The SMO gets its name from the part of the body it encompasses. Thus this orthosis supports the leg just above the ankle bone or malleoli.
The London Orthotic Consultancy prescribe this orthosis in cases where there is mild weakness in the dorsiflexors combined with the significant collapse of the foot and ankle.
It allows dorsiflexion and plantarflexion (toes up and toes down) but eliminates mediolateral movement. The SMO helps improve standing, balance and walking.
The original DAFO was developed in 1985 to help meet the needs of paediatric patients with neuromuscular challenges. The modern DAFO provides thin and flexible support to the foot or ankle.
It wraps around the patient’s entire foot to improve stability. It also gives excellent proprioceptive feedback from the ground using its dynamic footplate.
The objective here is to provide support that also allows some range of normal movement. The London Orthotic Consultancy often prescribes DAFOs to assist with the mobility of children with conditions like cerebral palsy or spina bifida.
Learn more about our Carbon Fibre and Neuroswing AFOs
We have the following facilities and amenities at our Kingston Upon Thames location:
We also have the Gait Laboratory for orthotics patients and Onsite Manufacturing for speedy turnarounds and adjustments whilst you wait.
An insole is a contoured orthotic device which alters the characteristics and biomechanics of the foot and ankle area. Biomechanics are concerned with mechanical laws and how they affect the living body, especially the musculoskeletal system.
They are removable devices, often made from plastic, that are designed to fit inside a shoe to provide additional support for your feet. As well as offering shock absorption, an insole can help distribute the weight of your body more effectively across the foot and can be made bespoke to cover a range of biomechanical conditions.
If you have symptoms in your feet, ankles, hips or your lower back that are intermittent or were not there to start with in early life, and have started to cause you pain over a period of time, bespoke orthotic insoles could be an excellent option.
If you have already tried rest, icing, compression and elevation and your feet have not recovered, we recommend a biomechanical assessment to consider the possibility of insoles. They are a non-invasive approach to treatment and in many cases, are a great option for symptoms that are not severe enough to warrant surgical intervention. Alternatively, they can be considered as an option prior to surgery.
We will send patients away when an insole is not appropriate, if a patient is suffering with iliotibial band syndrome for example, the problem can be helped with physiotherapy and a stretching programme. That’s what our biomechanical assessment is all about; determining whether there would be any benefit from altering the alignment of your feet.
Alex’s scoliosis curve treated successfully in just 6 weeks at LOC
LOC’s Scoliosis Team at SOSORT annual conference in May
Michael has achieved great results for his Pectus Excavatum with our vacuum bell treatment in combination with a specific exercise programme.
LOC welcomes Super Sofia to its Gait Laboratory at Salford University
Meet Jack who joined LOC in January as a Senior Orthotist
Rob can walk again thanks to the Neuro Swing AFO that LOC prescribed and manufactured for him
LOC’s Orthotic Clinic at Salford University’s teaching hospital to re-open on 14th February.
LOC’s first post-operative Sagittal Craniosynostosis patient
