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Custom Orthotics

Prescription foot orthoses designed after a full biomechanical assessment, at our Roxburgh Park clinic or in your home across Melbourne.

Orthotics are a tool for changing how force moves through the foot. They work well when they are prescribed for the right reason — and they are not the answer to every foot problem, which is something we will tell you honestly at assessment.

Select Your Funding to Book an Appointment:

Need help now? Speak with our team on 1300 765 456.

What an Orthotic Actually Does

A foot orthosis changes where and how load is distributed across the foot during standing and walking. Depending on the design, that might mean reducing pressure on a painful area, supporting a joint through a range it cannot control, offloading an ulcer site, accommodating a fixed deformity, or altering the timing of movement through the foot.

What an orthotic does not do is permanently change the shape of an adult foot. Devices sold on that promise are overselling. The value is in changing load while you wear them, which for many conditions is exactly what is needed.

Custom or Prefabricated?

This is the question people usually arrive with, and the honest answer is that it depends on the problem.

Prefabricated orthoses are pre-made devices, sometimes modified by the podiatrist. For a range of common conditions — including much plantar heel pain — the evidence indicates they perform comparably to custom devices for many people, at a fraction of the cost. Where one will do the job, we will say so rather than upselling.

Custom orthoses are made to a scan or cast of your individual foot. They earn their cost where there is a rigid or unusual foot shape, significant leg length difference, a high-risk diabetic foot needing precise offloading, a neurological or arthritic condition, a fixed deformity that must be accommodated rather than corrected, or where prefabricated devices have been properly trialled and not worked.

We will explain which we are recommending and why, including the price difference, before anything is ordered.

How Our Melbourne Podiatrists Help

Full Biomechanical Assessment — Foot posture, joint range and stiffness, muscle strength, leg length, footwear and gait analysis — because the prescription follows from the assessment, not from a foot scan alone.

Prescription and Manufacture — 3D scanning or casting where a custom device is indicated, with the prescription specifying materials, posting, cushioning and any offloading required.

Fitting and Break-In — Fitting appointment, footwear compatibility check, and a graduated wearing-in schedule. Orthoses are not worn all day from day one.

Review and Adjustment — Follow-up review, and adjustment where needed. Most devices need at least one modification, and this is included in how we plan your care.

High-Risk and Diabetic Feet — Pressure offloading devices and accommodative orthoses for feet with neuropathy, deformity or a history of ulceration, prescribed with the caution those feet require.

Current Wait Times for Podiatry in Melbourne

Estimated appointment availability for podiatry across Melbourne.

We Come to You or Visit Us In Clinic

Assessment, scanning, fitting and review can be provided at our Roxburgh Park clinic or in your home across Melbourne. Home visits suit clients in aged care, NDIS participants, and anyone for whom travel is difficult — and they let us check your orthoses against the shoes and the surfaces you actually use.

inOne Healthcare provides mobile podiatry across Roxburgh Park, Melbourne and Western Sydney. To arrange an appointment, call 1300 765 456 today.

Conditions Orthoses Are Commonly Prescribed For

  • Plantar heel pain and plantar fasciitis
  • Achilles and other lower limb tendinopathy
  • Forefoot pain and metatarsalgia
  • Bunions and toe deformity, where offloading and accommodation are the aim
  • Arthritis affecting the foot, ankle or knee
  • Flat feet or high arched feet where symptoms are present
  • Diabetic feet at risk of ulceration, or with a history of ulceration
  • Leg length difference
  • Neurological conditions affecting foot position and control
  • Children with symptomatic foot posture, assessed carefully and case by case
  • Shin pain and some overuse injuries in runners and active workers

Orthoses are prescribed for symptoms and risk, not for the appearance of a foot. A flat foot that causes no pain and no functional problem generally does not need a device.

When to Seek Help

Book an assessment if you have persistent foot, ankle, shin or knee pain, if existing orthoses are uncomfortable or no longer helping, or if you have diabetes with any change in foot shape or areas of pressure.

Seek prompt assessment if you have:

  • A wound, blister or break in the skin caused by an orthotic or shoe — stop wearing the device and have it assessed, particularly if you have diabetes or neuropathy
  • New numbness, tingling or a change in sensation in the feet
  • A sudden change in foot shape, or a hot swollen foot, particularly with diabetes — this needs urgent medical assessment
  • Pain that is worsening rather than settling after starting a new device

Orthoses should not cause skin damage. If one does, it needs adjusting, not persevering with.

What to Expect

The first appointment is an assessment, not a scan. Your podiatrist will take a history, examine your feet and lower limbs, assess joint range and strength, watch you walk, and review your footwear.

If orthoses are indicated, we discuss custom versus prefabricated, cost, and what the device is expected to do. Where a custom device is prescribed, we scan or cast your feet, and manufacture takes a number of weeks — we will give you a timeframe at the appointment.

At fitting we check the device in your shoes and give you a wearing-in schedule, usually starting at an hour or two a day and building up. Some awareness of the device is normal in the first fortnight. Pain or skin marking is not, and should be reported.

Orthoses generally work best alongside footwear changes and an exercise program, rather than instead of them.

