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At Ortho-Tech, we offer foot evaluation and and bio-mechanical analysis to determine the best treatment options for you and your loved ones. Our licensed staff will conduct a short interview determining your relevant medical history, detailing any prior treatments and/or therapies used. After which, a pressure point and range of motion test will be conducted, in addition to standing and walking evaluations. Samples of everyday footwear and previous orthotics should be brought along to be evaluated during the assessment. Typically, an evaluation takes approximately 30-40 minutes per patient. If the need for orthotic devices or specialized footwear is determined, we can caste and design your device on site. Our foot orthotics are 100% custom made, specifically for your feet and take 10-15 business days to manufacture. Please make sure to bring along your Doctor's referral/prescription if applicable.
Ortho-Tech has and will continue to work with all major insurance providers including Blue Cross, Canada Life, Claim Secure, Empire Life, Equitable Life, Great West life, Green Shield Canada, Liberty Health, Manulife Financial, National Life, Standard Life, Sun Life Financial, WSIB, Veteran Affairs and Social Services. At Ortho-Tech, there is always licensed staff on-site to answer your questions and provide all necessary documentation and analyses for your insurance claim.
3) What is the typical process to claim goods and services offered by Ortho-Tech? What information is required by my Insurance company to approve and process my claim efficiently? Most insurance plans require an up to date referral from a Physician/Specialist with a valid diagnosis as well as detailed reports and analyses from the provider to approve and process the insurance claim. Payments for orthotic devices, footwear and hosiery are to be paid up-front and the re-imbursement is sent directly to the plan holder. Ortho-Tech’s administrative staff is familiar with each insurance company’s requirements and will take care of the paperwork on your behalf. All documents including bio-mechanical reports, gait analysis, payment information and an original copy of your physician’s referral will be packaged and sent by mail the next business day. Most insurance providers reimburse plan holders within 2-3 weeks of submitting a health care expense.
4) How much coverage do I have? Is there a set amount or does it vary? Most extended health benefit plans offer a booklet explaining what is covered, the dollar amounts and how often a device or service can be claimed. Coverage amounts vary plan to plan, you may need to call your insurance company and confirm what your policy's limitations are; this is always best to avoid any misunderstandings/disapprovals, or to prepare for some out of pocket expense.
5) Some Insurance plans along with social services require an estimate to be sent for pre-approval to determine benefits; do you provide estimates at Ortho-Tech? At Ortho-Tech, we offer detailed estimates for orthopedic devices and hosiery which can be sent to Insurance providers for pre-approval. Any documentation or reports required for pre-approval is offered free of charge by Ortho-Tech.
Foot Orthotics correct for improper walking styles and by doing so, they both lessen and redistribute the pressures transmitted not only to your feet, but to the rest of the muscles, joints and ligaments in your body. Pain in the feet and lower limbs can be due to a variety of conditions, both structural and functional. The most common complaints are from flat feet (pes planus) or high arches (pes cavus) causing unnatural movement and uneven weight distribution. Foot Orthotics can shift the body’s weight to the right place on the foot and correct alignment in the lower limbs, hips and pelvis, thereby relieving pressure and pain.
7) Can I wear orthotics in different shoes? Am I limited with my footwear options? Our orthotics can be removed and worn in a variety of shoes with a few restrictions. Three main categories of orthotics can be made including dress shoe orthotics, casual shoe orthotics, and athletic shoe/work boot orthotics. Each of these orthotics vary in thickness and length. Therefore, if you choose dress orthotics, they can be worn in most dress shoes, but may not be the right size for an athletic shoe. Similarly casual shoe orthotics will fit into most casual shoes, but may be too broad and thick to fit into a dress shoe. To determine what style of orthotic is best for you, speak to one of our Licensed staff.
8) Are Ortho-Tech’s foot orthotics custom-made? Yes! At Ortho-Tech we make our foot orthotics from scratch based on foam or plaster casts taken directly from the patient’s feet. Materials are then molded to modify and shape the cast for optimal orthotic fitting. Support/Stability features such as metatarsal padding, heel postings, wedges, drops, lifts, etc. can be incorporated into the design of a foot orthotic depending on the patient’s condition and the physician’s recommendation.
