Orthotics
Orthotic
Common foot and ankle problems
Millions of Americans complain of having pain in their feet or ankles each year. The most common types of foot problems are plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, Morton’s Neuroma, and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. The main cause for all of these conditions is that there is some sort of structural problem with the foot.
The foot is made of 28 bones and 25 joints and as a unit they provide the stability and mobility for the body’s various degrees of weight bearing during every day and athletic activities. If there is insufficient or inadequate support from the pedal foundation, the spine will be exposed to abnormal stresses and strains that eventually develop into low-back pain. When the structure of the foot breaks down, the foot does not function as it was intended and pain is usually the end result.
What are Orthotics?
An ‘orthotic’ is a device designed to restore your natural foot function. Many ‘biomechanical’ (walking) complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and lower back pain are caused by poor foot function. Orthotics re-aligns the foot and bones in the ankle to their neutral position, thereby restoring natural foot function. In turn this helps alleviate problems in other parts of the body. Orthotics also give a more even weight distribution, provide shock absorption, and take pressure off sore spots (e.g. the ball of the foot, corns in between toes, bunions etc).
Why should I see a Chiropractor for Orthotics?
Dr. John Erdmann is trained in fitting custom orthotics and can determine if you require orthotics. He treats the whole body and can determine how the use of orthotics can complement our treatment, for example, a back, hip, knee or ankle problem associated with pain. We also use specific mobilization and manipulation techniques to the feet to ensure that areas of restricted movement are released, which will have an effect on how your feet are functioning and will help your problem resolve better.
It doesn’t make sense to just put an orthotic in a shoe without both using manipulation to clear the restrictions in your foot and give specific exercises to strengthen the supportive musculature.
For example, if you came to us complaining of back pain, we would not just give you a back support belt and leave you to it. We would combine manipulation and exercise in order to try to restore you back to full and normal function and give you an exercise program to strengthen the supportive core musculature. We apply the same principle to all muscle- and joint problems, which typically yields better results.
