Orthotics: How They Can Help Plantar Fasciitis Due to Flat Feet

Why Do We Need Orthotic Insoles?

An estimated 70 percent of the population of the world deal with an ailment called over-pronation, something that can be the culprit for painful conditions over the years. Some patients overpronate more than others. The reason why so many of us have flat feet can be attributed to the flat and hard surfaces we run around on every day. Additionally, age, weak ankle muscles and body weight play a role. For this reason, overpronation is much more widespread in folks in their 50’s and above, and also in those that are overweight.

For lots of people, over-pronation doesn't create a real problem, specifically for younger people. Nonetheless, improper foot function caused by over-pronation can result in a number of problems like plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia - even knee pain and low back pain!

Orthotics fix the problem of over-pronation and can help diminish or eliminate many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Orthotic insoles are not expensive, costing between $30 and $40 per pair. Purchasing a pair of arch support inserts can be an important investment in your health, because they can also prevent many future biomechanical ailments.

What Are Orthotic Insoles?

Orthotic insoles are devices that are placed inside the shoes in order to restore our corect foot function. Many common ailments such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are produced by poor foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the science of movement and analyzes the motion of our bodies while running, walking, and participating in sports. The most usual form of irregular foot biomechanics is overpronation. It consists in the arches being dropped and inward rolling of the feet and ankles. Approximately 70 percent of people suffers from overpronation to varying extents. Orthotic insoles improve overpronation and re-align the foot and ankle bones to their proper position, reinstating natural foot function. Simultaneously, this will help relieve issues not merely in the feet, but also in other parts of the body, particularly the lower body such as the knees, hips and lower back.

Orthotic Insoles: The Difference With Regular Insoles

There is a great difference between ordinary insoles and orthotic inserts. Regular insoles are only designed to offer a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may be comfortable at to start, however they do not address any biomechanical issues i.e. they do not relieve overpronation. On the other hand, arch support inserts are practical devices, designed to correct and regulate our foot function. Some insoles also contain an arch support, but often the support is too weak to have any effect, especially if the insoles are made of spongy materials.

So how do arch support inserts precisely work? First of all, arch support inserts do a great deal more than giving support to the arches. Orthotic insoles bring back the correct position of the feet and ankles and restore correct foot function. Also, arch support inserts cause a more even weight distribution, taking pressure off painful locations such as the ball of the feet, heels, corns and bunions, etc. Additionally, they provide some degree of shock absorption, but this not their main purpose. The main intention of arch support inserts is to correct foot function. In many cases, this will diminish pain in the feet and put a stop to future problems and injuries.