Footnotes Spring/Summer 08

“Why are orthotics so important?”

Most simply, many people experience foot pain that is related to
structural or biomechanical problems that can be best addressed inside the shoes themselves with orthotics. Orthotics work from underneath your feet changing the surface upon which you walk to better suit your specific biomechanics, support needs and type of activity.

A more detailed explanation is that our feet are designed to walk on varied terrain. They can tackle changing angles, surfaces, densities and textures. With 19 intrinsic foot muscles, 13 muscles that end in the foot, 29 bones and miles of nerves, they are meant to adapt. Being the bodies interface with a challenging terrain, mastering that terrain and keeping our bodies safely moving in our intended direction is their purpose. They do all of this without much conscious thought on our part.

Today, shoes have become a necessity, protecting our feet from the often hazardous conditions, allowing us to live a more varied active lifestyle. However, our feet pay the price for this freedom by being confined. Sometimes, their innate abilities can begin to wane. Misuse, and no use, can cause our feet to loose their innate strength, resilience and flexibility. We injure ourselves. We get older. Our feet change, and then one day, they start to really hurt.

Hence, the need for orthotics. They complete the interface between the foot, the shoe and the ground. They fill in the space beneath the curvatures of the foot with its complex array of interactive structures, and the relatively flat surface of the shoe. They are made to fully accommodate the foot’s natural shape or make needed corrections for improved alignment or function. They also reinforce your foot’s own innate abilities by returning cushion and spring. They assist over-stretched ligaments, over-used muscles, and bones that may be bearing their unfair portion of weight.