Orthotics in Oakland
Healthy movement begins from the ground up. If your arches collapse or your ankles roll inward, every step can feel harder than it should. Custom foot orthotics can give your feet the support they’ve been missing so walking, running, and standing feel more natural.
Dr. Peter Rehl takes a performance-minded, family-friendly approach, making sure your feet, ankles, knees, and hips can move the way they’re designed to move.
How Orthotics Work—and Who They Help
Orthotics are supportive inserts that restore proper gait mechanics: a supported heel strike, a supported arch through mid-stance, and a strong push off from the toes. Dr. Rehl recommends them when your exam shows overpronation or collapsing arches that don’t improve enough with conservative care first. Orthotics may help if you notice:
- Your arches collapse or your ankles roll inward (overpronation)
- Heel strike feels unstable or harsh when you walk
- Arch or foot fatigue shows up midway through a walk or run
- Weak push-off or “lazy” toes during stride
- Discomfort that returns with standing, walking, or running
- Dropped foot arches can and often do contribute to knee pain
We use Sole Supports, a medical-grade lab that fabricates true custom devices from your foot mold. They’re calibrated to support your arch through the full gait cycle.
Exam-First, Function-First Fitting
Before any fitting, Dr. Rehl completes a thorough lower-extremity exam to find what’s tight, weak, or not moving well. Initial care includes soft-tissue work and precise chiropractic adjustments—hands-on and instrument-assisted methods that free tight tissues and improve joint motion. You’ll then “walk it out” for a week and return for a brief re-exam to confirm gains in motion and comfort. If needed, we adjust and render soft tissue therapy as needed, then give it another week to re-evaluate again.
The goal before molding is clear: Establish functional feet and lower legs first. Otherwise, you are being fitted to a mold where your feet are in a dysfunctional state. We want more range of motion, better function, and easier movement in your lower extremity joints, then we create your custom mold.
Custom Molding, Turnaround, and Shoe Fitting
Once you’re moving better, we take a custom foot mold and send it out fast. Structural Chiropractic ships molds within 1-2 days, plus a few days for transit; the lab typically builds your devices in 7-12 days, so we receive orthotics within two to three weeks back at our clinic. When they arrive, bring your favorite shoes; we’ll remove your insoles, trim your orthotics for a precise fit, and seat them correctly.
Please note: this is a cash service and is not billed to insurance. For added support, we can pair orthotics with sports chiropractic, soft-tissue therapies, and cold LASER therapy, which uses focused light to help reduce pain and inflammation and support tissue healing.
Schedule Your Appointment
Custom orthotics are a simple way to bring comfort and stability back to your body’s foundation. Whether you stand all day, walk for work, or train for a sport, the right support can make every step feel lighter and more natural. Schedule your orthotic evaluation with us today and experience the difference aligned movement can make!
