Orthotics: How They Can Help Plantar Fasciitis Due to Fallen Arches

Why Do We Need Orthotics?An average of 70 percent of people all over the earth deal with an ailment called over-pronation, something that can be the culprit for painful conditions as time passes. Some patients overpronate more than others. The reason why so many people have flat feet is because of the flat, hard surfaces we walk on daily. Also, age, weak ankle muscles and body weight play a role. For this reason, over-pronation is much more prevalent in adults in their 50’s and above, and also in people with excess weight. For lots of individuals, over-pronation doesn't pose a real problem, specifically for younger people. However, improper foot function caused by over-pronation will cause a variety of issues including plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia - even knee pain and low back pain!Orthotics correct the problem of over-pronation and can help lessen or get rid of 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 orthotic inserts can be a worthwhile investment in your health, because they can also help avoid many future biomechanical problems.What Exactly Are Orthotics?Orthotic insoles are products which are put inside the shoes with the goal of restoring our natural foot function. Many common ailments such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are caused by poor foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the science of movement and observes the motion of our bodies while running, walking, and performing sports. The most common kind of abnormal foot biomechanics is over-pronation. It involves falling of the arches and the turning in of the feet and ankles. On average, 70% of people experience over-pronation to varying degrees. Orthotic insoles fix over-pronation and realign the foot and ankle bones to their neutral position, reestablishing the original foot function. At the same time, this will help ease issues not merely in the feet, but also in other sections of your body, particularly the lower body such as the knees, hips and lower back.What is the Difference Between Orthotics and Regular Insoles?There is a great difference between average insoles and arch support inserts. Standard insoles are only designed to give a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may feel comfortable at to start, however they do not focus on any biomechanical issues i.e. they do not relieve over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotic inserts are operative devices, created to correct and optimize our foot function. Some insoles also include an arch support, but often the support is insufficient, especially if the insoles are made of yielding materials. So how do orthotic inserts exactly work? To beging with, orthotic inserts do a lot more than giving support to the arches. Orthotic insoles bring back the correct position of the feet and ankles and restore normal foot function. Additionally, orthotic inserts provide a more even spread of our body weight, keeping pressure off tender spots (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes and bunions). Additionally, they provide a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their chief goal. The main intention of orthotic inserts is to improve foot function. In many situations, this will lessen pain in the feet and help stop future troubles and damage.