Questions before your orthotics assessment

No. You can book a no-fee Ashfield Orthotics assessment without one. A prescription may be required before dispensing if you want benefit-plan reimbursement, public-program authorization or particular tax treatment. Check your own requirements.

We discuss your symptoms, health context, activity and goals; inspect relevant footwear; and assess foot and lower-limb findings relevant to pedorthic care. Depending on the concern, this may include gait, range of motion, palpation and other functional tests.

Allow approximately 45–60 minutes for a typical first assessment, while recognizing that complexity and questions can change the time. The booking system shows the appointment type and current availability.

Bring the shoes or boots you wear most, footwear associated with symptoms, existing orthotics or insoles, your prescription if available, and any benefit-plan requirements you have obtained. Wear clothing that allows the lower legs and knees to move and be observed.

Yes. The purpose of the assessment is to choose an appropriate next step. That may be footwear guidance, monitoring, referral, another treatment pathway or no device.

Ashfield Orthotics does not charge a separate fee for the in-clinic assessment described on this site. If a device or other paid service is recommended, the cost and choice to proceed are discussed separately.

The current price should be confirmed with the clinic because device design and business pricing can change. You should receive the price before deciding to proceed. A benefit-plan maximum is not a recommended retail price and does not establish the clinic’s fee.

Many plans include some coverage, but contracts vary in amount, frequency, prescriber, eligible provider and documentation. Ask your plan about custom-made foot orthotics and record the answer. Only the payer can approve a claim.

Direct claim submission may be available for certain public or federal pathways when the person, item, provider and authorization are eligible. Most private workplace plans require reimbursement. Contact the clinic before the appointment if you expect direct billing.

Where applicable, the clinic can provide a paid receipt and the available assessment, prescription, casting and manufacturing documentation relevant to the claim. Your insurer decides whether those documents satisfy the contract.

Local fabrication can shorten the handoff between assessment and making, but an exact date should be confirmed when you proceed. Clinical complexity, materials, schedule and the need for authorization can affect timing. The clinic does not guarantee a universal turnaround.

Many people benefit from gradually increasing wear while monitoring comfort and skin. Your instructions should reflect your health risk and intended use. Significant pain, rubbing, blistering or persistent redness deserves a call rather than simply pushing through.

Not necessarily. Shoe shape, depth, removable liners, heel height and activity vary. Bring the footwear that matters most so the device can be planned around real use.

There is no reliable single expiry date. Materials, amount of use, work, body demands, footwear and changes in the feet all matter. Review the devices when symptoms, fit, wear or function change instead of replacing only by calendar.

Reduce or stop wear if there is significant discomfort or skin change and contact Ashfield Orthotics. People with diabetes, reduced sensation or fragile skin should follow their specific safety plan and seek prompt care for any wound.

A Certified Pedorthist (Canada) is trained in assessment relevant to pedorthic treatment, footwear, orthotic design and fabrication, fitting and modification. The role has a focused lower-limb and footwear scope.

A podiatrist is a regulated foot-care professional whose scope may include diagnosis and other treatments that differ by province. A pedorthist has specialized training in footwear and foot orthoses. The professions overlap in some assessment and orthotic work but are not interchangeable.

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Seek the appropriate medical care for severe injury, inability to bear weight, deformity, suspected infection, an open wound, colour or temperature change, rapidly increasing swelling, fever, sudden weakness or another systemic or neurological concern. Diabetes can reduce pain from a serious foot problem.