Orthotics is a specialist medical discipline that focuses on the prescription, design and fitting of orthoses. The definition of orthosis is “an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal system” (ISO September 2020).
Orthotics are braces or splints which are designed to help patients with a variety of different medical conditions to better manage day-to-day living and reduce pain. You may be familiar with foot orthotics or custom-made insoles, but orthotics can also cover different areas of the body. These orthotics are simply named after the joints of the body that they are treating, thus a device that covers the foot and ankle is called an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) and one that also includes the knee is called a Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis (KAFO).
LOC specialises in providing bespoke orthotics for its adult and paediatric patients, this means that they are custom made for each individual. And this is very important as ill-fitting orthotics will cause more problems than they will solve. We spend a lot of time ensuring our patients are comfortable in their orthotics, after all, they will be wearing them almost all the time.
See our bespoke orthotics page for the full range of orthotics LOC offers. Alternatively, continue below for an overview of our orthotic treatment.
LOC has unrivalled experience in treating children who present with complex and sometimes rare conditions.
Our bespoke orthotics are designed to enhance function and mobility while reducing pain.
Children develop their motor patterns and gait characteristics from an early age and it is vital to aid that development with correctly prescribed and well-designed orthotics.
Since 2005 LOC has built up a considerable reputation in the field of adult rehabilitation.
We have considerable expertise and experience in treating many different types of adult neurological and orthopaedic conditions.
It is important for our clinicians to understand your goals and expectations so we take time at the original assessment to discuss these in detail.
We have pioneered OSKAR, which stands for Optimal Segmental Kinematics and Alignment Approach to Rehabilitation.
It is an approach to Rehabilitation within a specialised clinic that treats children with lower limb neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy & spina bifida.
It was developed by world-renowned physiotherapist Elaine Owen, who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for her services to children with disability.
Cerebral Palsy is the term used to describe a group of conditions that affect the movement of muscles and the posture of the body.
Hypermobility is the term used to describe the ability to move joints beyond the normal range of movement.
Pes Planovalgus (flat feet) is the loss of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot.
Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR): LOC has developed a reputation in the SDR community for its treatment and management of patients who have undergone this ground-breaking surgery.
Sever's Disease is a condition that affects adolescents during their growth spurt in puberty. It is a painful inflammation of the growth plate in the heel bone.
Spina Bifida is a birth defect of the neural tube, which is what eventually develops to form the spine and nervous system.
Transverse Myelitis is a rare neurological disorder, with around 300 new cases of the disease recorded in the UK every year.
LOC is committed to providing its patients with the most up-to-date orthoses available; we are always assessing new and innovative products like carbon fibre & neuro swing technology for our bespoke orthotics, braces and foot orthotics.
We have our own in-house gait lab for analysis and fine tuning of our AFOs.
The Neuro Swing AFO has a unilateral ankle joint that is designed to be held within a carbon fibre construction. The joint has two springs, posterior and anterior. The springs can be altered in three ways. Resistance in the springs can be reduced or increased and range of movement can be altered as can the alignment of the ankle. The Neuro Swing system from Fior & Gentz enables us to return the patient’s gait pattern to one that is as near normal as possible.
LOC has considerable experience in treating a wide variety of sports injuries, whether caused by overuse of a specific body part or a traumatic incident. LOC’s bespoke orthotics aid the rehabilitation process and can treat individuals that have developed a specific condition by restoring normal movement and biomechanical function. LOC has its own video vector gait laboratory.
Victor the Robot, our new Computer Numerical Control milling machine, in action! Victor is noisy, but he’s transforming our ability to design and manufacture orthotic devices at our Kingston-upon-Thames clinic.
Manufactured by Rodin4D, Victor is capable of milling complex ergonomic shapes, meaning that we can now potentially assess a spinal orthotic patient, manufacture the orthosis and have it fitted, all in the space of a day. Victor can do everything we need to do for our patients, in-house and in the shortest time possible with no compromise on quality.
Luca was diagnosed with moderate to severe brachycephaly, a condition where the head is unusually wide and flat. Here, Mum Lauren tells us his story.
From debilitating challenges with foot drop to conquering mountains... New carbon-fibre Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) help this Charcot-Marie-Tooth patient climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Vacuum bell therapy and custom rib bracing helped to improve Charlie's pectus excavatum chest shape, reducing his sternum indentation from 40mm to 10mm.
Among 14 to 17-year-old cricket players, there is an increased risk of pars stress fracture, or spondylolysis, which can cause lower back pain and reduced mobility. These athletes are at high risk due to their still-developing bones, which struggle to cope with the repetitive stress of fast bowling.
Apprentice orthotist Catherine Hendy’s journey into the world of prosthetics and orthotics began in an unconventional way. After completing a degree in art, she then trained as an orthotics technician, before taking up an apprenticeship to become a clinician. Now, she’s been nominated for the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) Student of the Year 2024.
Amelia was diagnosed with tightness in her neck by her GP before her plagiocephaly diagnosis. Clinician Jo Drake treated her with a LOCband Lite cranial remoulding helmet, which improved her overall head shape and asymmetry.
What are lower limb orthotics, and how can they improve mobility and reduce pain? We've put together this summary of the different kinds of lower limb orthotics, from AFOs and KAFOs to more complex orthotics like RGOs, and how they can help patients with their mobility goals.
Barney's very severe flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly) and diagnosis of torticollis led to successful helmet therapy with the LOCband, significantly improving his head shape, going from 27mm asymmetry to 12mm.
