Custom-Made Orthotics: Are they Worth the Price? Ask a Concord NC Foot Doctor

If you are struggling with foot pain, ankle pain, leg pain, or knee pain, your podiatrist might have recommended custom orthotics, which can correct your stride and bring you some relief. While custom orthotics can help relieve many conditions, though, they are also very expensive, and are rarely covered by insurance. In today’s post, we’ll discuss why custom orthotics might be worth their high cost, and the benefits you might receive if you decide to go this route.

Drugstore shoe inserts: One size does not fit all

You have doubtlessly seen over-the-counter orthotic options such as Dr. Scholl’s inserts at your local shoe store or drugstore. While over-the-counter inserts can help to alleviate some mild issues, they are generally not as effective at correcting severe or unique problems. Your age, weight, activity level, and health conditions all influence the type of stress you place on your feet, and drugstore inserts do not accommodate these individual differences. Simply put, over-the-counter inserts are offering a generic solution to a problem that is anything but. More often than not, non-custom orthotics either make the problems you’re experiencing worse, or provide no relief at all.

Why Custom Orthotics Provide Better Pain Relief

When a patient is assessed for custom orthotics, the feet are digitally scanned, and the orthotic is built to accommodate any individual traits. It is actually quite normal for one foot to be wider, smaller, or flatter than the other, and custom orthotics accommodates this fact. although non-custom orthotics may be less expensive, they are not offering as much relief, since both insoles in a package will be exactly the same.

Store-Bought Inserts: Penny-Wise and Pound-Foolish

Have you ever heard of this expression? It refers to those who pinch pennies on small things, and thereby lose a lot in the long run. For example, if you choose store-bought inserts over custom orthotics, you might be saving a few hundred dollars in the here-and-now. But if the foot, leg, or ankle pain you are experiencing is the result of damage to the body, and that damage is not corrected or prevented, you may eventually suffer an extremely painful condition that is expensive to fix surgically—if it can be fixed at all.

Get Quality Foot and Ankle Care in Concord, NC 

The importance of fixing your foot and ankle problems as effectively as possible cannot be underestimated. You can probably live without a nice car, new furniture, and many other things, but you can’t live a happy and healthy life if your feet are causing you constant pain. That’s why we recommend heading into Ryan Foot and Ankle to discuss the health of your feet, knees, and legs. Our Concord NC podiatrist will help you feeling as good as possible.