Custom Made Foot Orthotics Reduce Foot and Ankle Pain and Increase Activity Level shown in survey, 91% of surveyed patients report reduction in pain after wearing custom made foot orthotics for 6 weeks. The recent survey reaffirms what Elio’s patients have been confirming for many years on the benefits of custom made orthotics fabricated on site at their on-site lab in Thorold for people across Niagara including St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland and surrounding areas.
A patient-centred study released by the Pedorthic Association of Canada (PAC) today, reveals custom made foot orthotics play a significant role in reducing patients’ pain and discomfort in their feet and ankles and enable them to increase their activity levels.
“As experts, Pedorthists see patients in their clinics everyday who benefit from orthotics. However, there is very limited scientific healthcare literature available on how patients feel about the role custom orthotics play in their treatment,” says Kevin Fraser, a Canadian Certified Pedorthist and president of the Pedorthic Association of Canada.
“PAC undertook this study to objectively measure the positive outcome we see in our clinics from treatment with custom orthotics. We are very pleased, but not surprised, by these findings as every day we see patients return to sports and favourite activities because of orthotics and other pedorthic treatment.”
Custom Made Foot Orthotics Reduce Foot and Ankle Pain and Increase Activity Level Shown in Survey
The study, Patient Outcome Measure Evaluation Strategy (POMES), reinforced the positive results Canadian Certified Pedorthists have been reporting from their clinics and clearly revealed that custom made foot orthotics help to reduce pain or discomfort in the foot and ankle and allow individuals to increase their activity levels. Of patients surveyed:
- 91% reported a reduction in pain after wearing their custom made foot orthotics for 6 weeks
- 90% reported they were able to walk very well while wearing their custom made foot orthotics
- 81% indicated their goals were met after six weeks of using their custom made foot orthotics
- 83% said they were very satisfied with how often they were wearing their custom foot orthotics
- 93% felt that the advantages of using custom made foot orthotics certainly outweighed the disadvantages
- 77% reported their custom foot orthotics were very comfortable
- 87% would recommend custom made foot orthotics to family, friends and colleagues
The POMES study, led by Tyler Amell, PhD, was a multi-centred, internet-based survey of patients’ perspectives on orthotics both pre-use and six weeks post-use.
Thirty Pedorthists and 217 patients from 23 pedorthic clinics across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia participated in the study over 12 months. All participants were between 18 and 65-years-old and presented with a musculoskeletal condition below the knee.
