Trouble Shooting Tips

Sometimes the practitioner will have to make unexpected adjustments to the orthotic. This may be based upon the foot type, activity or footwear used by the patient. If required we offer these tips to orthotic fitting issues you may encounter.

 
Arch Irritation or blistering

Sometimes the arch region of an orthotic can cause an irritation. This is simple to remedy. Mark the region of the underside of the orthotic that correlates to the irritated region of the foot. Apply a concave grind into this area with a grinder. Repeat this until the patient feels even pressure throughout the arch and that this hot spot is offloaded. Another option to eliminate arch irritation is to add more cushioning to the top of the orthotic. The use of OrthoLite, neoprene or even Spenco topcovers means that control is not forfeited as would occur if grinding down the device.

 

 
underbevelForefoot fit

When trimming the forefoot of the orthotic to fit in a shoe it is important to only trim the "lateral and or front edge" of the orthotic itself. you should not have to trim the medial forefoot at all. Try tapering the distal edge around the forefoot if you struggle fitting the orthotic right into the end of the toebox. This is simple to perform using a grinder. If in doubt about the fit try this grind first before trimming the length as this simple peripheral grind may solve the problem.
 


reducing heel height 2
Heel slippage

If a lower heel position is required due to heel slippage then you can simply reduce the thickness of the orthotic at the heel. There is approximately 3-4mm thickness of base foam on all of our models so there is good scope in reducing the thickness in this area. When reducing the thickness of a multi density orthotic model, the grind can almost be placed through the base foam layer if needed. Another tip is to consider also incorporating intrinsic posting when grinding by simply holding the orthotic on a slight angle when  grinding more medially or laterally.

 

Overall thickness reduction

It is simple to reduce the thickness of our range if you require a better fit in the shoe. This will however require a grinder to do so. Apply even pressure through the orthotic while drawing the orthotic upward when grinding. You can safely remove 1-2mm in overall thickness to achieve that perfect shoe fit if required. Our slimmest full length models are 3.5mm thick at the forefoot which is generally ample for most footwear  you will encounter. The BioMedical Ezi-Fit 3/4 length models are our lowest volume orthotic and advised for more difficult or challenging dress shoes.


Re-moulding

Reheating the Footbionic is often worthwhile if a patient struggles to get used to the feel of support in their shoe. This is rare however given the ultracomfortable Footbionics design. Place the Footbionic in the shoes and using a gentle heat source apply gentle heat as per our fitting instructions. Heat for 2-3 minutes or until the foam becomes softer to the touch. Have the patient weightbear immediately and remain weightbearing as the foam cools. Do not use excessive heat as this will distort or damage the product.