Custom orthotics are shoe inserts made from a cast or scan of your own feet. At CARESPACE they are assessed, fitted and dispensed by Chiropractors and Physiotherapists, at locations in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. The first visit, a 30-minute gait analysis and fitting, is no charge. No referral is needed.
The basics
What custom orthotics involve
Insoles from a store are made for an average foot. A custom orthotic is built for yours, from an assessment and a cast or scan. Your practitioner looks at how you stand and walk, where your shoes wear, and how your ankles, knees and hips move together, then decides whether an orthotic is likely to help. Orthotics can be made for runners, dress shoes, work boots or sport footwear.
If you go ahead, your practitioner sends the specifications to the lab. When the orthotics come back you have a fitting visit to check them in your shoes and get a break-in schedule. Orthotics are usually one part of a plan that also includes exercise or treatment for the sore area.
Who they suit
What people ask about them for
- Plantar fasciitis and heel fat pad syndrome
- Forefoot pain, including metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma
- Posterior tibial tendonitis and a flattening arch
- Shin splints, runner’s knee and Achilles tendinopathy
- Long days on your feet in work boots
What the research says depends on the problem. For plantar fasciitis, the guideline behind our page says orthotics should not be used alone and may be combined with other treatment. For shin splints they are not proven, and the one trial of orthotic wedges for Morton’s neuroma found no clear effect. Each page linked above sets out the evidence and its sources, so read the one that matches your problem. Your practitioner will tell you if an orthotic is not likely to help.
At CARESPACE
Who provides them
Orthotics are provided by Chiropractors and Physiotherapists. Not every practitioner does them, so the list below shows who does. Whoever fits your orthotics can also treat the foot, knee or hip problem they are meant to help, and can bring in a Registered Massage Therapist or Kinesiologist for tight calves or strength work. Everyone works from the same plan.
Practitioners who provide custom orthotics
These practitioners have told us they provide custom orthotics. Sort by next availability or by the location closest to you.
Chiropractors
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Available this week
Danial Dimitri, BSc (Hons), DC
Chiropractor, District Manager
You do not need to keep building your life around jaw tension, headaches, back pain, or a body that no longer feels like it moves the way it…
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Shannon Webster, BA (Hons), DC
Chiropractor, Clinic Director
You should not have to keep organizing your life around pain when Dr.
No availability About Shannon Physiotherapists
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Available this week
Nitin Nair, BPT, R/TRO DIP, PT
Physiotherapist
When pain keeps returning, recovery feels slower than it should, or movement no longer feels reliable, you need a physiotherapist who can give you a clear path forward.
Your first visit
What to expect
Your first visit is a 30-minute gait analysis and orthotics fitting, and there is no charge for that appointment. Your practitioner asks about your symptoms, examines your feet and watches you walk, then tells you whether an orthotic makes sense or whether something else should come first. If you go ahead, the cast or scan is taken and the order goes to the lab. You return for a fitting when the orthotics arrive, and for a check once you have been wearing them.
Good to know
Questions about custom orthotics
Do I need a referral, and will my insurance reimburse custom orthotics?
No referral is needed to book. Many extended health plans do ask for a prescription from a physician or another named practitioner before they reimburse orthotics, and some say who may dispense them and what paperwork they need. CARESPACE does not bill insurance directly. You pay and receive a detailed receipt and supporting paperwork, so check what your plan requires before the cast or scan is taken.
Should I see a Chiropractor or a Physiotherapist?
Either. If you are already seeing one of them for the problem, start there. If your plan reimburses orthotics only when a particular profession dispenses them, book with that profession. If you are not sure, call 519-208-2273 and our Central Reception Team will help you choose.
How many visits are involved?
Usually an assessment with the cast or scan, a fitting when the orthotics arrive, and at least one check after that. Any other visits depend on the problem you are treating alongside the orthotics.
What is the difference between custom orthotics and insoles from a store?
Store insoles are made for an average foot and give general cushioning or arch support. Custom orthotics are made from a cast or scan of your feet, to a prescription from the practitioner who assessed you. For mild discomfort a store insole may be enough, and your practitioner will tell you which they think you need.
How long does it take to get used to orthotics?
You wear them in gradually. Your practitioner gives you a break-in schedule that starts with short periods and builds up. Noticing your arches more at first is normal. Sharp pain or blisters are not, and mean the orthotics need adjusting, so book a check.
Can orthotics help with knee, hip or back pain?
It depends on what is causing the pain. If the assessment suggests the way your foot loads is part of it, an orthotic may be one part of the plan, alongside treatment and exercise for the sore area. If your feet are not part of the problem, your practitioner will say so.
Ready to book?
Book online, or call 519-208-2273 and our Central Reception Team will match you with a practitioner who provides custom orthotics at the location closest to you.