The Reason Why You May Need Orthotic Insoles

Approximately 70 percent of the inhabitants of the world are diagnosed with an ailment called over-pronation, which can cause painful conditions as time passes. Some individuals overpronate more than others. The reason why so many of us have fallen arches is because of the flat, hard surfaces we walk on each day. In addition, body weight, weak ankles, and aging can be a factor. Therefore, over-pronation is much more common in adults in their 50’s and above, and also in overweight persons.

For lots of people, over-pronation doesn't cause a real problem, especially for younger people. However, irregular foot function caused by over-pronation can lead to a variety of ailments including plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia - even knee pain and low back pain!

Orthotics correct the matter of over-pronation and can help lessen or eradicate many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Orthotic inserts are inexpensive, with a price from $30-40/pair. Buying a pair of orthotic shoe inserts can be an important investment in your health, because they can also stop many future biomechanical imbalances.

What Are Orthotic Insoles?

Orthotic inserts are products which are placed inside your footwear to restore our natural foot function. Many common complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are produced by poor foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the research of movement and analyzes the motion of our bodies while running, walking, and participating in sports. The most familiar form of improper foot biomechanics is over-pronation. It involves falling of the arches and inward rolling of the feet and ankles. On average, 70 percent of humans experience over-pronation to varying degrees. Orthotic inserts fix over-pronation and restore the alignment of the foot and ankle bones to their proper position, returning normal foot function. In turn, this will help ease issues not only in the feet, but also in other parts of the body, especially lower body parts such as the hips, lower back and the knees.

Orthotic Insoles: The Difference With Regular Insoles

There’s a big difference between standard shoe insoles and orthotic shoe inserts. Ordinary shoe insoles are specifically designed to give 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 correct over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotic shoe inserts are functional devices, built to fix and regulate our foot function. Some shoe insoles also contain an arch support, but often the support is too weak to have any effect, especially if the shoe insoles are made of spongy materials.

So how do orthotic shoe inserts exactly work? First of all, orthotic shoe inserts do a great deal more than supporting the arches. Orthotic inserts restore alignment of the feet and ankles and restore proper foot function. Also, orthotic shoe inserts cause a steadier weight distribution, taking pressure off tender areas (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes and bunions). They also supply a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their key purpose. The main intention of orthotic shoe inserts is to make foot function better. In many cases, this will lessen foot pain and help stop future troubles and injuries.