EP #4: Beneath Every Step: Understanding Orthotics

Ever wondered what orthotics are and how they play a crucial role in foot care? Let's demystify this fascinating world together! Join us as we, your hosts Dr. Lauren Dabakaroff and Jeremy Wolf, share a riveting discussion on how orthotics are not just a piece of plastic for your arch but are custom-built to correct your foot, ankle, and leg alignment. Just like prescription glasses fine-tune your vision, custom orthotics ensure you walk better, pain-free, and prevent future injuries.

As we dive further, we uncover the significant differences between custom orthotics and pre-fabricated inserts. The former, as Dr. Dabakaroff explains, is designed to cater to specific foot problems, while the latter offers a less precise but readily available solution. Discover as we journey through Jeremy's recent running expedition and discuss how the right shoes, the correct orthotic device, and regular exercise contribute to maintaining foot health. Listen in as Dr. Dabakaroff shares invaluable tips to help you decide if custom orthotics are for you or if over-the-counter inserts will suffice. After all, it's about time to get back on your feet!

To learn more, visit: LMDpodiatry.com or contact [phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the LMD podiatry podcast.
Trust us to get back on yourfeet.
Here's your host, Dr LaurenDevakarov.

Jeremy (00:15):
Hello, hello everyone, and welcome to episode number
four of the LMD podiatry podcast.
I'm your cohost, Jeremy Wolff,and I'm joined by your host, Dr
Lauren Devakarov.

Dr. Lauren (00:28):
Hey, hey.

Jeremy (00:30):
Good to see you again.
Always a pleasure.

Dr. Lauren (00:32):
Yes, definitely.
I'm excited for this Thursdayin the middle of October.
It's finally cooling down.

Jeremy (00:43):
Indeed, it is.
So I know we've been talking,we've been having this common
theme in discussions aboutrunning, running and shoes and
all that, and actually I'vecaught the bug when it comes to
running.
I ran 6.2 miles the other dayso I've been like I'm doing some
5Ks, so, oh, you are destroyingyour feet, oh, okay.

(01:07):
Well, I don't know, I tend tohave an addictive personality
and at least I'm applying it tosomething relatively healthy for
me overall.
But yeah, so what I wanted totalk about today because I have
flat feet and I don't haveorthotics right now, and since I
am running a lot more, Ithought I'd be sure a little bit

(01:28):
about orthotics and their rolein foot care and things like
that.
Yeah, so can you start bytalking a little bit about that,
the role of orthotics in footcare?

Dr. Lauren (01:37):
Oh yeah.
So what is an orthotic?
Okay, everybody doesn't knowwhat that word actually means.
An orthotic is essentially aninsert that you put in your shoe
, and what it does is itcorrects your foot.
A lot of people just think, oh,it's just a you know piece of
plastic that goes in your arch.

(01:59):
No, it think you got to thinkof it as a perspective.
Like it's prescription glasses.
Just like you get prescriptionglasses for your eyes adjust
your eyesight so you can seebetter, a custom orthotic
adjusts the way you walk so youcan walk better and more
corrected and pain free.
So just to give an example,like a lot of shoes today,

(02:21):
they're made for foot size andnot for foot type.
So you know, at some point theywear out.
They're not actually.
They're giving you some shockabsorption but they're not
actually correcting your foot.
And that's what an orthoticdoes.
It aligns your foot with yourankle and your leg and when you

(02:43):
do that, it redistributes thepressure more evenly in your
foot so you don't create furtherharm or injury future injuries
to different parts of your feet.

Jeremy (02:53):
And is it safe to say that if you wear orthotics
consistently for a long enoughtime, it can I don't want to say
cure, but it can re realign thefoot such that you wouldn't
need orthotics in the future?
Or is it something that youalways have to maintain?

Dr. Lauren (03:11):
So it also like, sometimes people have like
different deformities of theirfeet, like a bunion or a flat
foot or a high arch foot, andthen as we age those things can
get worse, as you know you're.
You know, as you add more mileson your feet, the more you age.

