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View our privacy policyAt LOC, our bespoke orthotics are designed to improve mobility, stability, comfort and support your stroke rehabilitation journey.
From early rehabilitation to long-term mobility solutions, orthotics play a valuable role in rehabilitation after stroke. Restoring movement, preventing muscle contracture, and improving your walking pattern.
The effects of a stroke vary depending on the size and location of the brain injury. In cases of significant weakness and spasticity, a person’s mobility and gait can be severely affected.
Many stroke patients can struggle with balance issues due to impaired proprioception, making it difficult to stand, walk, or even sit. If left untreated, rehabilitation becomes more challenging, and progress is harder to achieve.
One of the key concerns in long-term recovery is muscle contracture caused by spasticity, which can lead to painful deformities in both the upper and lower limbs.
This can prevent people from standing, walking, or opening their hands. Additionally, many patients develop compensatory movement patterns to cope with their condition, but these adaptations can create bad habits that are difficult to unlearn.
To determine the best course of treatment, and which orthotics can benefit you, a clinician will carry out a neurological assessment, which involves:
This can help us identify the specific challenges you face and guide an effective orthotic treatment plan.
Custom-made orthotics can:
Since muscle control can change rapidly, orthotic devices must be carefully adapted to the patient’s evolving needs.
Factors like swelling and progressive muscle recovery require ongoing adjustments to ensure optimal support.
Stroke rehabilitation involves a team of specialists working together to support recovery. We collaborate with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, ensuring that our patients receive comprehensive, well-rounded care.
Every orthosis we create is designed specifically for you. From materials and lining to function and fit, we ensure that each device works seamlessly with your footwear and daily activities.
Using state-of-the-art gait analysis, we assess how you move to create orthotics that truly support your unique biomechanics. This allows us to fine-tune your device for maximum efficiency. Whether it’s improving balance, reducing strain, or enhancing performance.
Our advanced 3D scanning technology replaces traditional plaster casting, making the process faster, easier, more accurate and more comfortable for patients while ensuring highly precise measurements.
We incorporate the latest innovations in orthotic design, from dynamic support systems to advanced joint mechanisms that enhance mobility, improve alignment, and optimise rehabilitation outcomes. These technologies allow for better adaptability, supporting natural movement and long-term comfort.
We manufacture the majority of our orthotics in-house at our workshop in Kingston, ensuring exceptional quality control at every stage. This hands-on approach allows us to fine-tune each orthosis to the patient’s unique needs, make adjustments quickly, and maintain the highest standards of craftsmanship.
Orthotics can only work as well as the shoes they go into. That’s why footwear is never an afterthought in our process, it’s a key part of every assessment. We always look at your current footwear and provide tailored advice to ensure you’re getting the most out of your orthotics.
We’ve successfully treated many stroke patients over the years, with a range of bespoke orthotics.
Innovations like the Neuro Swing Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) and the Neuro HiTronic Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis are especially beneficial to stroke patients because, unlike traditional orthotics (which can restrict both good and bad movement), their adjustable joints allow for a controlled range of motion.
The best way to find out which orthosis is right for you is to book an appointment with one of our experienced clinicians. We can carry out a detailed assessment in our gait lab and work with you to achieve your personalised treatment goals.
Below, you’ll find some of the more common types of orthotics we prescribe for stroke patients.
The Neuro Swing system is an adjustable, dynamic ankle joint system designed to improve gait, stability, and rehabilitation. We commonly integrate them into carbon fibre Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs).
Unlike traditional fixed AFOs, this system allows some natural movement if the patient retains some muscle activity. The system allows tweaks and adjustments for different ankle alignments, allowing us to optimise for comfort and individualise adjustments based on your specific needs.
All this allows a more natural gait pattern, protecting bones and joints from abnormal stress. Not only does this benefit your ability to walk in the short-term, it also protects the bones and joints and encourage your muscles to work correctly.
The Neuro HiTronic System Knee Joint KAFO is an advanced electro-hydraulic knee joint designed by Fior & Gentz for use in a Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis (KAFO). This state-of-the-art technology enhances stability and mobility by using movement sensors to detect lower leg motion, allowing automatic locking and unlocking of the knee joint.
By providing smooth transitions and dynamic adaptability, the Neuro HiTronic KAFO significantly improves mobility, safety, and quality of life for individuals with complex mobility challenges.
The Agilik™ smart orthosis from Bionic Power is a state-of-the-art lightweight device designed to enhance walking by working with the user’s natural movement. Unlike exoskeletons, which support a patient’s body and move for them, the Agilik™ provides dynamic assistance and resistance during walking. This helps users stand straighter, walk more easily, walk for longer and build strength.
The London Orthotic Consultancy has been appointed the paediatric specialist centre for the Agilik™ smart orthosis in the UK.
A Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis (KAFO) is a custom-made brace that supports the entire leg, spanning the knee, ankle, and foot. KAFOs are primarily prescribed for individuals with muscle-weakening conditions or paralysis caused by conditions like post-polio syndrome, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), stroke and spinal cord injury.
KAFOs help by:
Our bespoke KAFO service ensures every device is tailored to your specific needs and preferences, guided by our team’s expertise and the latest orthotic advancements.
We offer cutting-edge options that go beyond traditional fixed KAFOs with locking knee joints. While fixed systems provide stability, they can contribute to muscle atrophy, increased energy expenditure, and an unnatural gait.
To address these challenges, we provide modern, innovative solutions. For example, KAFOs that automatically lock and unlock at the appropriate points in the gait cycle, promoting a more natural and energy-efficient walk.
An Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) is a brace designed to support and control the position and movement of the ankle and foot. AFOs can also immobilise the ankle and lower leg to aid in rehabilitation and correct specific issues. They are the most well-known and frequently prescribed orthotic devices due to their versatility and effectiveness.
What sets our AFOs apart is the level of precision and customisation we bring to their design and tuning. Each orthosis we make is 100% bespoke. Depending on the patient’s needs, we can create AFOs with a fixed ankle for greater control of gait mechanics or incorporate a hinged design to allow controlled movement in a single plane.
A critical part of our process is the fine-tuning of each bespoke orthotic to ensure optimal alignment and comfort. We use state-of-the-art gait analysis technology as standard to help us assess, prescribe and fine-tune all our orthotics.
By prioritising this approach, we deliver AFOs that not only meet, but exceed, expectations for functionality and comfort.
We’re happy to answer any questions you might have, with no commitment to proceed with treatment.
