Accommodative Foot Orthoses
Accommodative foot orthoses are used to cushion, pad or relieve pressure from a painful or injured area on the bottom of the foot. They may also be designed to try to control the abnormal function of the foot. Accommodative orthoses may be made of a wide range of materials such as cork, leather, plastic foams, and rubber materials.
They are generally more flexible and soft than functional foot orthoses. Accommodative orthoses are fabricated from a three dimensional model of the foot which may be made by taking a plaster mold of the foot, stepping into a box of compressible foam, or scanning the foot with a mechanical or optical scanner.
ADVANTAGES
Accommodative orthoses are useful in the treatment of painful callouses of the foot, diabetic foot ulcerations, sore bones on the bottom of the foot and other types of foot pathology. The advantages of accommodative orthoses are that they are relatively soft and forgiving and are generally easy to adjust in shape after they are dispensed to the patient to improve comfort.
Functional Foot Orthoses
Functional foot orthoses are useful in the treatment of a very wide range of painful conditions of the foot and lower extremities. Big toe joint and lesser toe joint, arch and instep pain, ankle pain, and heel pain are commonly treated with functional foot orthoses.
Since abnormal foot function causes leg, knee and hip function, then functional foot orthoses are commonly also used to treat painful tendinitis and bursitis conditions in the ankle, knee, and hip, in addition to shin splints in the legs.
ADVANTAGES
The advantages of functional foot orthoses are that they are relatively durable, infrequently require adjustments and more likely to fit into standard shoes.
