Foot pain is often misdiagnosed because of the complexity of the foot itself. The foot and ankle combined contain 26 bones – one quarter of the bones in the human body – with over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments working in conjunction.
These parts work together to support, balance and make the body mobile. A malfunction in any one part can create problems elsewhere in the body, such as the back, hip or knee.
Very often the pain can be globalised over the foot, therefore it can be difficult to pin down exactly what the problem is and that’s where we come in.
We look at the areas of the foot closely during a biomechanical assessment and 3D foot scan, and take the time to find a more specific diagnosis. If we diagnose a biomechanical foot problem, bespoke insoles represent a non-invasive approach to treatment.
At our Kingston clinic we offer an express orthotic insole service which takes two hours from initial assessment to manufacture and fitting.
We are open late on Thursday evenings until 19:00 to accommodate people who would like our express service outside normal working hours.
If time is of the essence, we can help. When making your appointment please specify that you want our Express Service 020 8974 9989.
We have the following facilities and amenities at our Kingston Upon Thames location:
We also have the Gait Laboratory for orthotics patients and Onsite Manufacturing for speedy turnarounds and adjustments whilst you wait.
An insole is a contoured orthotic device which alters the characteristics and biomechanics of the foot and ankle area. Biomechanics are concerned with mechanical laws and how they affect the living body, especially the musculoskeletal system.
They are removable devices, often made from plastic, that are designed to fit inside a shoe to provide additional support for your feet. As well as offering shock absorption, an insole can help distribute the weight of your body more effectively across the foot and can be made bespoke to cover a range of biomechanical conditions.
If you have symptoms in your feet, ankles, hips or your lower back that are intermittent or were not there to start with in early life, and have started to cause you pain over a period of time, bespoke orthotic insoles could be an excellent option.
If you have already tried rest, icing, compression and elevation and your feet have not recovered, we recommend a biomechanical assessment to consider the possibility of insoles. They are a non-invasive approach to treatment and in many cases, are a great option for symptoms that are not severe enough to warrant surgical intervention. Alternatively, they can be considered as an option prior to surgery.
We will send patients away when an insole is not appropriate, if a patient is suffering with iliotibial band syndrome for example, the problem can be helped with physiotherapy and a stretching programme. That’s what our biomechanical assessment is all about; determining whether there would be any benefit from altering the alignment of your feet.
Clothing worn is dependent on which clinic you are attending. You will be sent a letter detailing what clothing to wear along with all other details prior to any appointment at the clinic.
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