Health

Benefits Of Custom Orthotics

Published

4 years ago

April 20, 2021

Our feet happen to be some of the more complex parts of our body. After all, each foot has 26 different bones and all kinds of muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Your feet are crucial to your body because they support it. Your feet are the foundation of your body. They must support not only your body weight but also your balance. Because of this, having any foot problem can result in problems with the rest of the joints, muscles, and ligaments throughout your body. Visit the Orthotic Shop for a range of orthotic footwear. This is why a lot of people seek out custom orthotics. Custom orthotics are prescription devices that are used to correct foot problems. They are meant to fix a lot of biomechanical issues that can result when doing activities requiring movement. Having foot problems can cause issues with you whether you are standing, walking, or running. Having orthotics that are custom-made for your feet can help to reduce any pain you’re dealing with that is directly caused by your foot issues.

To get custom orthotics, your health practitioner is going to look at your overall history. They will also look at the things that could affect your feet including your weight, your height, and the types of activity you do regularly. This includes any medical conditions you might have. From there, your health practitioner is going to determine whether or not you are a candidate for getting customized orthotics. They will also use all of this information to figure out what materials the orthotics should be made of. Once they’ve determined all of this, they will take a 3D mold of your feet. That way, they will have the exact specifications of your feet which they can create a custom orthotic to match. This will help them design something that addresses your specific needs as far as your biomechanics are concerned.

A lot of the time, you’ll find medical practitioners offering up these types of orthotics if you are dealing with problems that can be directly caused by poor alignment. Whether it’s fatigue, muscle soreness, ligament problems, or foot pain, orthotics can help. Here, you will find some of the benefits of getting custom orthotics for both your overall health and your foot health.

1. Proper Support For Your Feet

One of the main benefits you will be able to get by getting custom orthotics is proper support for your feet. They will design shoe inserts that will help to provide you better overall support. This is especially true for the arches of your feet. That way, you gain more stability when you are either standing or walking. While you can find the same benefits from over-the-counter (OTC) alternatives, you aren’t going to get the same level of precision as with custom orthotics. After all, they are designed with a standard foot in mind. Thus, they aren’t going to be tailored to match the exact specifications of your feet. This means you won’t be able to get problem areas dealt with nor will you be able to correct any foot abnormalities you might have. For instance, if you have flat feet or high arches you won’t get the same precision offered through OTC options.

2. Protecting Your Joints

The force that is applied to all of the joints of your feet and your entire body is going to be the equivalent of your weight multiplied by several times. Because of this, you will find that your body takes a beating. This can cause a lot of issues if you have foot trouble. This is especially true if you are carrying more bodyweight than your frame is built for. Also, if you are someone who routinely walks on hard surfaces, you’ll find it gets even worse. For those who have flat feet, you will suffer from similar issues. That being said, custom orthotics, can help your feet properly support the entire weight of your body while standing still and doing movement activities. This will enable your feet to have the weight distributed much more evenly. This can keep you from having to absorb the impact with a specific area of your feet. That way, you can stay active much longer throughout the day without experiencing the normal wear and tear that would come with it. It can also be a good fix if you have two different feet from one another. That way, you can balance your feet out to ensure you aren’t dealing with complex alignment-related issues.

3. Pain Reduction

You are going to end up experiencing lessened pain because the orthotics will help to provide your foot with more cushion. This can be especially true if you suffer from problems that are known to cause painful issues that can affect more than one area of the body. For instance, if you suffer from arthritis, flat feet, or even plantar fasciitis, custom orthotics can bring a lot of pain relief. When you suffer from these issues, you’ll place a lot of strain on the ankles and other joints in your body. You will even place more pressure on your lower back. Because of this, you’ll quickly find these things wearing down quicker than normal. This is to compensate for the biomechanical problems they cause. For those that suffer from diabetes, custom orthotics can help to keep you from developing foot ulcers.

4. Better Athletic Performance

You’ll find a lot of athletes invest in custom orthotics. The reason is due to the wear and tear your body goes through. If an athlete has an imbalance, they are going to suffer more than someone who doesn’t do a lot of high-impact exercises. Custom orthotics are not only going to reduce the risk of injury, but they can make it much easier to perform precise movements. They will also help to improve balance because the weight of your body will be distributed evenly. It can even help to reduce any muscle fatigue you experience because your muscles won’t have to work overtime.

5. Injury Prevention

As mentioned, you will be able to reduce your risk of injury with custom orthotics. They can prevent a lot of injuries because they are going to help balance out your body. When you suffer from any kind of imbalance no matter the reason, you are at a heightened risk for suffering an injury. Research has shown that custom orthotics can reduce the risk of sustaining an injury by 28 percent. Likewise, they can reduce the risk of sustaining a stress fracture by as much as 41 percent.

6. Improve Your Quality Of Life

By making significant improvements in your balance and the alignment of your feet, you can reduce the unnecessary stress placed on other important areas of your body. This can improve your overall health and allow you to live a pain-free life. A lot of people might have difficulties sleeping or remaining active because of foot trouble. Custom orthotics can remedy a lot of these issues which can help you enjoy a higher quality of life.

