|
An estimated 70% of Australians suffer from a condition called over-pronation or 'fallen arches'. Some people over-pronate more than others. The fact that so many of us have fallen arches can be contributed to the hard, flat surfaces we walk on daily. Also, age, weak ankle muscles and body-weight play a role. Hence, over-pronation is much more prevalent in people in their fifties and older and also in overweight persons.
For many people and especially younger people, over-pronation doesn't pose a real problem. However, abnormal foot function caused by over-pronation can lead to various problems like heel pain, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, even knee pain and low back pain!
Orthotics correct the problem of over-pronation and can help reduce or eliminate many common aches and pains. Orthotics are not expensive (between $30 and $40 per pair). Buying a pair of orthotics can be a worthwhile investment in your health, because they can also prevent many future biomechanical problems.
An 'orthotic' (orthotic insoles/shoe inserts or orthoses) is a device placed inside the shoes with the purpose of restoring our natural foot function. Many common complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are caused by poor foot biomechanics. (Biomechanics is the science of movement and studies the body's movements during walking, running and sports). The most common form of bad foot biomechanics is over-pronation. This is the dropping of the arches and rolling inwards of the feet and ankles. An estimated 70% of the population suffers from over-pronation. Orthotics correct over-pronation and re-align 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!
Generally speaking, there are 3 different types of orthotics:
1) Custom-made (rigid) orthotics: These orthotics are for patients with serious biomechanical disorders i.e. more serious than the common degree of excess pronation that most of us suffer from. Custom-made, rigid orthotics are only available from a Podiatrist. For example, some people suffer from ‘supination’ – the opposite to pronation. Their feet roll outwards or 'supinate' and the arch remains high and stiff when hitting the ground (this is called a Cavus foot or High Arched foot and only affects 5% of the population). Supinators will need a custom-made orthotic that corrects this type of malfunction. Also, people with very large bunions, foot ulcers, foot deformities or completely flat feet will need to see a Podiatrist. After initial diagnosis the Podiatrist will decide on a 'customised prescription orthotic'. Next, a plaster cast of the patient's foot is made (a negative impression) and this cast is then sent to an orthotic fabrication laboratory. A positive cast is formed by pouring plaster into the negative. The result is an accurate ‘copy’ of the underside of the foot. From this the orthotic technician (Orthotist) will make a custom orthotic and they will include the necessary adjustments, as instructed by the Podiatrist. The result is a rigid (or semi-rigid) orthotic device. Although biomechanically correct, many patients find it very hard getting used to these devices.
2) Heat-mouldable orthotics: Heat-mouldable orthotics are a cheaper alternative to expensive custom orthotics (which can cost $400 - $600 per pair) . They are a standard 'off-the-shelf' flexible device made of medium-firm density E.V.A. material. The device can then be heated to slightly alter the shape. Sometimes wedges are added for a more customised result. Heat-mouldable orthotics cost around $100 to $140 and are a lot easier to get used to than custom rigid orthotics.
3) Pre-made ‘off the shelf’ orthotics: Pre-made orthotics are a soft-medium density shoe insert, available from pharmacies, on-line (from specialist websites) and also from some physiotherapists and chiropractors. People will get used to these orthotics almost immediately and the cost ranges from $30 to $50 per pair. Research has shown that for 80% of people suffering from over-pronation a pre-made orthotic will provide sufficient correction. Also, after a few weeks of wear these type of orthotics will customise to the wearer’s footshape, because of their body weight and body heat. Most pre-made orthotics are made of EVA, a flexible material that supports the foot without hurting the arches. Children and the elderly will especially benefit from a softer type of orthotic as they generally cannot tolerate anything hard under the foot.
There’s a big difference between footbeds and orthotics! Regular footbeds 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 do not correct over-pronation. Orthotics are a functional device, designed to correct and optimize our foot function. Some footbeds also feature an arch support, but often the support is to weak to have any effect, especially if the footbeds are made of soft materials.How do orthotics exactly work? First of all, orthotics do a lot more than supporting the arches. Orthotics re-align the feet and ankles and restore ‘faulty’ foot function. In addition, orthotics provide an 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 and in many cases this will reduce pain and prevent future problems and injury.
