Ankle Joint & Foot Orthoses.
Relief and stability.
Your ankle joint connects your lower leg to your foot, meaning if you injure this joint or the tendons around it, it can not only be painful but will also severely restrict your mobility. Depending on your symptoms and diagnosis, you may need to wear a foot orthosis or a foot support temporarily as part of therapy. In other cases, you may need to wear it permanently to relieve strain or stabilise joints, tendons or ligaments, or to increase your mobility.
What is a foot orthosis?
Orthoses are medical devices, that are prescribed by a doctor or orthotist. There are three main types of orthoses for ankle joints and feet: for stabilisation, for mobilisation and to relieve strain. Orthoses that are specially designed to relieve strain, will often include functional elements such as joints that control, support and/or restrict movement. These orthoses are primarily prescribed as part of medical treatment. A foot orthosis can impact the entire musculoskeletal system, for example, it can help to relieve shoulder or back pain resulting from postures users assume to avoid discomfort.
What is a foot support?
The primary function of a foot support is to stabilise the joint without restricting its range of motion. For this reason, supports are often worn not only during therapy but also afterwards for everyday activities, where they protect the joints and prevent injury. Unlike ankle and foot orthoses, supports are made of flexible material. Ankle supports stabilise the joint and also exert compression on the area, they can also feature integrated pads on the inside and the outside.
When do I need an orthosis for my ankle joint?
Your doctor or orthotist may prescribe you a foot orthosis for a variety of reasons. If you’ve fractured your heel bone, for example, you may be prescribed a heel relief orthosis to support the healing process and enable you to gradually increase weight bearing during therapy. Orthoses have also been shown to provide relief for people who have ankylosis of the lower ankle joint as a result of arthritis. If you injure your ligaments as a result of a sporting injury, for example, multi-purpose orthoses can help.
When do I need a support for my ankle joint?
Irritation or swelling in the ankle joint, ligament instability, swelling or Achilles tendinitis can be painful and restrict natural movement patterns. A foot support can stabilise the joint and reduce swelling faster thanks to its compression effect. Supports are also sometimes used after treatment.
