Advice Piece written by SEDSConnective Advisor Josh Oguntade
People often do not know what happens when or why you need an insole.
Very often, due to the laxity and hypermobility of the foot, we might need extra expert support even with very high arches or flat feet.
Insoles are widely prescribed by clinicians, to support the symptomatic hypermobile foot.
There are different types of insoles and process of making them.
Sometimes they are made to be bespoke to an individual, or made from general stock.
Your clinician will assess you initially and, based on the results of the assessment, will prescribe suitable insoles.
Stock insoles are usually fitted 'off the shelf' and most times, only your measurement of your shoe size is needed for this to be ordered.
If the clinic you attend have the insoles in stock, you will normally be fitted on the same day.
Bespoke insoles are normally made from a Plaster of Paris (POP) cast, scan or impressions of the patient’s foot.
An impression box is normally made of phenolic foam and is a quick and easy tool that enables the clinician to capture the contours of the patient’s foot.
The foam is fine and soft to prevent skin irritation.
Your clinician will either ask you to stand in it while controlling your foot position, or push your foot into it while you are seated.
The process can feel slightly strange the first time you experience this, but I hope this helps provide some reassurance.
The Insole Fitting Process:
For more advice or support on insoles, please contact Josh via SEDSConnective - general@sedsconnective.org