When “FEET GO FLAT” Everything Changes

There are more than 300 different foot ailments. Some can be traced to heredity but more often they are a result of years of wear, abuse and the fact that most of us suffer from some kind of biomechanical misalignment.  Luckily, most of these problems can be successfully prevented or treated thereby minimizing our pain and damage.

Over 85 percent of the population “Over-Pronates”. Over-pronation is the excessive motion of the ankle inward as you apply your weight to the foot. This over-pronation eventually results in a lowered arch, flat feet and a whole array of other problems. A foot which has moved past its’ ideal position is now in a state of biomechanical misalignment which will cause many of the most common of foot problems that people have today.
Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain), Bunions, Neuromas, Hammer Toes, Shin Splints even knee, hip and back pain can be the direct result of a misalignment of the feet. Prevention and treatment of these conditions need not be difficult if approached before they become serious injuries or deformities.

Arch Supports that are properly shaped to the foot and contain modifications and corrections to benefit the individual user can be your best defense against many of these painful and sometimes debilitating ailments.

Plantar Fasciitis is the most common foot complaint found in the foot care profession today.  Every time your foot strikes the ground the plantar fascia is stretched, causing it to pull away from the heel bone. That leads to inflammation and discomfort at the heel.  If Plantar Fasciitis is not treated for an extended period of time it could develop into a heel spur.

An orthotic (custom made arch support) to fully support the long arch of the foot has proven to be very effective in controlling over-pronation.  Limiting the over stretching of the fascia will prevent the inflamation which causes the pain and will allow the condition to begin to heal.

Bunions are mostly the product of over-pronation. Tight or pointy shoes are often blamed for bunions but biomechanical malfunction of the foot is more often the cause. The excessive forces placed on the first metatarsal head (the ball at the base of the big toe) cause the big toe to be pulled inward, this repeated malfunction thousands of steps a day eventually forms the bump on the side of the big toe, a Bunion.

A custom orthotic can help to properly redistribute the forces of walking across the entire structure of the foot. Eliminating the damaging forces can stop the progression of a bunion. If nothing is done the bunion will usually continue to get worse and could eventually need surgery.

Neuromas and Hammer Toes are the result of abnormal pressure across the forefoot. This pressure squeezes and irritates the nerves between the toes and causes the painful Neuroma which can feel like a hot marble. The same pressure can also place unbalanced forces on the extensors and flexors of the toes and pull them up into the common deformity called Hammer Toes.

A well placed modification, called a metatarsal pad, on a properly shaped orthotic can reduce these forces on the forefoot and allow the toes to better extend. The pad can also help to relieve the pressure on a neuroma by increasing the space between the metatarsal heads.

Overly pronated arches cause the knees to rotate inward and change the angle of the leg bones to the ground. This creates abnormal forces in the joints and can lead to more biomechanical malfunction and pain in the knees, hips and back.
Custom orthotics, with the proper amount of arch and modifications suited for the individual, bring the body back into alignment and allow for proper biomechanical function and healing to begin.

Proper fitting footwear is essential. Stable footwear will not flex excessively through the arch and should have a strong heel counter to properly support the foot.  Many shoes can accommodate custom orthotics.  This combination can provide the best foundation for healing.

FOOT SOLUTIONS in Temecula specializes in providing solutions to biomechanical alignment problems originating at the feet. We carry every level of support from off-the-wall to the most advanced custom biomechanical arch supports available today. FOOT SOLUTIONS is located at 29700 Rancho California Road in Temecula in the TARGET shopping center. For more information call (951) 506-6325.