One Size Does Not Fit All

When most people think of orthotics they either think of the elderly population (scooting around in their orthotic white tennis shoes) or everyday WalMart sold shoe inserts (cue 'I'm gellin'). However, many of our patients are surprised at the effectiveness of using a correctly fitted custom orthotic. 

At Carolina Foot Specialists we use a plaster mold, or digital mapping, of your foot (done in a quick office visit) to write a detailed 'prescription' for our fabrication company. Using your actual foot's details and our medical advice (based on your needs) a custom orthotic is created for you, usually within two weeks time. Our prescribed orthotics are a special hybrid of support and cushioning to best suit each individual's needs- visit our website for details on each type of offered orthotic. 

We commonly treat foot conditions such as heel pain, neuromas, high arches, plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis with custom orthotics. Our goal is always to do what is best for our patients in the long-term, and many conditions can be conservatively managed with properly made and fitted orthotics. 

Custom orthotics aren't just for serious athletes either; we commonly make dress orthotics for men and women in the business world, too. With most insurances covering the cost of orthotics today there is no reason to live in pain- let us help! 

Make an appointment with Dr. Brown or Dr. Saffer today: 843-225-5575! Located in both Charleston and Mount Pleasant, Carolina Foot Specialists is your go-to for foot and ankle pain.

Arches Making You Ache?

Many of those suffering from chronic pain on the balls or heels of their foot are victims of a high arch (aka Cavus Foot). A high arch can be a symptom of your genes, a neurologic disorder or from other medical conditions. The cause of your high arches will determine the course of treatment recommended by our expert staff.

Even the most subtle factors can be signs of a high arch issue: calluses on the ball, heel or side of the foot, pain when standing, chronic ankle sprains or hammer toes are just a few. When you make an appointment to visit us we will view your gait (foot form when walking), muscle strength and general coordination. It is also good to bring in your most commonly worn shoes so we can check for habitual wear and tear giving us a better idea of how you walk on a regular basis.

After determining the root cause of the high arch(es) treatment may entail custom orthotics, recommended shoes, bracing or surgery.

If you are tired of suffering from daily pain or nuisances and think high arches may be your problem- visit us at Carolina Foot Specialists for the best in your foot care.

You can also take our online assessment to pinpoint warning sings of foot and ankle problems.

Suffering from the Flat Foot Funk?

Flat feet are widely misunderstood, but not as severe as most think.

In a child’s foot the arch usually begins to form as they start standing on their toes and attempting to walk. Generally the absence of arch development is associated with pronation, a leaning inward of the ankle bones toward the center line. Shoes of children who pronate, when placed side by side, will lean toward each other (after they have been worn long enough for the foot position to remodel their shape). Most of these cases have no problems or pain associated with being flatfooted.

Adult-onset of flat feet, also known as painful progressive flatfoot or tibialis posterior tendonitis, refers to the inflammation of the tendon of the tibialis posterior. Left untreated, it may lead to severe disability and chronic pain. People are predisposed to tibialis posterior tendonitis if they have flat feet or an abnormal attachment of the tendon to the bones in the midfoot.

Along with conservative treatments such as icing, stretching and tapping Dr. Brown and Saffer are experts in custom orthotics to relief symptoms of painful progressive flat foot. Our own Dr. Saffer suffers with having Flat Feet but is still an avid 10k runner and athlete by using his knowledge of custom orthotic treatments.

Receive personal, local and expert care with Carolina Foot Specialists.