Funding We Accept

  • Private health insurance — extras cover commonly includes orthotics, though limits and waiting periods vary considerably. Check your annual limit before ordering; we can provide a quote for you to submit.
  • NDIS — orthoses are typically funded under Consumables or Assistive Technology depending on cost and complexity, with podiatry assessment under Capacity Building.
  • AT-HM scheme — for older Australians, assistive technology funding across three tiers up to $500, $2,000 and $15,000 in a 12-month period, separate from and upfront of other supports.
  • Support at Home, Home Care Packages and CHSP — podiatry sits within the clinical care category of Support at Home; device costs are handled separately.
  • Medicare — a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan may provide a rebate toward podiatry consultations for eligible patients. It does not cover the cost of the orthotic device itself.
  • TAC and workers compensation — where related to an accepted claim.
  • DVA — for eligible veterans with a valid referral.
  • Private — no referral required.

Orthotics in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs

Scanning, casting and fitting are done at our Roxburgh Park clinic, convenient to Craigieburn, Greenvale, Broadmeadows, Meadow Heights, Mickleham, Kalkallo, Epping, Glenroy, Coburg and the surrounding corridor.

Orthotic care involves several appointments — assessment, fitting, then review and adjustment. Having those close to home is what makes the adjustment step actually happen, and an orthotic that is never adjusted is often an orthotic that ends up in a cupboard.

Melbourne Suburbs We Service

Our podiatrists provide home visits across all Melbourne suburbs, with our clinic based in Roxburgh Park in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

  • Northern Suburbs & Roxburgh Park — Roxburgh Park, Craigieburn, Greenvale, Meadow Heights, Coolaroo, Dallas, Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, Attwood, Gladstone Park, Campbellfield, Glenroy, Pascoe Vale, Fawkner, Coburg, Brunswick, Preston, Reservoir, Thomastown, Lalor, Epping, Mill Park, South Morang, Mernda, Bundoora, Greensborough, Mickleham, Kalkallo, Sunbury
  • Inner Melbourne & CBD — Melbourne CBD, Carlton, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra, Prahran, St Kilda, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Southbank, Docklands, North Melbourne, Kensington, Parkville
  • Western Suburbs — Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Sunshine, Footscray, Yarraville, Altona, Williamstown, Werribee, Point Cook, Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina, Melton, Caroline Springs, St Albans, Deer Park, Taylors Lakes, Keilor, Sydenham, Airport West
  • Eastern Suburbs — Box Hill, Doncaster, Templestowe, Blackburn, Nunawading, Ringwood, Croydon, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn, Glen Waverley, Mount Waverley, Burwood, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Eltham, Rosanna, Mitcham
  • Southern Suburbs — Brighton, Bentleigh, Caulfield, Cheltenham, Mentone, Mordialloc, Clayton, Oakleigh, Springvale, Dandenong, Noble Park, Keysborough, Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston, Carrum Downs, Moorabbin

Simple Process

Getting Started

1

Book a biomechanical assessment

Call 1300 765 456 or book online. Bring the shoes you wear most often, and any orthoses you already have.

2

We call you for an initial discussion

Our team asks about your symptoms, what activities are affected, any relevant conditions such as diabetes or arthritis, and your funding. Where private health or NDIS is involved, we explain what to check before your appointment.

3

Assessment and gait analysis

A full lower limb biomechanical assessment, so any prescription is based on how your foot actually functions.

4

Prescription discussion

We explain whether prefabricated or custom is recommended, what the device is intended to do, the cost, and the manufacture timeframe. No device is ordered without your agreement.

5

Scanning or casting

Where a custom device is prescribed.

6

Fitting, wearing-in and review

Fitting with a graduated wearing schedule, then a review to check comfort and effect, with adjustments as needed.

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need custom orthotics?
Often not. Prefabricated devices are appropriate for many common conditions, and we will recommend them where they will do the job. Custom devices are for complex feet, high-risk feet and cases where prefabricated has been properly trialled.
How long do they last?
Typically two to five years for an adult, depending on materials, body weight, activity and use. Top covers wear sooner and can usually be replaced. Children's devices are outgrown well before they wear out.
Will they fit in my shoes?
Not all of them. Orthoses need a shoe with adequate depth and a removable insole. We will discuss footwear at assessment rather than after the device arrives.
Are they uncomfortable at first?
Some awareness is normal for the first week or two, which is why we use a graduated wearing-in schedule. Actual pain, rubbing or skin marking is not normal and should be reported so the device can be adjusted.
Can I use them for running and work boots?
Usually, though a separate device is sometimes needed for very different footwear. Tell us at assessment what you need them for.
Does Medicare pay for orthotics?
A Chronic Condition Management Plan may provide a rebate toward the podiatry consultation, but it does not cover the device itself. Private health extras is the more common pathway for device costs.
Do children need orthotics for flat feet?
Most children with flat feet do not need orthoses. Devices are considered where there is pain, fatigue, or a functional problem — not because of foot appearance alone.

Ready to Book?

Book an Orthotic Assessment in Melbourne

Contact inOne Healthcare on 1300 765 456, email info@inonehealthcare.com.au, or submit a referral online.

Monday to Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Sunday.

Related: Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis · Diabetic Foot Care · Bunions

Ready to get started?

Make a referral or contact our team today.

Make A Referral 1300 765 456 info@inonehealthcare.com.au

This page provides general information only and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice.