Your feet support the weight of your body, a considerable task for such small appendages. Your feet also provide balance and mobility, and any disruption in these functions can have a domino effect on your entire body.
At Apple Podiatry with convenient locations in Arlington and Irving, Texas, we aim to provide our patients with the best tools for better overall function. Among the most useful tools are custom orthotics, which can help to realign your body, improve your athletic performance, and prevent injuries.
Here are 5 benefits of custom orthotics beyond foot pain.
Proper walking means that your weight is balanced and spread out evenly over each of your feet. While this is ideal, in reality, a lot of people don’t have balanced feet, which leads to gait problems such as pronation (your ankles roll inward), supination (your ankles roll out), and overpronation (your ankles roll too far down and in).
When you think about how much you walk every day, it’s clear that gait problems can cause stress on areas of your feet and ankles that aren't designed to carry the additional load. With custom orthotics, we can rebalance your feet and ultimately improve your gait.
As noted above, pronation, supination, and overpronation can cause gait problems, but imbalanced feet can also cause a misalignment in the lower portion of your body. This can lead to pain in your knees, hips, and your back. Even the slightest imbalance can throw off your musculoskeletal system in unexpected ways. Think of it as a magnifying effect — that small problem in your foot is amplified each time it passes through a major joint, from your ankles to your hips and ultimately your spine.
Orthotics can correct the issue at its source, setting your whole system straight again for optimal, pain-free function.
If you have fallen arches, arches that are too high, or even bunions, these seemingly small issues can impact how your performance on the field, on the court, and on your daily jog. Custom orthotics position your feet –– and the rest of your body for peak performance.
Over-the-counter shoe inserts and other products may provide some cushioning and support. But they aren’t designed to match your feet and goals, like custom orthotics that we make do. Custom orthotics start with a mold of your feet. From there, we make the necessary adjustments to improve your performance or structural problem.
Your feet are under constant stress during most of your waking hours, and they can use some TLC. Custom orthotics provide an extra layer of protection and shock absorption for your feet, softening each step.
To learn whether custom orthotics can help you, request an appointment with the experts at Apple Podiatry, either by phone or using the online scheduling tool.
