Foot Levelers

Q1 What are Foot Levelers?

Foot levelers is a custom made orthotics company. Each foot has three arches which can affect your posture, strength and joint wear. A special digital foot scanner is used to examine your feet and detect a collapsed foot arch. If there are areas of unusual pressure seen in your scans then Dr Paul Bergamo and Dr Reta Suliman will discuss and recommend exercises and or orthotics which will be custom made for your feet.

These orthotics are particularly useful for those with recurrent feet, knee, hip and low back problems but can be used by athletes for injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Q2 What will Foot Levelers scan tell us?

After your foot is scanned while you are standing, a color photo of your feet will show where the pressure travels through your feet.

The red areas on the scan show where your feet are applying pressure. Loss of arch height – which shows more red in the middle of the foot, such as the image shown – can cause flattening and rolling of the feet.
The scan also shows the percentage of imbalance for each foot. The higher number indicates greater instability on that side of the body.

Q3 How long is a consultation?

The footscan consultation can take upto 10 minutes and the follow up consultation to discuss your scan results takes upto 10 minutes.

Q4 What is involved in a consultation?

To have you feet scanned involves removing any footwear including socks. You will be asked to stand on a digital glass scanning (3D) machine while your feet are being scanned. The machine will produce a picture on the computer screen with the areas of the highlighted increased pressure of your feet.

The results will be discussed at a later consultation and your chiropractor may recommend some exercises and suitable custom made orthotics if required to correct your foot alignment.

Q5 How will Foot Levelers align with the other services?

Being a multidisciplinary health clinic, your body is viewed with a holistic approach. If your feet are not in their best alignment, it is likely that they are a cause of your knee, hip, back or neck pain. This means, if the chiropractor and the massage therapist are managing your lower back pain, it is important to ensure your feet and ankles are in in their best possible alignment to eliminate reoccurrence or other associated problems.

Q6 How many Foot Levelers Screens do I need ?

Only one scan is needed to obtain an image and the required pair of custom made orthotics.

Your chiropractor will advise you if more scans are required some month/years later after wearing the prescribed orthotics to monitor progress.

Q7 Will health insurance cover me?

Most private health insurances do cover you for practitioner prescribed custom made foot orthotics. The amount covered varies for different levels of cover with your insurance.

Speak to your health insurance company to estimate how much you could possibly claim.

Q8 Describe the orthotics options with Foot Levelers?

There are 3 primary options

• Premium/Intense base: for patients who are on their feet most of the day or are active in sports/ exercise or need maximum support or shock absorption. The more a patient weighs and the more active they are, more support is required.
• Moderate base: for patients who are still active but may not need maximum shock absorption or need a lower profile orthotic.
• Light base: for patients who do little activity on average or need a thinner orthotic.

Q9 What are common conditions that may require orthotics?

Common conditions that require foot orthotics include:

Low back pain- Back pain is a common symptom of an unbalanced foundation.  Having an unbalanced foundation can cause dysfunction of the joints and muscles of the back, and can cause nerve root syndromes such as herniated discs, spinal degeneration, and inflammation.  Achieving a balanced foundation may reduce this pain and dysfunction of the lower back.

Plantar Fasciitis- Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the thick connective tissue on the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia) that helps maintain the arches of the foot. The inflammation is due to tearing of the tissue. This tearing can often be attributed to improper support of the plantar vault.  The soles of the feet are very painful, especially in the early morning. The condition tends to be chronic and difficult to heal without proper foot support.

Neck and shoulder pain- Although not often associated, neck pain can often be a symptom of imbalance and asymmetries in the feet. Neck pain can occur anywhere in your neck strain, sprain, or spasms of the neck muscles, which often occur because of dysfunction of the joints and muscles of the neck.

Leg length discrepancy- Having one leg shorter than the other is a common physical condition. It has two primary causes--structural or functional problems. Structural differences in length can be the result of growth defect, previous injuries or surgeries. Functional differences in length can result from altered mechanics of the feet, knee, hip and/or pelvis. These altered mechanics from functional leg length discrepancy often stem from having an unbalanced foundation.

Ankle, knee and hip pain- Pain in these areas is common symptom of an unbalanced foundation (Your feet). These joints are designed to undergo repeated motion and allow for fluid movement. However, because of an unbalanced foundation there can be added stress to the joint structures that can cause a dysfunction of the joint, ligaments, tendons, bursas, and related muscles, which causes pain.

Shin splints- Shin splints are a common indicator of improper support of the body. Deep pain in the front and back of the lower leg associated with activity is most frequently a result of shin splints.

Heel spur pain- A heel spur is an overgrowth of bone that resembles a hook on the bottom of the foot. It is a reaction to stress placed on the thick connective tissue on the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia) that helps maintain the arches of the foot. Over-stress can stem from improper support of the feet. A heel spur is often accompanied by a bursitis that is a major contributor to pain.

Sports injuries- Aathletes are susceptible to injury during intense sports. Injuries can be mild or severe, ranging from Turf Toe to a broken bone. However, many sports injuries can be the result of an unbalanced foundation that can cause dysfunction of joints, ligaments, and the muscles around the joints.

Diabetic orthotics- Diabetics must take special care of their feet. Diabetes damages blood vessels, which results in poor circulation, nerve damage and slow healing. These changes are termed peripheral neuropathy. This combination of factors can cause significant health problems for diabetic patients.

Q10 How do I make an appointment for a 3D foot levelers scan?

Simply call us on 9887 4144 or come in to the clinic to make an appointment.