Michelle Nadon-Renick, Registered Physiotherapist has been prescribing orthotics since receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy in 1991 and has extensive experience in both prescribing and fitting orthoses. She has taken specialized training in diagnosing and treating biomechanical lower extremity (leg, ankle & foot) injuries, diseases and conditions. As well, Michelle is trained in fabrication of thermoplastic static wrist, hand and finger braces and splints. Michelle brings 16 years of expertise in orthotic therapy to our clients.

 At Coastal Orthotics we use the most advanced computerized technology available. A computerized Gait (gait refers to the way you walk) Analysis and orthotic system, it scans the foot thirty times per second as the patient walks across the forceplate and in moments provides information about biomechanical foot function.

Neutral cast orthotics, foam impression and prefabricated orthoses are also available.  

Call today for your Biomechanical Assessment and Custom Orthotics!

Orthodontic? Orthoses? Ortho what? 
What the heck is an Orthotic?

An Orthosis is an orthopedic application or apparatus used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities or to improve function of movable parts of the body.

An Orthotic is the application of the orthosis and serves to protect, restore or improve function.

Orthotics is the field of knowledge relating to orthoses and their use.

The more you understand about the way your body moves, the more you realize your feet are the foundation on which you move yourself through the world.  It is important that this foundation is a healthy one! 

For Your Information:
An Article on the feet.

Your Feet: Gateway  To your knees, hips & back.

Try this:Stand up & tilt your left foot to flatten out the arch, by pressing it into the floor.  Now try walking. Right away you’ll probably feel a pulling in your leg, either in your knee, hips or back. This is a simple example, of how a “flat foot” affects the way you walk, and how your walk can affect other areas of your body. A person with flat feet actually walks on their arches. Multiply this example by the number of steps a person walks in their lifetime, about or in excess of 100,000,  and the potential for complications arising from flat feet becomes very clear. During normal gait the arch does flatten out to a degree, in order to transmit weight from the heel to the toe for push off. The heel will strike and then, as we move forward it flattens, or pronates for an instant then resupinates allowing the forefoot to lock, so we can push off from the toes.

A flat foot causes the walker to push off from a flattened arch. A strain on the knee results when the motion pulls on the knee and, if left uncorrected, muscles running from  knee to  hip also become affected. Hip pain may occur, and if left uncorrected, may spread to the lower back.  The body will try to compensate. Depending on the “solution” the body attempts neck pain and headaches could also result. A flat foot will predispose the sufferer to heel and foot pain.

Common questions asked are “Can I learn to walk better?”.  “Can I stretch or strengthen my feet to fix this problem?” Unfortunately, the 107 ligaments holding the 30 bones of the foot together are not under our voluntary control.They are not contractile tissue like muscles, and therefore, cannot be stretched or strengthened like muscles. As well it is important to understand that the average foot does the following things: strikes the ground with the arch up or supinated approximately two degrees, then rolls toward the outside of the foot, pronates approximately four degrees (as your wieght is transfered forward) then resupinates two deegrees as your forefoot locks and you propell yourself and push off.  This all happens in less than ONE second! So unfortuneatly it is impossible for you to change the way you walk, it is far too complicated .  Fortunately, a full biomechanical exam and computerized gait analysis  can help you pinpoint the problem. When the foot is flattened so that the person is actually walking  on their arches the treatment is orthotic therapy. Correcting the position of the foot throughout the gait cycle will relieve the torsion and strain placed on the entire leg and pelvis. A full biomechanical exam is essential to assess any other factors such as muscle imbalances and posture.

            This is only one example of a biomechanical problem that may benefit from effective orthotic therapy.  Other conditions that may benefit  are: knee pain, lower back pain, osteoarthritis, achilles tendonitis, heel spur syndrome, bunions, and many others.