What are
orthotics?
Orthotics are a safe, non-invasive treatment
for many foot, knee and back problems. Low back and
lower extremity conditions often stem from, (or are exacerbated
by), poor foot biomechanics. Orthotics are custom built for
your foot, taking into account your body's individual needs.
They can be built to fit a variety of shoe styles from running
shoes to sandals, and hockey skates to high heels.
The forces into your feet are one to three times
your body weight when walking, and can be four to five times your
body weight when running. Vertical leaping can boost these
forces up to seven times your body weight. These instances
do not even take into account damage sustained by your feet being
stepped on, twisted, or just standing for long periods of
time. As a result, misalignment and dysfunction of the
twenty-six small bones of the foot is a very common
problem.
Unfortunately, the problem is rarely limited to
the foot itself. The reduced shock absorption and function
alters the proper motion of the lower limbs, which in turn can
destabilize pelvis and low back motions. Does this sound
familiar? Feet are foundational to your overall health
and coordination.
Most foot problems stem from overuse, poor shoe
choices, and/or congenital anomalies. Most of these problems
can be avoided or corrected by conservative care through
correct shoe dynamics, foot adjustments, (realigning of the bones
for normal function), foot orthotics, or specialized shoes.
A natural approach to solving these problems of foot pain
and dysfunction are becoming the treatment of choice. Many
people can avoid, (or at least postpone), surgery by pursuing a
conservative approach.
Often patients hear, "When your pain gets bad
enough, I'll do surgery," from their medical
doctor. Natural care takes a different approach and
looks at the kinetic chain of events that starts at the ground and
goes up the foot and leg and into the pelvis and low back,
affecting the entire body's stability and function.
Pronation of the foot twists the whole leg
internally and rocks the pelvis forward on the contact side and
pulls the lumbar spine toward the contact leg. If the bones
of the mid foot are locked in Pronation, (lowered arch), which is
common, then the foot cannot fully Supinate, (lift the arch), and
unload the rotation of the leg, pelvis and low back. This
leads to knee, hip, and low back pain that becomes chronic and
does not respond for very long under care until this is
corrected.
What usually isn't said is that these same kinetic
chain motions, which are the result of faulty foot mechanics,
create pain in the feet and altered weight bearing on the soles of
the feet - changing their callous formations. This results
in joint pain of the feet due to altered loading of fewer joint of
the feet sharing the load while walking, running, or
jumping. Decreased performance, (and disability), results
from these pathomechanics.
An amazing fact about the foot is that it is
one of the most muscularly imbalanced parts of your body.
Think about it - when do you isolate muscles for exercise in your
foot? Is there a series of foot machines at your health
club? Do you put rubber bands around your toes and spread
them apart to strengthen them? Is there a place where you
dorsiflex your foot against resistance? Or do you, (like
most people), just stuff your feet into some randomly selected
shoes and expect them to take whatever abuse you throw at
them? Though our feet are so spectacularly neglected, most
people will tell you that, "If your feet hurt, your whole body
hurts."
Manipulation of the feet is a highly skilled
science and art that is taught at varying levels in the
professions. The cutting edge doctor that treats the feet is
quickly learning that restoring normal motions to the joints of
the feet tremendously affects the patient's overall
results.
By the age of forty, most people could benefit
greatly from foot adjustments and orthotics due to accumulated
stress and trauma to their feet and body. By the age of
fifty, most people need some form of pain relief for the ache in
their feet, knees, hips, and low back. The 'baby boomers'
have arrived and many do not want to have surgery on any of these
joints. Consequently, they are looking for alternative
solutions.
The closer a foot control mechanism is made to
your true normal foot, (each joint gliding through its normal
range and directing shock correctly in its proper sequence), the
more efficiently an orthotic can assist in that process.
Shock is then attenuated and ligaments have a chance to adapt -
just like a normal, youthful foot.
