily until by the end of two weeks, you are wearing them all the time.

Still, eveyone is different and whilst some people can't manage this straight away, others find that the orthotics are so comfortable they choose to wear them for longer straight away. It is best to take the advice of your own practitioner and listen to your own body.

Will they cause more pain?

As your feet and in turn the rest of your body gets used to moving and working in a different way, mild aches and pains are almost inevitable. These are usually temporary, and disappear with time, but if you are at all concerned, contact your practitioner.

When will I start to feel the benefits?

The time when the body begins to benefit from wearing the orthoses is different for each person. Most people will notice changes to how they feel within the first few days, and within 4-6 weeks, any major aches and pains previously caused by abnormal foot function will start changing, reducing or even disappearing.

Depending on age, health, weight, occupation, severity of foot shape variation and how you choose to support your body through the change process, it can take anywhere between 6 weeks and 2 years to reach your optimum level of health. Nothing is set in stone, however, and the greatest control on the speed with which your body recovers is the lifestyle choices you make, such as eating habits, posture/balance retraining, seating and relaxation. With a stable foundation and access to sensible factual information, the world is suddenly your oyster.

What about sports?

The same principles apply, but you need to give your body time to adjust. It is normally recommended that you don't wear the orthotics straight away for sports activities, instead letting your body adjust slowly during walking activities only for the first few days. When you are comfortable wearing your orthotics all the time for normal activities, start wearing them for quarter of the time you spend doing sports. Increase this by a quarter every three days so that by the end of 11/2 to 2 weeks, you will be wearing your orthotics throughout your sport activities.

For sports shoes, make sure you take out all internal inserts, arch supports or other devices that come with the shoe.

Do I need new shoes?

No, not always. Orthoses can be used in existing shoes, provided they are of suitable style, but you will find that a new pair of shoes eliminates the effect of existing abnormal wear on how you walk.

Do I need to do anything else?

Although prescription orthoses are an important tool in improving your health now and for the future, they are by no means the only thing you can do. Remember that Functional Orthotic Therapy is most effective when combined with other treatments, lifestyle changes and therapies. Your body is going through some major changes and challenges as it gets used to your orthotics.

Old habits of movement will interfere with new postural alignments, insufficient or unbalanced nutrition will lessen the ability of the body to heal/build new healthy muscle and former causes of stress are being gradually eliminated with every step you take.

Help your body to improve your health by giving it the food it really needs, learning how to move efficiently without holding tension and benefitting from less stress and more effective exercise.