Foot orthotics are a commonly used treatment for a number of foot and lower leg dysfunctional problems. These are designed and helpful to fix alignment and biomechanical problems. All of the research data shows that they are generally quite effective and the patient satisfaction type research demonstrates that they are well accepted by those who have them. That doesn't imply that they do not have issues. They do have issues. They can only be used in a shoe which has the room for the supports to fit into. This means that they are unable to be used in certain types of sports footwear and some shoes used in specific occupations. Also, in some climates closed in shoes are not too common due to the temperatures. Some individuals just have a philosophical objection to foot orthotics because they look at them as being unnatural and as crutches which should not be used.
Although foot orthotics are pretty straight forward and can very easily be made to work in the short to medium term you will find options if patients choose to follow that choice. Exercise treatments are one option and muscle strength may be improved and used as an alternative. However, this could take many months to work and it may be a good idea to make use of foot supports to begin with because they can help get some improvement almost immediately. If footwear is the problem and it is difficult for financial, work-related, sporting or lifestyle reasons to change the footwear, then there are possibilities such as the Archie Flip Flops that come from Australia and have a reasonable amount of arch support constructed in. There are other kinds of footwear such as these that do have arch support integrated, though the amount is quite small compared to the Archies and might not be as helpful. As always it is recommended to talk to your health professional as to what they believe is the best alternative for you.
