What are insoles and how do they work?

Insoles are in-shoe medical devices that are used to modify the large daily forces which your feet and lower legs experience from everyday activities such as walking and sporting activities.

Clinical research has shown that these forces are massive, which can drive pain and instability.

Insoles have been shown in clinical trials to be extremely  effective at changing the forces which are applied to the foot and leg. Reseach has also shown this can significantly improve patient symptoms.

Appropriately designed insoles are typically used to treat foot and ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain and back pain. They should be carefully tailored to the patient just like any other medical device. Simple insoles can be purchased online or in retail shops. However, they often lack key designs features to best manage the problematic area. This can often be confusing for some people to fully understand. A comparison is patient who has problems with their eye sight. Eye wear such as glasses and contact lenses  are available online or within retail outlets. These are helpful for some people but not all. Some people require a more tailored pair of glasses or contact lenses. Insoles are very much like this. Often careful consideration regarding the design of the insole is essential to optimize patient outcomes.

In addition to making vast improvements in symptoms such as pain, insoles have also been shown to be highly effective to improve walking, running & associated joint stability problems leading to a significant improvement in the patient’s quality of life.

Insoles are sometimes not required as part of a treatment plan as there may be a better evidence-based treatment available. This is something we can advise on during your consultation, free of charge.

For insoles or orthotics to be effective, success depends on a good biomechanical assessment followed by a clinician who understands the essential requirements from key materials to best design your insole or orthotic to maximise your outcomes.

The clinician should have the essential knowledge regarding specific clinical trials which best manage your condition. This is something we can offer with our expert clinicians here at Ortho-Heel.

Why choose this clinic?

Our main facility is based in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, just minutes outside Glasgow, we can offer a unique service where the expert clinician is also responsible for the full manufacture of your device.

Chris, our clinical director, has spent time with three of the worlds leading orthotic clinicians who also operate their world-renowned clinics in California & San Fransicso the same way as Ortho-Heel. Chris has incorporated their unique patient assessment skills and  unique manufacturing techniques into his routine orthotics practice.

Our clinic has its own onsite manufacturing facility, which allows us to make all of our insoles and orthotics. This means that the clinician who will conduct your biomechanical assessment will be fully responsible for seeing the full process through from start to finish. This is quite a unique approach but something that has worked well over the last 8 years. Having an onsite manufacturing facility allows us to make very fine adjustments while you are at your appointment.

Orthotic deigns ? What are they ? Why do we use them ? 

There are several evidence-based orthotic designs which are key to resolving many patient problems in an acceptable timescale.

Chris is the co-author of the directory of evidence base orthotic practice, which is a leading online resource regularly utilised in all clinical trials related to orthotics. This knowledge puts Chris at the forefront of orthotic practitioners when selecting these key orthotic designs required for a specific problem.

We typically have all orthotic devices 80% finished for your final fitting appointment and we make the final adjustments while you are in the clinic to enhance the effectiveness of your device. This final process takes around 1 hour while you are in clinic to ensure the device is truly optimised.

We also have an additional added benefit, should you require any adjustments following fitting, these can be easily carried out in our onsite manufacturing facility at any point. Importantly, we should highlight that any review appointments will be immediate. With no hidden extra charges.

Should you chose or require a custom made device, Chris has a unique casting technique along with a unique cast modification technique were he was trained by leading experts in the USA.

Custom made devices are not always indicated.Your options will be discussed fully at your appointment. 

Chris has also been taught how to critically analyse existing devices for weakness in design. This offers many users a unique opportunity to tap into Chris’s extensive knowledge regarding orthotic therapy and a second opinion service.

We offer 3 months of unlimited follow up appointments on any insole or orthotic design.

An express service is also available on request.