A lot of people come into the bracing room and they ask us what type of brace they need. It’s such a tough question to answer because there’s a wide range of braces out there. You have your knit compression sleeve and then you have something that’s completely custom for a ligament injury or arthritis. The biggest thing for us is gathering all the information. So come in for an orthopedic assessment, we will get a history, check your functional movements see if there’s any x-ray results that we can incorporate into your plan and then we will recommend which type of brace is best for you. Call Burlington Orthotic Centre today at 905-331-4391 for details.
neurological systems
Big Toe Pain
Part of the normal cycle of walking has you pushing off your big toe. But if your big toe hurts because of either gout or arthritis or just some lack of mobility due to a bunion, it makes walking and running really hard. Think of how your body is built. All the big bones are on the inside of the body. We have a big tibia on the inside and a smaller fibula on the outside.
On your foot it’s the same thing – big toe on the inside and little ones on the outside. If your big toe hurts what’s your natural reaction? your natural reaction is to stay off of it. But then you’re going to go to the little guys on the outside – but they’re not meant to take the pressure so then you’re going to create an injury because you’re compensating off that big toe.
Let’s get you a solution to help you get some relief from your big toe. If you have an orthotic that’s a great step. We can put a piece in at the bottom that supports your toe. So in essence we are bringing the ground up so you don’t have to work so hard to push off. If you have any questions or you’re suffering from big toe pain come on in and see us and we’ll be happy to help. Call Burlington Orthotic Centre today at 905-331-4391 for details.
Compression Socks
Compression socks come in a wide variety of colors and styles for everyday wear. Gone are the days when you were wearing your ugly nude color compression socks that you wanted to hide from everyone. Now there are compression socks for sports and activities, work and dress, and anything in between. You can get them in a wide variety of colors and the knits are so soft. Remember to never put your compression socks in the dryer and to wear them every day for effective use. Come in to see us to get fitted for your compression socks today. Call Burlington Orthotic Centre today at 905-331-4391 for details.
Ankle Brace
If you’re involved in jumping sports or lateral motion sports or have had multiple ankle sprains, an ankle brace may be right for you. There are a couple of brands that we really believe in. Bauerfeind MalleoTrain and the ASO ankle stabilizer. What’s nice about the ankle braces is that they provide excellent compression at the ankle joint as well as helping to stabilize to prevent further injury. They also fit really well in athletic footwear. Call Burlington Orthotic Centre today at 905-331-4391 to manage your ankle pain.
Childhood Developmental Stages
How does a child learn to walk? This is a skill we don’t need to teach; it will happen naturally and occurs in very distinct stages. Parents eagerly await those first few steps and often try to rush the process. However, it will take place once the neurological and musculoskeletal systems are mature and cohesive.
A child will begin to stand and cruise along furniture just before one year of age. However, walking independently can happen anywhere between 10-18 months. At this point they have a very wide stance and take many quick steps to maintain their balance. They also walk with their arms held up to protect during falls.
Within 6 months of beginning to walk the child will have developed a more natural walking pattern with their arms down and swinging. They also strike the ground with their heel first as oppose to the entire foot flat at once. However, their feet remain wider apart to help with balance.
As their neurological and musculoskeletal systems continue to develop and make connections they acquire skills such as running, walking on tippy toes, using stairs and standing on one leg. By 8 years old children have developed the gait and posture nearly identical to an adult.
Watching our children develop new skills is one of the joys of being a parent. These skills are inherent and will come with time but cannot be rushed. It is important to make sure your child is hitting the correct milestones but be careful not to wish this precious time away too quickly!