Orthotics for Achilles Health and Rehab





On my never-ending journey rehabilitating my Achilles’ one of the most obvious and often unmentioned aids is the orthotic or the “shoe insert”. A quick adjustment to the way your foot behaves when you walk can be a simple fix towards positive achilles health. I have been on both sides of the shoe insert spectrum from heel lifts to expensive custom made orthotics. Each option helps and can be a great tool to relieve stress from the area.
The function of these aids is to let your tendon relax a bit during your day-to-day life. To get a pair of custom orthotics you have to do some tests (usually with a doctor) where your foot is mapped by computer programs that detect how your feet distribute weight when you walk/stand. The way that your foot is structured is recorded and sent off to a company that creates a unique insert for each foot. The orthotic repositions your foot correctly and should help not only the Achilles but also many other problems that come from foot related issues. Orthotics can be expensive (I’ve seen upwards of $700 before.) but are worth it for those in need. Dr.Scholls inserts and others like it are a good alternative and are much more affordable. With anything don’t place all of your eggs in one basket because you never know just how effective an option will be for you, but the foot-insert is definitely worth a try! Heel lifts, arch inserts, and all of the like can be a simple fix to a painful problem. Hope it helps!