An Introduction To Orthotics And Healthy Foot Alignment
August 24th, 2010 -- Posted in Feet | No Comments »Feet provide the foundation for our entire body. If the the feet are misaligned you can be certain that other parts of the body will also fall out of alignment. Think of it as a chain reaction. Lets say a person is pronating as a result of a collapsed foot arch. Their leg will be rolling inward forcing their knee to jut out. Their hip will have to compensate so that they retain their balance and the muscles in their lower back will tighten. If they continue to pronate over a prolonged period of time it’s highly likely that knee, hip or back pain will follow.
Pronation can also cause the bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles in the foot to become misaligned resulting in the formation of calluses and bunions. A healthy posture requires all parts of the body to be aligned, starting with the feet. Studies have shown that poor foot function can even effect the alignment of our jaw!
Unfortunately our feet were not designed to walk on hard surfaces. Unlike on soft surfaces like sand, grass or soil our feet are unable to shape themselves to hard surfaces and ensure an even weight distribution across the entire foot. When we walk on hard surfaces most of our weight falls on our heel and the balls of our foot. After some time our arch can collapse causing our feet to pronate inwards.
Plantar fasciitis – where tears form in the band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot between the hell and toes – is also a common foot disorder. The good news is that orthotics can help in combating the pronation and platar fasciitis. They also provide greater stability and balance and assist in shock absorption. Most people who suffer from pronation and plantar fasciiitis experience an immediate relief from orthotic shoes and insoles. Two good brands of orthotics are Orthaheel footwear and Walfit orthotic insoles.