Health

The Scientist as Storyteller: How Steven Quay Makes Complex Medicine Relatable

Published

1 month ago

July 23, 2025

Michelle Langton

Scientific discovery often struggles to reach the people it is meant to serve. The distance between research and public understanding can be vast. For most scientists, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is the endpoint. For Dr. Steven Quay, it is only the beginning. His career has been defined not just by what he has discovered, but by how he communicates it.

Scientific trust today faces growing skepticism and misinformation spreads faster than facts, Quay has embraced a rare role. He is both a scientist and a storyteller. His ability to bridge the technical and the human is what makes his voice resonate across disciplines, institutions, and communities.

Writing as a Lens into the Human Side of Science

One of the clearest examples of Quay’s narrative instinct lies in his writing. He has authored three major books, each rooted in a different part of his life and expertise. Together, they show how a medical researcher can also be an accessible public thinker.

In Stay Safe: A Physician’s Guide to Survive Coronavirus, published June 5, 2020, during the first days of the pandemic, Quay offered plainspoken, evidence-based guidance on protecting oneself and one’s family. It was not framed as a political statement or a policy directive. It was personal and grounded in the daily realities people faced. He wrote it not just as a scientist, but as someone who wanted to help others navigate a frightening time with clarity and calm.

His second book, The Origin of the Virus, tackled a more complex and controversial subject: the question of how SARS-CoV-2 emerged. Rather than speculate, Quay walked readers through the scientific evidence with the kind of transparency that is often lacking in public discourse. The tone was methodical, never alarmist. What set the book apart was its balance, engaging to a lay reader, yet rigorous enough to be taken seriously by professionals.

Then there is A Ride Through Northville, a deeply personal departure from the world of virology and oncology. Here, Quay revisits his childhood in Michigan, capturing the streets, friendships, and quiet moments that shaped him long before he entered a lab. The structure of the book mimics the experience of riding a bike through town, evoking memory not as a chronology, but as a sensory journey. For a scientist whose career has involved high-stakes research and global debates, this book offers a rare window into the reflective, grounded person behind the work.

Speaking Clearly Without Speaking Down

Quay’s communication skill is not limited to the written word. He has also become a frequent guest on health-focused podcasts and a speaker at public science forums. His TEDx talk on breast cancer prevention is one of the most viewed videos on the subject, and for good reason. He does not rely on drama or abstract theory. Instead, he explains mammographic density, hormonal risk, and clinical trial design in a way that makes the science both comprehensible and actionable.

In interviews, Quay has a habit of slowing things down. He avoids jargon unless he defines it. He is comfortable saying, “We don’t know yet,” which, in the realm of public science, is a kind of honesty that builds trust. He often discusses Atossa Therapeutics’ trials in plain terms, describing how experimental drugs like (Z)-endoxifen might help certain patients respond better to treatment. He emphasizes that these are ongoing studies, not marketing pitches, which sets him apart from many biotech executives.

Educating the Public Without Oversimplifying

One of the challenges of public-facing science is resisting the urge to oversimplify. Many well-intentioned scientists flatten complexity to fit the constraints of social media or mainstream news. Quay does not follow that path. He explains mechanisms and hypotheses with nuance, trusting that readers and listeners are capable of understanding more than they are often given credit for.

His social media presence reflects the same philosophy. He shares articles and research updates, but rarely with alarm or bravado. When he comments on current medical debates, he tends to lead with evidence rather than opinion. That steady tone has earned him a following that spans across ideological and professional divides.

During the pandemic, this approach stood out. While others chased headlines, Quay focused on distilling evolving guidance into practical advice. He acknowledged the limits of current knowledge, updated his views as new data emerged, and emphasized science as an iterative process. His voice became one that many people turned to not for certainty, but for clarity.

A Scientist’s Responsibility Beyond the Lab

Quay has often said that science does not exist in isolation. It is part of society. That belief informs why he writes, speaks, and engages in public discourse as actively as he does. He sees the scientist’s role not just as a producer of knowledge, but as a custodian of its meaning.

He has testified before the U.S. Congress and advised the State Department, not as a politician but as a physician-scientist committed to accuracy. In each case, his contribution has been grounded in data but shaped by a recognition of the human implications of policy and research.

This is especially evident in his work on breast cancer. By advocating for better screening tools and more personalized treatments, Quay speaks not only to clinicians and investors but to women facing real fears about their health. He explains the science behind mammographic density and hormonal modulation not just with charts, but with stories about what those risks mean in someone’s life.

Storytelling as a Form of Service

What makes Quay’s communication style compelling is that it never feels performative. He is not branding himself or building a media empire. He is doing what he believes scientists should do: make their work useful.

In every form of his storytelling, from the deeply personal to the technically specific, there is a throughline of responsibility. He understands that science touches people’s lives in ways that go far beyond the lab. For him, that means speaking clearly, writing honestly, and never underestimating the audience.