This is the start of a 7 part series that should be read in order.
If you are prescribing foot orthotic devices, two things have likely already occurred. You have developed a comfort level with 3-6 devices for different functions from the lab you use, and prescribe these often. In addition you have tried to make sense out of the 100’s of devices you have seen in your patients’ shoes that they received from previous providers. Some of these orthoses have worked well for the patients, others were a waste of money according to them. But, your brain goes to figuring out why something worked or did not work, and figuring out how it was made.
The following breakdown is one method of analyzing functional foot devices. At first glance, it can be overwhelming, but give it a try. You prescribe corrective orthotic devices because you want to correct something that is wrong. You want to Balance out their deformities, and in doing so will give them a steady platform to stand upon. You may want to help with their Pronation tendencies, or their Supination tendencies, or both (called Medial/Lateral Instability). You may want to provide them better Shock Absorption. You definitely want to enhance their ability to push off the ground in the Sagittal Plane.
Of course, it would not be fun unless you could combine these functions in various ways as our profession loves to do. Over the next 6 weeks, I will attempt to explain these types of devices for you. The goal, of course, is to open your mind to perhaps trying various ones on select patients. And, of course, patients present with various needs that may require combining types.
Corrective Orthotic Devices ↓
Balancing (B): (B1 and B2)
Pronators (P): B1P, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6
Supinators (S): B1S, S1, S2, S3 M/L
Instability (M): BML, ML1, ML2, ML3, ML4, ML5, and ML6
Shock Absorption (C): BC, C1/C2, C3/C4/C5, C6, and C7
Sagittal Plane (H): BH, H1, H2, and H3
Multiple Orthotic Devices from One Patient (that I just had to take a photo of)