(03:32):
And basically, what theorthotic will do, it'll prevent
the wear and tear, the naturalwear and tear of a regular foot,
for example.
So it does prevent that Okay.

Jeremy (03:48):
now, when I was buying my running shoes, they tried to
sell me a custom insert whichI'm assuming is kind of like an
over the counter orthotic, ifyou will.

Dr. Lauren (03:57):
Custom, that is called a pre-fabricated insert,
which also goes by foot size andnot by foot type.

Jeremy (04:06):
Okay, so what are some of the primary differences
between, say, a custom orthoticand then something like they
were trying to sell me at thatCause?
It seemed all good and well, Inever get me the shoes I put it
in, but again it's notcustomized to my feet, so how
effective could it really be?

Dr. Lauren (04:24):
I mean it does help.
I sell pre-fabricated orthoticsas well.
It's just because a customorthotic you have to get
properly casted and fitted andthen you have to send it to the
orthotic lab and then they makeit based on your specifications
and I customize it to thepatient's foot problem.
Prefabs they're great, just youknow, cause they are readily

(04:48):
available.
They're not bad for you.
But if you have a very specificfoot issue it's not going to
fix it unless you customize theinsert or orthotic.
And that's kind of thelimitation of those things that
they try to sell you in thestore.

Jeremy (05:08):
You know I would have thought that, having been
running frequently now with theflat feet that I have, that I'd
have more pain and discomfortand problems in my legs.
But I gotta say the more I doof this, the better it seems to
get in terms of, like, myendurance.
What do you mean?
What's that?
What do you mean?
What's?
getting I'm not, I guess, maybebecause I got better shoes.

(05:31):
But I mean, I'm not having anypain in my feet Like, if
anything I'm getting, it'sgetting stronger and I feel like
I'm getting better.
I guess that's part of theperks of exercising frequently,
right, you tend to improve.

Dr. Lauren (05:43):
Oh yeah, 100% yeah.
So a lot of times when you runyou strengthen a lot of the
different muscles and tendons ofyour foot and that helps you.
That actually helps withbalance and alignment and things
like that.
Being active is very important,but at the same time, you
should still use the right shoewith the right orthotic device

(06:05):
to protect your foot.

Jeremy (06:09):
So what are some enclosing?
What are some tips that you cangive to listeners to choose the
right orthotics or to knowwhether or not they should just
be getting some kind of over thecounter insert or if they
should actually go to apodiatrist to get their foot?

Dr. Lauren (06:25):
But if you have this is my tip is if you have just
like a general foot pain andyou're young, you could
definitely get one of those overthe counter things either in my
office or at the runner's store.
But if you have pressure pointsin your foot meaning if someone

(06:48):
has like calluses on the ballof their foot or you have like a
bunion or you're really, reallyflat you're probably better off
going with a custom orthotic,just because those deformities
can be accommodated, meaning wecan redistribute the pressure

(07:11):
more evenly with the customorthotic, whereas you can't do
that with a prefab.
But if you're young and youhave a normal foot, you could
get those things at the store.
I'm not against the call.

Jeremy (07:23):
All right, very, very well.

Dr. Lauren (07:24):
I'm gonna get checked in if you do have pain
just to make sure it's nothingelse, because you could always
get injuries.
You can have a stress fracture,you could have a sprain and
some type of inflamed tendontendonitis.
So you always wanna make surethat that's not the case.
But again, wearing the rightshoes with the right inserts and

(07:46):
then stretching before andafter your workout is all very,
very important to preventinginjury.
Very, very good.

Jeremy (07:55):
As always.
Any listeners have any furtherquestions, reach out to Dr D.
She's there to help you.
So thanks everyone forlistening and we will catch you
on the next episode of the LMDPediatry Podcast.
Everyone, take care.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Thank you for listening to the LMD Pediatry
Podcast.
For more information, visitLMDpediatrycom.
That's L-M-D-P-O-D-I-A-T-R-Ycom.
Call 954-680-7133.