Is There An Alternative To Orthotics?

So, you’ve been told that you need foot orthotics and are now wondering if there could be an alternative? It’s a very fair question – and one that is answered as both yes and no. Here’s everything you should know about orthotic alternatives.

A footbed is not an alternative to orthotics

First thing’s first – while alternative treatments to orthotics definitely exist and you can definitely choose them (more on this below), we need to make it very clear that a pharmacy or supermarket one-type-fits-all footbed or insole is absolutely not an alternative to orthotics – because they’re very different products.

• Custom foot orthotics are highly specialised medical devices that are prescribed by an experienced, qualified podiatrist only after a comprehensive assessment of your feet and legs, other clinical testing, a diagnosis, and a consideration of a range of lifestyle and other factors. Orthotics are made from a 3D scan of your feet paired with a prescription from your podiatrist completes based on your assessment results. This means your orthotics are unique and customised for you which is essential to their success – every foot is different, and it should be treated that way to provide effective medical care. Think of them like prescription glasses.
• Footbeds or insoles are the generic moulds that typically come in different sizing options, and may even have different ‘conditions’ listed on the packet like heel pain, but at the end of the day, they’re just a generic shoe liner that makes a lot of assumptions about your feet without ever having known (or cared) about what your true problem, how it’s affecting your day-to-day life, and what your goals are. Needless to say, there’s also a reason why they’re so cheap too – they’re made from soft, cushioning materials that can give you some temporary comfort (before they quickly wear down), but don’t actually have the right materials and technology to make long-lasting changes to your foot health. When people come to us and tell us they’ve had orthotics in the past that haven’t worked for them, a few questions typically lead us to uncover that this is what they were referring to as “orthotics”, thanks to some clever marketing, as opposed to having the real thing.

So to summarise, while there are definitely alternative treatments to orthotics, these generic footbeds are not it – and aren’t even in the same class of product.

Alternative treatments are available, and you can absolutely choose them

Now, when we start referring to orthotic alternatives as different treatments, then the answer is a resounding yes! In our clinic, we offer a range of treatment options for certain conditions and injuries, ensuring to take the time to explain each one to you, how it works, and what you can expect. With this, you absolutely do not have to choose the orthotics route. Between foot mobilisation therapy, shockwave, strapping, footwear modifications, temporary padding and other options, we can come up with an alternative treatment plan to help you get the best results that these therapies will allow. It is always up to you which treatment path you go down, the role of our podiatrists is simply to advise you of all your options along with our recommendations based on our professional experience and clinical evidence. We’ll always be happy to come up with a non-orthotic route for you if this is your preference. 

When considering orthotics, you should weigh up the impact of future prevention too

While alternatives to orthotics are available and may be a very valid treatment pathway for you, it’s important to consider what the future looks like after your recovery, too. Specifically, how your risk of the injury or problem recurring is being managed.

With orthotics, one of their benefits is that by adjusting the way your foot sits and functions, you are often addressing many of the contributing factors for foot pain and injury, thereby preventing them from playing a role in the problem recurring – and for many, 6his is very successful. Other treatment avenues may have a greater focus on, in the case of an injury, repairing the damage – and you may be able to address some of the causative factors too, but leave the big biomechanical factors unchanged. This is an important talking point you should have with your podiatrist when considering if orthotics are right for you or not.