Can Custom Orthotics Improve Athletic Performance?

As an athlete, you’re constantly looking for ways to improve your performance. You eat, drink, and sleep with specific goals: endurance, strength, and overall wellness. 

We understand athletes and their unique brand of diligence and drive at Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas in Fort Worth. Dr. Matthew W. Cerniglia, our double-board certified foot and ankle surgeon, offers athletes a personalized approach to lower-extremity care that’s sport-specific and performance-focused.

Chances are good that you’ll experience some form of ankle pain or foot problem during your athletic career, and when you do, you have an excellent resource in Dr. Cerniglia, one of the country’s leading specialists. But we can also help you avoid injuries and boost your performance with a simple device.

Here’s how custom orthotics can be your secret weapon and improve your game.

What is a custom orthotic?

Orthotics are devices that aid your mechanics and protect your joints. They can come in the form of braces that you wear externally to provide support during athletic activity or after an injury. Orthotics that slip into your shoes can address specific foot problems and improve your foot and ankle function. 

If shoe inserts bring to mind the off-the-shelf versions you’ve seen at your local drugstore, don’t be fooled. Those mass-produced items are mainly for comfort; they don’t provide the support you need as an athlete. 

At Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas, Dr. Cerniglia analyzes your gait, takes your sport and your position into account, and talks with you about how your foot and ankle mechanics come into play with every move you make. 

If he determines that custom orthotics can support your activity, he creates a 3-D mold of your foot and designs your orthotics to address the issues relevant to you, your body, and your sport. Here’s how custom orthotics can improve your performance.

Better alignment

Alignment problems in your feet and ankles throw your entire body off balance. For example, overpronation — when your ankle rolls inward too far, and your foot arch flattens — can lead to Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and knee, hip, and back pain.

Custom orthotics keep your feet and ankles aligned so you can play pain-free.

Better mechanics

By aligning your lower extremities, custom orthotics correct your body’s mechanics. Specifically, they improve the act of propulsion, allowing you to move your legs faster and maximizing efficiency.

Reduced fatigue

Whether running is your sport or simply part of your training, there’s a point in every session where you hit a wall. When fatigue sets in, your mechanics falter — and that’s when injuries happen. Your running form changes, adding stress to already fatigued muscles in your feet and legs. 

To prevent this phenomenon, Dr. Cerniglia creates orthotics that keep your muscles and joints working properly. This not only delays fatigue but also helps ensure your safety when fatigue inevitably sets in.

Injury prevention

Nothing can keep you 100% protected from a sports injury, but custom orthotics can give you a clear advantage. Orthotics help you keep your joints aligned and your muscles, ligaments, and tendons mechanically sound — the rest is up to you.

Re-injury prevention

As an athlete, you know that injury is part of the game, and despite your best efforts to prevent it, it can still occur and sideline you. Once your injury has healed and you’re cleared to get back in the game, custom orthotics give you an added measure of protection you need when returning from an injury. 

Orthotics absorb pain-causing shock, distribute your weight evenly. They give you the best chance of participating in high-impact sports without re-injuring yourself.

To find out if custom orthotics can improve your performance on the field, on the track, or on the court, call Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas today or request an appointment online and get the advantage.