Why we need orthotic support
Did you know that your foot has 3 arches? Most of us only know about the medial (inside) arch.
This posses 2 problems – firstly our shoes do not support us correctly; and secondly we walk on artificially hard surfaces like concrete, tiles and floorboards which is extremely hard on the feet!
By the age of 75 we walk on average 160,000 Kilometers or 4 times around the equator. Doing this on hard surfaces causes many problems, most commonly loss of one or more of the arches in your feet.
More importantly we start to reduce the neurological or proprioceptive input to the brain, essential for balance, injury and fall prevent.
Orthotics insoles are designed to provide the support where it is needed, and help the body perform as it was designed.
Research shows that by the age of 20 over 93% of the population has dropped arches in the feet. This has happened because we are no longer walking on the surfaces we were designed for – we have made hard surfaces such as concrete, tiles and floorboards which just smash our feet.
Our feet are our foundations, as soon as we put our body weight onto our feet we need our feet to give us support. If the arches drop or collapse we lose stability throughout the rest of our body.
This can lead to a range of problems including:
- Foot Pain / Plantar
- Fasciitis
- Knee Pain / Osgood-schlatters disease
- Growing Pains
- Low Back Pain
- Hip Pain
Who do you think should be scanned?
- 77% of people suffer from moderate to severe pronation
- 95% have some degree of leg length inequality
- Low back pain is the #1 cause of work-related disability in Australia
- 80% of people will experience back pain of some sort in their lifetime
The Footlevelers Digital foot scanner provides digital illustrations of your feet and their skeletal structure based on their scans so you can:
- Diagnose the biomechanical causes of low back, knee and hip pain
- Quickly and easily determine their levels of pronation
- Quickly identify weight distribution issues caused by pronation
How the orthotic support works
The purpose of the arches is to provide stability whilst standing, and the
ability to absorb stress whilst walking, running and jumping – similar to a shock absorber.
If the arches have lost their integrity, this will result in a lack of stability when standing. If the arches drop whilst we are active this can result in straining of the plantar fascia (the ligaments under the feet) as well as problems throughout the leg and low back.
To help the foot overcome the stresses involved with standing, walking and running on hard surfaces such as concrete, wooden floors and tiles we recommend orthotics.
Providing support during heel strike helps with conditions such as heel spurs, whilst the three arch support system helps reduce stress on the plantar fascia so heel spurs and plantar fasciitis can be overcome more quickly and even prevented from occurring in the first place.
Having support under the first metatarsal helps support the foot during “toe off” (the final phase of gait), and along with the three arch support system they help to prevent the formation of bunions.
By wearing orthotic insoles you can help correct foot problems such as plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Morten’s neuroma and bunions.
The most exciting thing about using orthotics is the way it helps the foot to work better by providing support exactly where your natural design needs it most. By supporting your feet you also support your ankles, knees, hips and low back – which provides your whole body with greater stability and strength.
Why use orthotics?
So often we find orthotics that are rigid or too firm. This does not allow for your natural spring like action in the arches whilst you walk, run or jump. These may keep your feet in an anatomically desirable state like you see in a text book, but they do not help the foot function the way it was designed.
Often the first arch to drop or collapse is the lateral arch, and we have not been able to find another generic (not custom made) orthotic that attempts to support all three arches.
Our 6 support system is unique, and it has been demonstrated to help provide benefits far beyond just your feet.
Ask Us How we can Help You!
Digital Foot Scan:
Do you know which one is normal?
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Feel Better Today - $49 Health Check-Up
Come in for your Discovery Process to find out what are the causes of your symptoms.
Includes:
- Thorough consultation
- X-Rays
- Explanation of results
- Digital Postural Assessment
