Do My Feet Need More Support?
/Feet can be a primary or secondary cause of many different conditions.
A common sign and symptom we hear is “the pain and discomfort is fine in the morning but worse as the day goes on.” Most people think that it is an overuse type complaint but it can also be foot related. This is because the majority of people are in shoes all day regardless if it is a pair of heels, loafers, or vans.
The foot provides stability, function, and proprioception which will provide a good defense for staying injury free. These can become challenged when the foot is compromised due to injury, poor gait mechanics, or most of the time collapse of the arch. There are actually 3 different arches in the foot, but most people just know about the big one on the inside of the foot.
When we walk there are four different phases of gait. Initially we land on our heel, transition to the outside of our foot, roll toward our big toe, and then push off through the big toe. One of the biggest things we want to do is make sure that your foot is strong enough to maintain its normal shape when we walk. If we don’t have the strength and stamina then we will make different compensations ranging from rolling too far in (over pronation), pushing off through other parts of the foot, or walking on the outside of the foot.
All of these compensations can cause local problems such as plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, or bunions. They can also cause problems further up such as knee pain, hip pain, or even low back pain.
One of the best things to do is have your foot and ankle evaluated to see if having an orthotic can be beneficial to help you build the support in your foot and ankle. The orthotics main goal is to give you support while we work to strengthen you. Having that extra support in your shoes allows you to put weight on it and walk normal with more ease.