9) What are the best features to look for when purchasing orthopedic footwear? Reinforced Shank (Steel or Plastic): This feature is included in a shoe when you are unable to twist the sole area located behind the arch of the shoe (torsional strength). This helps the foot from twisting during gait. Rocker Sole: When the toe area of the sole is curved upwards to ease pressure off the toes or ball of the foot when walking or running, most often seen in running shoes. Rigid Heel Counter: This feature is present when the area covering the back of your heel cannot be pressed down into the shoe. This may seem excessively rigid, but is a very important feature when considering a stable, structured shoe. If you are able to walk with the back part of your shoe folded down under your heel, the counter is not rigid enough. Multi-density Outsole: This feature is easiest to visualize in running shoes. Often, two different materials are used on the outsole of the shoe and therefore two distinct colours can be seen along the vertical aspect of the sole. This distributes shock forces optimally across the layers of outsole, cushioning impact.
10 ) If an in-stock orthopedic shoe doesn't fit me correctly, can it be modified for my feet? Many modifications can be made to our shoes depending on what your foot condition is. Adjustments such as stretching to accommodate bunions, enhancing arches to support flat feet, replacing laces with velco and/or zippers, reinforcing and extending heel counters, adding padding or cushioning to give better shock absorption, and many more can be done on-site at Ortho-Tech.
11) Are custom made orthopedic shoes for everyone? Are there specific medical reasons someone would need custom made footwear? Anyone can wear custom made shoes for fashion purposes; however there are specific medical reasons for an Orthopedic Surgeon, Family Doctor or Chiropodist to prescribe custom made footwear, that an off-the-shelf orthopedic shoe cannot accommodate. Refer to our Custom Shoe Section for a list of common problems that would warrant custom made orthopedic footwear.
12) What in-stock orthopedic footwear brands are available at Ortho-Tech? Do you carry extra width or extra depth footwear? At Ortho-Tech we carry the finest quality, hand-made orthopedic shoes. Our premier brands are Mephisto, Birkenstock, Finn Comfort, Ecco, P.W. Minor, Saucony, Asics, Cambrian, Etonic, Ara and many more. We carry extra depth/super depth shoes as well as narrow and wide fitting sizes (up to EEEEEE).
13) What are surgical or compression stockings and what are they used for? Compression stockings or surgical hosiery can be used for a number of medical reasons. They help improve circulation, reduce swelling and fatigue at mild levels of compression. Stockings with higher levels of compression can reduce the instances of varicose veins and help incompetent venous systems to function adequately.
14) Can compression stockings be custom made? What instances would warrant custom hosiery? At Ortho-Tech, we offer custom made hosiery, measurement and fittings on site. Extreme sizes would be the most common instance to fit custom made hosiery, as well as hosiery with easy fastening such as zippers and straps for patients who have disabilities and limitations of movement.
15) Why does having flat feet cause foot and back pain? People with flat feet tend to place extra tension on the structures along the inside arch of the foot. This tension leads to wear and tear of the structures, incorrect joint movement and consequently pain. Conditions such as flat feet are hereditary and can be identified at a young age, the onset of pain and discomfort can be avoided and possibly corrected, if treated early.
16) What can I do to prevent my bunions from becoming worse? Bunions are often caused by improper walking patterns. Factors such as decreased motion about the ankle joint, tight fitting footwear, and genetic predisposition are most often the culprits. Fortunately, development or growth of bunions can be prevented by using a combination of foot orthotics to restore the arch height and proper fitting orthopedic footwear to ease pressure on the mid-foot/hallux and accommodate for the decreased ankle motion.
17) I have high arched feet, could that be causing the pain under the balls of my feet? People who have high arched feet (pes cavus) tend to have less shock absorbing capabilities when walking and standing, this is due to the feet remaining more rigid. In addition, weight tends to be transferred to the front of the foot, concentrating under the ball (metatarsal heads). High-Arched patients can also benefit from Orthotic therapy, helping to improve shock absorption while redistributing weight, and relieving sheer forces across the length of the foot.
18) What is plantar fasciitis or heel pain syndrome? Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory process experienced mostly by those with flat feet and in some instances, those with high arched feet. Discomfort is especially noticed first thing in the morning and after periods of rest. The structures and tendons along the arch of the foot are placed under unnatural stresses which lead to progressive microtrauma (tissue tearing). The plantar fascia it-self is a fibrous bundle of tendons which extends from the ball of the foot (metatarsal heads) along the bottom of the foot inserting into the heel bone (calcaneus). Tears and microtrauma occur at the insertion point on the heel when this tendon is stretched and lengthened (flattened/contracted arches), which can lead to excruciating heel pain and in some instances very painful spurs/bony growths. Progressive orthotic therapy can ease pressures from these structures and prevent further trauma.
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