Can Custom Orthotics Improve Knee and Hip Alignment?
When your knees or hips start hurting, your feet might be the last thing you think about. But your feet play an important role in how your entire body moves.
Every step you take puts your feet, ankles, knees, and hips to work. If your feet are not moving or supporting you properly, that can affect the joints above them and contribute to discomfort. At Pro-Action Health and Performance, we assess the way your feet, legs, and body work together to determine whether custom orthotics could help.
How Your Feet Can Affect Your Knees and Hips
Your feet are the foundation of your movement. When your feet roll too far inward or outward as you walk or run, it can change how your knees and hips move. This is especially common for people who spend long hours on their feet, run regularly, play sports, or have repetitive movement patterns. The important thing to remember is that pain is not always coming from where you feel it. Sometimes, the problem starts lower down on the feet.
Over time, these movement patterns may contribute to problems such as:
- Knee pain
- Runner’s knee
- IT band pain
- Hip discomfort
- Lower back pain
What Are Custom Orthotics?
Custom orthotics are shoe inserts designed specifically for your feet and the way you move. Unlike store-bought inserts, which are made to fit a general foot shape, custom orthotics are based on an assessment of your foot structure, gait, and movement patterns. They can be particularly helpful if your job or lifestyle keeps you on your feet for much of the day.
Depending on your needs, they may help:
- Support your arches
- Improve foot alignment
- Distribute pressure more evenly
- Absorb impact
- Reduce stress on your knees and hips
- Improve comfort during walking, running, or standing
Do You Need Orthotics for Knee or Hip Pain?
Not necessarily. Orthotics are not the right solution for everyone, which is why an assessment is important. At Pro-Action, we look at the bigger picture rather than focusing only on where you feel pain. Your feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine all work together, so we assess how they are moving as a whole.
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This fits into our Test. Treat. Re-Test. approach. We assess your movement, provide appropriate treatment, and then re-test so you can see how your movement has changed. Depending on what we find, your treatment plan may include custom orthotics, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, or targeted exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can custom orthotics help knee pain?
They may help when knee pain is related to the way your feet and legs move. An assessment can determine whether orthotics are appropriate for you.
Can orthotics help with hip pain?
They can help some people when foot mechanics are contributing to changes in how the knee and hip move.
Are custom orthotics covered by insurance in Ontario?
Should I see a chiropractor before getting orthotics?
A chiropractic assessment can be a good place to start. Your chiropractor can look at your gait and overall movement to determine whether orthotics may be beneficial or whether another treatment approach would be more appropriate.
Don’t Just Treat the Pain- Find Out What’s Causing It
Ready to Book Your Appointment? Â The Pro-Action team in Kanata can assess your movement and help determine the right treatment approach for you.