Biomechanics and EDSER Custom Orthotics

Biomechanical Evaluation

A biomechanical evaluation is an in depth analysis of how a person walks. Our specialist podiatrists examine hip, knee, ankle and foot function along with posture (evaluating spine and shoulders during gait). They also evaluate muscle strength/weakness/tightness or hyper mobility. This is a static and dynamic evaluation. They assess any imbalances including shoe wear patterns. We understand that your feet are the shock absorbers for the thousands of steps you take each day. The force exerted with each step is felt throughout the joints that bear weight in your body (ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, back and neck) when your feet are not balanced, this imbalance allows considerable forces to be transmitted through the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body. This instability leads to pain, fatigue, increased chance of injury, increased wear and tear in the joints and decreased performance in sports and daily life.
The fitter feet clinic has sought the best custom made orthotic technology available, in an exclusive partnership with one of the worlds best orthotic labs - Edser Labs in Barcelona.
Edser Labs have over 30 years experience in clinical and orthotic technology and these orthotics are now available right here in Northern Ireland exclusively at the Fitter feet clinic.

Biomechanics FAQ

I have orthotics as my feet are very flat, but they are uncomfortable. What should I do?
There are many types of orthotics and it is important that you get the orthotic that is right for you. In much the same way as prescription glasses rebalance our eyes to help us see better, prescription orthotics rebalance our feet to help us walk better. It is crucial to have a thorough biomechanical examination where the podiatrist examines hips, knees, ankles, and all joints within the feet and also evaluates your walking and shoe wear patterns on your shoes. Only when all of this is done by a specialist MSK podiatrist (this is a podiatrist specialising in muscles, bones, joints, tendons and ligaments used for locomotion) should a prescription orthotic be ordered.

What is the difference in a shop bought orthotic and prescription orthotic?
Shops cannot sell prescription orthotics without having a HCPC registered podiatrist evaluate the patient so usually shops or mail order companies sell insoles or neutrally posted orthotics. These will not be as effective as a prescription orthotic made especially for you. Any imbalance in your feet is unique to you so any orthotic to correct it should also be unique to you.

Are all prescription orthotics the same?
No, for a good custom made orthotic your podiatrist must capture an image of your foot to send to the orthotics lab, some older methods of image capture such as foam box impressions are unreliable. We use a unique laser light scanner to capture an exact image of your foot in its optimum weight bearing position (sub talar neutral) and use one of the world’s best labs to manufacture your orthotics. We believe our orthotics are the best, most technologically advanced orthotics available and in addition are competitively priced.

My 3 year old is always tripping and falling is there anything I can do to stop this? 
Often a child who falls frequently has an underlying problem with their walking. A specialist podapaediatric podiatrist will carry out a full evaluation of their walking and prescribe appropriate orthotics and exercises to realign sand strengthen a normal gait pattern. At the Fitter Feet clinic we have a highly specialised level of expertise in podapaediatrics.
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