Orthotic Insoles and How They Can Help Your Flat Feet

Orthotics and Why Many People Can Benefit From Them

An average of 70% of the population of the world deal with a foot condition knnown as over-pronation, which can cause many serious foot problems over time.   While some individuals overpronate more than others, the fact that so many individuals have flat feet can be attributed to the flat, hard surfaces that we run around on daily.  Additional factors include age, weak ankle muscles and excess body weight.  Hence, overpronation is much more prevalent in people in their fifties and above, and also in those that are overweight.

For many individuals, over-pronation doesn't pose a real problem, especially for younger people. However, improper foot function caused by over-pronation can result in a variety of issues including plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, ball of foot pain- even knee pain and low back pain!

Orthotics correct over-pronation and can help reduce or eliminate many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Prefabricated orthotics are inexpensive, with a price from $30-40/pair. Buying a pair of arch support insoles can be a valuable investment in your health, because they can also help avoid many future foot problems.

Orthotics: What Are  They?

Orthotics are products which are placed inside the shoes with the purpose of restoring our normal foot function. Many ordinary complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and lower back pain are produced by inferior foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the science of movement and analyzes our body’s motion during running, walking, and sports. The most familiar type of bad foot biomechanics is overpronation. This consists in the dropping of the arches and rolling inwards of the feet and ankles. Approximately 70 percent of humans suffers from overpronation to various extents. Orthotics fix overpronation and restore the alignment of the foot and ankle bones to their correct position, reinstating natural foot function. Simultaneously, this will help ease issues not merely in the feet, but also in other areas of the body, especially lower body parts such as the hips, lower back and the knees.

Orthotics: The Difference With Regular Insoles

There’s a big difference between standard insoles and arch support insoles. Standard insoles are specifically designed to offer a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may be comfortable at the beginning, however they do not deal with any biomechanical problems i.e. they do not relieve overpronation. On the other hand, arch support insoles are practical devices, built to relieve and regulate our foot function. Some insoles also include an arch support, but often the support is ineffective, especially if the insoles are made of yielding materials.

So how do arch support insoles exactly work? First of all, arch support insoles do much more than give support to the arches. Orthotics restore alignment of the feet and ankles and restore normal foot function. Additionally, arch support insoles create a more even spread of our body weight, taking pressure off sore areas (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes and bunions). They also provide a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their chief goal. The main purpose of arch support insoles is to improve foot function. In many instances, this will reduce foot discomfort and help stop future problems and harm.

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