foot

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Do you suffer from corns, calluses, bunions?
Foot or leg aches?
Pain in your heels or hips?

Foot pain can be a symptom of other problems.

Certainly, foot pain is enough to make you irritable. But did you know that foot symptoms can mean you are suffering from some kind of postural problem? If you're like 80% of the population, you suffer on occasion from hip, back and neck complaints, many of which can be traced to a malfunction in the feet.

A study by The Langer Biomechanics Group, the largest custom orthotic laboratory in the world, shows that four out of five people in the United States have a foot problem that is significant enough to cause symptoms at some time in their lives. Factors such as occupation, recreational activities and environmental stresses cause your body to compensate for deficiencies and abnormalities in the functioning of your foot.

How your feet work.

Your foot is made up of 26 bones that function first as a mobile adapter, then as a shock absorber for the rest of your body. During the mobile adapter phase of walking or running, the foot is a "loose bag of bones" that can be placed on any surface and still help maintain the equilibrium of your leg and body above. As adaptable as your foot's structure must be, it must also be capable of locking itself into a rigid structure so that it can act as a lever, first to stabilize and lift your body's weight and then to propel it forward.

The timing of your gait is as important as the foot's structure. When timing is off, the body's weight and stress enter the foot at a time when it is not prepared to receive it. This results in an unstable foot that has bones moving in abnormal directions through abnormal ranges of motion.

Over the years, if your foot function is poor, your feet will functionally adapt. Therefore, when the doctor examines you, knowledge of biomechanics and anatomy must be applied to mentally reconstruct the feet to how they appeared and worked before the alterations caused by years of activity and environmental stresses.

Unaware of these slow adaptations that occur over the years, most people tend to ignore their feet until they are in pain. Then they will seek the advice of a medical specialist who will work toward relieving symptoms and correcting their condition.

Correction of Foot Function with
Biomechanical Orthotic Devices

Often, as a part of biomechanical treatment, an orthotic device is custom-made for the patient. These prescription devices create more normal foot function of the feet and legs by maintaining the anatomical angular relationships between the segments of each foot and leg. Components called control posts, added to the front, rear or both ends, are ground to specific angles. These control posts cause the orthotic device to move or subtly rock into specific positions at specific times in the gait or walking cycle. This action controls abnormal motion without restricting normal motion and eliminates the jarring effect commonly associated with conventional arch supports. A truly biomechanically-designed orthotic device will decrease or eliminate foot symptoms, corns and calluses. And very often, this prescription orthotic can reduce leg and back fatigue resulting from using the wrong muscles at the wrong time.

Beginning Biomechanical Treatment

Your medical specialist will make casts of your feet taken in a "neutral" position, that is, capturing the proper angular relationships between various segments of each foot. Models of your feet will be constructed at a laboratory such as that of The Langer Biomechanics Group, where doctors and technicians will determine the best functioning positions. The bodies of the orthotic devices are contoured and angled over these models.

The material from which the orthotic is created depends on the degree of control required, your physical status, daily activities, occupation, and type of footwear you use. Because they are custom-made prescription devices, the orthotic will conform to the desired contours of your feet and will vary in length and width. The front edge of the orthotic device may appear smaller than your foot since it always ends just behind the weight-bearing surfaces of the metatarsal heads. Because of their design, devices take up a minimal amount of room in the average shoe.

Hurting should not be a part of your everyday life.

After a biomechanical examination, your specialist might recommend orthotic devices, and other courses of treatment such as strapping, physical therapy, manipulation or adjustment. You may also be given a beneficial stretching program to improve flexibility, depending on your case and physical capabilities.

By following your doctor's instructions exactly, you can be on the road to eliminating painful foot and postural problems.

Remember, you cannot undo in a few weeks what your body has taken years to create.

Ask questions and express your concerns; your specialist in biomechanics of the foot and leg understands that when your feet hurt, you hurt all over, and has the knowledge to help.

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