do I need to wear my orthotics all the time?You recently went to see your podiatrist. You just received a new pair of custom orthotics to help with your painful foot condition. The orthotics seem to be working well and your pain is gone. That’s great news!

Now you’re wondering whether you need to wear your orthotics all the time, or if you only have to wear them when you go for long walks or when you’re running.

We get it. You have a busy life. Between work, shopping, exercise, picking up your kids, and going out on the town you’re constantly on the go. Making sure your orthotics are in the shoes you need “right now” seems like a lot of work. It’s one extra thing you have to do.

Does it really matter if you take a quick trip down the street to your neighbor without them?  What could it hurt? While one trip down the street without your orthotics will not likely make a big difference in your feet, doing it over and over again can.

Why It's Important to Wear Your Custom Orthotics All the Time

While most people realize that their orthotics help to treat the pain of their primary condition, there are other reasons it's important to wear them all the time. If you stop wearing your orthotics your feet and body can return to their previous painful state.

1. Keep Your Feet From Overpronating

Your orthotics were made to provide you with the support needed to keep your feet from slipping into old habits. If you’re not wearing your orthotics daily, your feet can fall back into overpronation, and you could end up back where you started from---in really bad pain. Do you really want a recurrence of plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis?

2. Prevent Your Foot Conditions From Getting Worse

Orthotics can prevent certain foot conditions like posterior tibial tendonitis, and bunions from getting worse.

3. Prevent Pain in Other Part of Your Body

Keep in mind it’s not just your feet that are affected by poor foot mechanics, it’s also your hips, knees, and low back.

We understand how much time it can take to switch your orthotics between different pairs of shoes. On top of that some of you have shoes that are too narrow to accommodate your current orthotics, like those dress shoes you wear.

If this sounds like you, it’s probably time to invest in a 2nd pair or maybe even a 3rd pair of orthotics. Our office is happy to check with our insurance company to see if they’ll cover it. Even if you do have to pay out of pocket, our office provides a large discount on extra pairs of orthotics as long as you get them within three years. After that time we’ll need to reevaluate your feet to make sure that your orthotics are still working for you.

So don’t skimp on your foot health. Get a 2nd pair of orthotics today!

Dr. Rion Berg
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A podiatrist in North Seattle treating families for over 40 years.
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