What You Need to Know About Orthotic Insoles If You Have Fallen Arches
The Reason Why You May Need Orthotic Insoles
An estimated 70% of people all over the planet suffer from a problem called over-pronation, which can cause many foot problems over time. Some patients overpronate more than others. Why so many people have fallen arches is because of the hard, flat surfaces we run around on every day. Also, body weight, weak ankles, and aging can be a factor. Hence, over-pronation is much more widespread in folks in their 50’s and older, and also in those that are overweight.
For a lot of patients, over-pronation doesn’t create a real problem, specifically for younger people. However, abnormal foot function caused by over-pronation can lead to various problems like plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia - even knee pain and low back pain!
Orthotics fix the issue of over-pronation and can help reduce or eliminate many common aches and pains caused by fallen arches and other ailments of the foot. Orthotics are not pricey, costing between $30 and $40 per pair. Acquiring a pair of orthotics can be a valuable investment in your health, because they can also prevent many future biomechanical ailments.
What Are Orthotic Insoles?
Orthotics are products that are placed inside your footwear with the purpose of restoring our corect foot function. Many common ailments such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are produced by flawed foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the science of movement and analyzes the motion of our bodies during running, walking, and participating in sports. The most usual kind of improper foot biomechanics is over-pronation. It involves falling of the arches and the turning in of the feet and ankles. An estimated 70 percent of humans experience over-pronation to different extents. Orthotics improve over-pronation and re-align the foot and ankle bones to their neutral position, restoring the original foot function. Simultaneously, this will help alleviate troubles not only in the feet, but also in other sections of your body, in particular the lower body such as the knees, hips and lower back.
Orthotic Insoles: The Difference With Regular Insoles
There is a big difference between ordinary footbeds and arch support inserts. Regular footbeds are purely designed to give a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may be comfortable at first, however they do not address any biomechanical troubles i.e. they do not fix over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotics are practical devices, designed to relieve and regulate our foot function. Some footbeds also include an arch support, but often the support is too weak to have any effect, especially if the footbeds are made of spongy materials.
So how do orthotics exactly work? First of all, orthotics do much more than providing support to the arches. Orthotics restore alignment of the feet and ankles and restore correct foot function. Also, orthotics create a steadier spread of our body weight, removing pressure from tender areas (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes and bunions). Additionally, they provide a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their chief goal. The main intention of orthotics is to improve foot function. In many situations, this will reduce foot discomfort and put a stop to future problems and injuries.
Tags: flat feet, foot pain, orthotic insoles, orthotics, over-pronation, overpronation, plantar fasciitis, plantar fascitis, pronation
Plantar Fasciitis Pain and How it Can Be Helped With Orthotic Inserts and Foot Stretching Exercises
It is not uncommon for many people nowadays to be afflicted by heel pain that is so excruciating that it may prevent enjoying everyday things in life. Plantar fasciitis pain is one of the most common foot ailments among people today. The discomfort can begin as an irritating pain that you feel sometimes, and escalate into an intense pain that is felt every day. Sometimes, a hurting heel can go away on its own, but, if left untreated, the pain in the heel can worsen.
People can complain of heel pain in two main areas of the heel, under the heel and in the back of the heel. Commonly, when people feel pain in the back of the heel it is related to wear and tear or inflammation of the Achilles tendon. When people feel heel pain, it can be caused by a person stepping on a large stone or rock which bruises the heel, or the tissue in the bottom of the foot known as the plantar fascia can become inflamed. A heel that is hurt by a sharp object will heal on its own over time. However, if the foot pain is a result of inflammation of the plantar fascia, there are a few things that need to be done to help including heel pain exercises and orthotics.
The plantar fascia is the soft tissue on the bottom of the foot that connects the heel to the toes. Under regular conditions, the plantar fascia is a flexible and strong section of the foot that helps the foot to support our weight and allows us to stay balanced. If the foot is under abnormal stress, such as excessive body weight, repetitive movements from sports, age or compromised foot function, it can cause small tears in the plantar fascia. These tiny tears typically occur near the calcaneus bone (heel bone), where they become inflamed and cause pain. If this tissue is repeatedly stretched it can cause the formation of heel spurs. Heel spurs are boney growths on the heel that can be the source of much pain.
If you are feeling heel pain, a suggested approach to help alleviate the stress on the bottom of the foot is to use orthotic shoe inserts and do foot pain exercises, that will strengthen the plantar fascia as well. One of the prescribed heel pain exercises is to stretch the foot before getting out of bed. The Plantar Fascia can tighten while you sleep, which causes the strong pain that people feel when they get up. By stretching the bottom of the foot before putting pressure on it, you can alleviate the pain you feel with your first morning steps. Another helpful exercise for stretching out the plantar fascia is to use the arch of the foot to roll a tennis ball or rolling pin. As this becomes less and less difficult you can try the same exercise in the standing position.
The next helpful thing to do is immediately put on a sturdy pair of shoes and orthotic insoles. This will help to cushion and support the bottom of your foot and help to keep it from additional damage. If you use the proper heel pain exercises and orthotic shoe inserts, you will see a great improvement in your heel pain. Make sure to pay attention to your body and if you are experiencing foot pain, see a doctor as soon as possible. This will ensure that your pain does not develop into a more serious condition.
Tags: arch supports, foot pain, foot strecthing exercises, heel pain, orthotic insoles, orthotics, plantar fasciitis, plantar fasciitis exercises, plantar fascitis