Orthotic Fittings at Menner Chiropractic
At Menner Chiropractic our doctors often proscribe custom orthotics for their patients. Our goal is to get you back to where you belong and eliminate or reduce spinal stress.
Getting the orthotics customized to your individual needs will help reduce irritation and mechanically get your feet back in a neutral position. Orthotics can help people struggling with Plantar Fasciitis, knee pains, hip discomfort, and even lower back pain.
What Are Orthotics?
Orthotics (also known as orthotic insoles, shoe inserts, or orthoses) are devices placed inside the shoes with the purpose of restoring our natural foot function.
Orthotics are necessary when the natural biomechanical balance of our lower body has been disrupted by over-pronation. Many common complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and lower back pain are caused by poor foot biomechanics.
Biomechanics is the science that studies the body’s movements during walking, running and sports. The most common form of bad foot biomechanics is over-pronation, which is the dropping of the arches and rolling inwards of the feet and ankles, and affects an estimated 70% of the population.
Orthotic insoles correct over-pronation and realign the foot and ankle bones to their neutral position, restoring natural foot function. In turn, this will help alleviate problems not only in the feet, but also in other parts of the body, such as the knees, hips, and lower back.
Why Do We Need Orthotics?
Over-pronation. It is estimated that 70% of the population suffer from a condition called overpronation due to flat feet or fallen arches. This condition presents itself in varying degrees of severity, with some people over-pronating more than others.
The fact that so many of us suffer from over-pronation due to fallen arches can be contributed to the hard, flat surfaces we walk on daily.
Other factors that play a role include age, weak ankles, and excess body weight. As a result, over-pronation is much more prevalent in people in their fifties and older, and also in overweight persons. Orthotics help realign your lower body
Over-pronation doesn’t pose a serious problem in many cases, especially for younger people. However, abnormal foot function caused by over-pronation can lead to serious foot problems like heel pain, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia – even knee pain and lower back pain in some instances.
Orthotics correct the problem of over-pronation, and can help reduce or eliminate many common aches and pains. Orthotics are an effective and inexpensive solution to the over-pronation problem.
Buying a pair of orthotics can be a worthwhile investment in your health, since they can prevent many serious lower body problems.
How Are Orthotics Different From Regular Shoe Insoles?
There’s a significant difference between regular insoles and orthotics. Regular insoles are purely designed to provide a cushioning effect and shock absorption.
They may feel comfortable at first, however they do not address any biomechanical problems, i.e. they are not designed to correct over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotics are a functional device, designed to correct and optimize our foot function.
Some insoles also feature an arch support; however they tend to be mostly made of soft materials. As a result, the support they provide is often too weak to have any effect.
How Do Orthotics Exactly Work?
First of all, orthotics do a lot more than support the arches. Orthotics realign the feet and ankles, and restore deficient foot function. In addition, orthotics enables a more even weight distribution, taking pressure off sore spots (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes, and bunions).
They also provide some degree of shock absorption, but this is not their main purpose. The main purpose of an orthotic insole is to improve foot function, in many cases reducing pain and preventing serious problems and injuries in the future.
Struggling with Plantar Fasciitis?
Breaking the Cycle of Pain
Plantar fasciitis is a condition that can be alleviated and even healed, but to achieve relief, it is critical to break the cycle. But what does it mean to break the cycle?
Essentially, to keep the pain away, it is vital to keep your feet properly aligned. Our doctors emphasize the importance of supporting your feet from the first step you take in the morning to the last step you take at night.
This constant use of orthotic support assists in keeping your feet properly aligned so they can function as they are intended, taking stress and strain off your plantar fascia.
Do You Need Orthotic Inserts?
Plantar fasciitis can cause excruciating pain. Wearing unsupportive shoes can be a cause of plantar fasciitis, especially while walking regularly on hard, unnatural surfaces.
With such foot pain, many people are often forced to become less active while diagnosing and treating their plantar fasciitis. By wearing orthotics for plantar fasciitis, it’s possible to experience immediate relief.
Furthermore, with consistent use, you may be able to reduce your plantar fasciitis in the long term. To book an appointment, or for more information about whether Orthotic Fittings from Menner Chiropractic Sports Medicine, please call 847-540-6060.
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