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Ski Orthotics and Snowboard Orthotics
Skiers and snowboarders can experience better comfort and
performance by using a prescription ski orthotic. If you experience pain
from your ski boots or are looking for better performance while on the
snow, make an appointment to see us at the Foot and Ankle Center of
Washington. As experts in foot orthotics and avid skiers, we have
special interest in helping skiers and snowboarders. (for the purpose of
this article we will refer to both ski and snowboard orthotics as “ski
orthotics”.)
The Problems
Ski orthotics can address many problems that skiers experience on the
slopes including:
- Ski Boot Foot Pain and “Hot Spots”: If your ski boots are
"killing" your feet and don't fit right, the problem is likely
caused by how your foot is moving inside your boot. The inside of
your ankle bones are a common area of pain, but “hot spots” can
occur anywhere. By supporting your foot with a proper ski orthotic,
we can prevent your foot from hitting the side of your boot.
- Cramping Feet and Achy Feet: Foot cramps often occur when the
muscles on the bottom of the foot have to work too much to maintain
control of your skis. Supporting your foot with the proper custom
orthotic can reduce the work the muscles are doing and relieve cramping
- Cold Feet: Cold feet often occur when you have to tighten
your ski boots so much to get some control that your circulation is
cut off. By using custom ski orthoitcs to support the foot, you will
not need to over-tighten your boots
- Lack of Improvement: An unstable foot can make it difficult
for a skier or snowboarder to maintain an edge. By providing proper foot
alingnment with custom ski orthotics, we can help you maintain an edge –
making turning easier and helping you to improve.
To be evaluated for custom
prescription ski orthotics, make an appointment today to see us in our
Seattle office. Be sure to bring your ski boots.
Our
Recommended Prefabricated Ski Orthotics
Detailed Information on Ski Orthotics
The forces on your feet are enormous when you make turn a ski turn.
These forces cause the foot to flatten, the ankle bones to lower and the
leg to rotate toward the other leg (this motion is known as excessive
pronation). These motions lead to the problems listed above.
Prescription ski boot orthotics, in combination with proper boot
fitting, can correct these problems. Prescription orthotics are medical
devices, made by a physician, that act to correct abnormal alignment of
the foot, ankle, lower leg, and knee. Ski boot orthotics are very
different then a standard orthotic, so don't put orthotics made for
walking or running in your ski boots.
Ski boot orthotics can relieve foot pain that ruins your winter
vacation, and replace it with comfort, warmth, and better performance.
Without proper support of the feet, most skier's feet tend to collapse
to some extent. A properly molded and fitted custom insole improves bone
alignment, relieving the ankle's tendency to rub against the inside of
the boot during edging and carving. They also help maintain proper knee
alignment resulting in a greater ability to maintain good edge-hold on
hard packed snow.
How do ski orthotics differ from standard orthotics?
Skiing and snowboarding are unusual sports in that in order to best turn
the ski, your feet must be extremely stable. A stable foot allows you to
transmit force to the ski rapidly and efficiently. Thus, you turn with
less effort. This makes skiing easier, more fun and less tiring.
The Ski Orthotic is designed to offer maximum stability of the foot
based on the specific actions of the foot during skiing and
snowboarding. It is a full-length orthotic made of very thin, but
high impact materials. We include an extension under the
ball-of-the-foot and the toes that improves sensory feedback so that
the skier has a better “feel” for the ski. In addition, the ski
orthotic is desgned to improve the efficiency of the lower leg
forces on the inside edge of the downhill ski for increased
stability and sharper turning. The Ski Orthotic helps to create a a
flawless consistent interface between the bottom surface of the foot
to the ski boot and the ski, allowing intimate contact with the snow
and minimal effort.
Ski Orthotics Help Most skiers:
If a skier does not use a Ski Orthotic, their foot is fit into a
generic padded boot shape. This frequently results in “hot spots”
along the inside of the foot -especially the ankle bones. For skiers
with flat feet, the bones are even more prominent and the pain can
be disabling.
Using a ski orthotic reduces painful “hot spots” by approximately
75%. In addition to preventing the foot from pressing into the boot,
comfort is further enhanced because the ski boot does not have to be
severely tightened in order to maintain edge control. Most skiers
report increased balance and edge control along with substantial
comfort improvements.
Your Appointment:
Be sure to bring your ski boots with you when you come to our
Seattle clinic for evaluation for ski orthotics. If you already own
the ski boots you want to use, it will be necessary to send your
ski boot bladders to the orthotic lab for production of the ski
orthotics. It usually takes 2 – 3 weeks for the completed
orthoses to arrive in the office. For an additional fee, the
orthotic lab can rush the orthotics and your boot bladder back to us
in under a week. In addition there is an additional minimal shipping
charge to ship the bladders to the orthotic lab and back.
If you are in the market to purchase new ski boots, we can make the
orthotics before or after you get your boots.
Make your appointment today to be
evaluated for ski boot orthotics at the Foot & Ankle Center of
Washington.
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All pages on this website © 2005-2010
Douglas Hale, DPM & Lawrence Huppin, DPM
Foot and Ankle Center of Washington, Seattle
The material provided on this web site is for informative purposes only.
If you need specific medical advice, please contact the office for an appointment.
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