Three Orthopedic Devices That Make Your Feet Healthier

Feet have it rough. They support your full body weight and take the main brunt of each step you take on hard and soft surfaces. As such, your poor feet are subject to all kinds of ailments. If you want to make your feet healthier and keep them healthy, the first step is to consult an orthopedist. The next step is to use one or all of the following devices to make/keep your feet healthy.

Circulation Support Socks

As you age, the blood vessels in your lower legs and feet fail to circulate the blood properly. As such, your feet become more susceptible to fungus and other unpleasant foot problems. If your doctor okays it (or prescribes it), you should buy and wear circulation support socks. These socks are specially designed to help the weakened blood vessels move more blood through your lower legs and feet, thus preventing the aforementioned issues.

Arch Supports

Muscle tone is lost in the bottoms of your feet over time. This could be due to losing and gaining a lot of weight several times, poor choices in footwear, wearing shoes past the point that they are supportive, etc. You will need arch supports at this point. Your doctor can make a custom set of arch supports just for your feet, which are far better for them than the store-bought supports. (If your arches have not fallen quite so much, then the store-bought supports are okay as they will slow the progression of fallen arches.)

Orthopedic Shoes

Orthopedic shoes are made just for you, taken from molds made of your feet in the doctor's office. The orthopedist determines where your feet need correction and support, takes a mold of your feet in plaster, sculpts the plaster by either sanding down certain areas or adding bits of clay or plaster to some areas, and then taking a mold of the mold to produce the arch pattern inside the shoes. If you have diabetes or are morbidly obese, you are more likely to receive a pair of these shoes and have their cost covered by your insurance.

Continuous Use Is Key

Unless your doctor prescribes any of the above for a set amount of time, continuous use of the above devices is key to the health of your feet. You may take a day off here and there to go barefoot, walk in the sand (which is actually very good for feet!), etc., but the rest of the time, your orthopedic devices must be worn. In cases where people have certain health conditions, the option to stop wearing these devices does not exist.

To learn more, contact a company like Northern Care Inc Prosthetics & Orthotics.

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