Orthotic Insoles: Important Facts You Need to Know

Why Do We Need Arch Support Insoles?

An estimated 70 percent of the population of the planet deal with a problem called over-pronation, something that can be the culprit for many foot problems as time passes. Some patients over-pronate more than others. Why so many people have flat feet can be attributed to the hard, flat surfaces we run around on daily. Also, body weight, weak ankles, and aging can be a factor. For this reason, over-pronation is much more common in folks in their 50’s and older, and also in people that may be over their ideal weight.

For many sufferers, over-pronation doesn’t create a real problem, particularly for younger people. Nonetheless, irregular foot function caused by over-pronation will cause various problems like 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 eradicate many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Orthotics are inexpensive, costing between $30 and $40 per pair. Acquiring a pair of orthotics can be an important investment in your health, because they can also prevent many future biomechanical ailments.

What Exactly Are Arch Support Insoles?

Orthotics are products which are put inside the shoes to restore our corect foot function. Many familiar ailments such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are triggered by flawed foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the study of movement and studies the movements of our bodies during running, walking, and performing sports. The most usual type of improper foot biomechanics is over-pronation. It consists in the arches being dropped and rolling inwards of the feet and ankles. Approximately 70 percent of people deals with over-pronation to different extents. Orthotics fix over-pronation and restore the alignment of the foot and ankle bones to their correct position, restoring natural foot function. At the same time, this will help ease problems not merely in the feet, but also in other areas of the body, particularly lower body parts such as the hips, lower back and the knees.

What is the Difference Between Arch Support Insoles and Regular Insoles?

There’s a great difference between standard insoles and orthotic shoe inserts. Regular insoles are specifically designed to provide a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may be comfortable at to start, however they do not focus on any biomechanical troubles i.e. they do not fix over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotics are functional devices, designed to fix and regulate 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 orthotics exactly work? To beging with, orthotics do a great deal more than giving support to the arches. Orthotics bring back the correct position of the feet and ankles and restore correct foot function. Furthermore, orthotics cause a more even weight distribution, keeping pressure off painful locations (e.g. the heels, the ball of the foot, corns in between toes and bunions). Additionally, they create some degree of shock absorption, but this not their chief purpose. The main purpose of orthotics is to correct foot function. In many cases, this will lessen foot pain and help stop future problems and injuries.