Years of use has proven that most foot complaints will respond favourably to treatment with orthotics. Orthotics are found to be very effective for treating heel pain, heel spurs, Plantar Fasciitis, pain from bunions, callous and corns, Achilles Tendonitis, Ball of Foot Pain and Morton's Neuroma.Our feet are the foundation of our body and many problems in the legs, knees and back can be attributed to poor foot biomechanics. Therefore, orthotics can be very useful in the treatment of shin splints, knee pain and lower back pain. This the reason that many physiotherapists and chiropractors have started using orthotics. Over-pronation at the feet causes the lower leg to rotate inwards and the pelvis tilt forward, in turn putting a lot of strain and stress on the legs, knees and back. Orthotics correct the problem of over-pronation and therefore greatly reduce internal leg rotation and forward pelvic tilt. A study from the USA "identified the nature of a person's walk as a source of chronic lower back pain," The study further showed more than a fifty percent improvement in alleviation of back pain after wearing orthotics.
Any person suffering from foot pain will generally benefit from wearing orthotics. It is estimated that 70% of the Australian population suffers over-pronation - rolling inwards of the foot and fallen arches - the major contributing factor to foot problems. As we get older this problem often worsens: the muscles and ligaments in the foot become weaker, as do the bones due to calcium reduction. In addition, the fatty padding under the foot thins out, which means less protection and cushioning for the the bones - in particular the heel bone. Therefore older people will almost certainly benefit from wearing an orthotic insole. Other groups include:
- factory workers, nurses, teachers, people in retail and in the building industry. Anyone who is required to stand on their feet for 6 hours or more per day..
- women wearing dress shoes or shoes with heels. They often suffer from pain under the ball of the foot (Metatarsalgia) and/or aching legs.
- runners and athletes: because athletes put so much strain on their muscles and bones and ground reaction forces are much higher (up to 5 times the body weight) biomechanical injuries are very common. Orthotics can play an important in preventing sports injuries such as Achilles Tendonitis, shin splints and problems in the knee joint.
- children 8-years and up: Sever's Disease, Osgood-Schlatters and Growing Pains are the 3 most common biomechanial complaints in children. Because the child's bones have not been fully developed ('ossified') and children are very active it may disrupt the growth plates causing inflammation and pain. Orthotics help stabilise the excess movement in tendons and joints, thereby relieving many aches and pains
- people with diabetes and also arthritis sufferers
- overweight or obese people
Unlike custom-made hard orthotics, Footlogics orthotics are made of a flexible material called E.V.A. The major advantage of E.V.A. is that it is supportive and 'giving' at the same time! As you apply weight to the foot there is a certain amount of 'give' in Footlogics, providing shock absorbtion to the feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. This makes the device much more comfortable and more natural compared to hard orthotics. Young children and the elderly especially will benefit from a softer type of orthotic such as Footlogics as they cannot tolerate anything hard under the foot.
Because Footlogics is made of a medium density E.V.A they will need to be replaced every 12-24 months to be remain 100% effective. It also depends on how often the orthotics are worn and the level of activity. For example, someone who uses Footlogics at work, wearing the orthotics 8 hours per day and doing a lot of walking and standing should replace them every 12 months.
No, it will not take long at all. Because of the 'feet-friendly' materials used in Footlogics and its anatomic shape (following the foot's natural curves) it takes a very short time to get used to our orthotics. Most people will find them comfortable immediately after inserting in them their shoes. Some people, however, need a few days to get used to them. If the orthotic feels strange or uncomfortable at first, we recommend you wear them only for a 1 hour per day and increase the wearing time by an extra hour every day - until they feel completely comfortable.
Yes, Footlogics orthotics fit in most types of shoes. They come in different models to suit different types of footwear. The Casual model is designed to fit in almost every type of dress shoe, brogue, boat shoe - i.e. all low or flat-heeled footwear as long as the shoe is not too narrow.
The Comfort model is a full-length orthotic more suited to deep, roomy lace-up shoes and boots, including all athletic footwear and also golfing shoes. Please note that the Comfort can be trimmed with scissors to fit the shoe, should they be too long.
Footlogics Catwalk is designed to fit ladies' high heel shoes, narrow-fitting footwear, court shoes as well as medium to high heeled sandals and boots.
No, best not. The easiest way to clean Footlogics is to simply wipe them with a warm soapy cloth. Please, do not soak them!
Footlogics orthotics have helped many thousands of people in Australia, as well as in Europe and America. Although we cannot judge your individual situation and specific complaint, we are almost certain that our product will be of assistance by reducing or eliminating your complaint. Orthotics in general have been used for over 40 years by thousands of medical practitioners and are still used today. The simple reason: they work!
Don't take our word for it. We invite you to try Footlogics orthotics for 30 days. If you find they have not lived up to their promise, you simply return them to us for a full money refund. No questions asked. Click here for more details regarding our 30day-Money-Back Guarantee.
|
|
