By Dr. Brian Kosik
Read Time: 3 minutes
Stability starts from the ground up. Our feet are the foundation for our bodies, and spines, while we are upright and walking. It is imperative that we maintain and monitor our support through the arches of the feet. We can accomplish this through custom fit orthotics. Many inserts in shoes or sneakers that we buy in the stores do not properly support our feet. No insert is “one size fits all”. There is a level of specificity that is required to provide the support to our feet that is needed to prevent pain and dysfunction in our spine.
What are Orthotics?
Orthotics are custom fit inserts for our shoes. These provide support to the arches of the feet and relieve stress and pressure while walking and standing. In our office we use Foot Levelers orthotics. Your posture is unique to you, as is your fingerprint. We use a scanner in the office that measures the amount of pronation in the feet, and finds that specific contour of your foot so that you get all day comfort and relief. Height, weight, and daily activity levels are all factors that influence the shape and structure of your unique orthotic.
My Feet Don’t Hurt, Why Do I Need Them?
Foot pain doesn’t have to be present for orthotics to produce results. Even if your feet don’t hurt, pain experienced elsewhere in the body could be due to poor posture and gait. These can be corrected using orthotics. Feet are the foundation of the entire body. If the arches are not properly supported, the entire body could be affected. Feet can be the starting point for pain in the entire body. If your foundation is weak or unstable, the entire structure will be compromised. Reports have suggested that custom fit orthotics can significantly improve your back pain and dysfunction. A combination of Foot Levelers and chiropractic treatment has been proven to provide 40% relief of back complaints.
Another factor and reason for orthotics is posture. Having one leg shorter than the other is another leading cause of pain. Research has shown that even a quarter of an inch discrepancy between leg lengths could cause pain and dysfunction. Along with the help of orthotics, adjustments by a chiropractor can also balance out the leg lengths.
I have always said that symmetry is the key to health and wellness. When we lose that, our body compensates, which can cause additional problems throughout the body. Asymmetry forces joints, bones, and muscles to work differently than they were designed to, and create an abnormal amount of stress on the surrounding tissues and bones. Prevent things like this from happening by getting adjusted, and getting orthotics.
Orthotic Scanning Process
We use a 3D scanner in our office that optically scans your feet and creates an image of specific points of pressure and tension in your foot. These areas show us where more support is required, or where more tension needs to be relieved. It is a quick and easy method to scan the foot. After doing this, we send the data to you through your email so you have it for your own use. We could also send the information to Foot Levelers so that they can create your specific custom fit orthotic for you. We are available during our business hours to perform a scan of your feet and offer our recommendation of which orthotic type would be best for you. Don’t wait to get checked, problems can arise that may not be present right now. Keeping your body in line and in check is imperative, and we are here to help.
Call our office at 610-689-3700 to schedule your foot scan today. Have questions? Email us at Contact@BealerChiroPlus.com.
