Do you ever have a day where you have to say no to an activity because your feet just hurt? We understand that life gets busy and can keep you on the go much longer than anticipated. Between work or school, kid drop offs and walks with friends, life makes you move! At BioPed, we believe you deserve to do more of what you love without pain getting in your way. It may not even register as pain, but if you have sore feet, achy legs or a tired back, you may be in need of some comfort and support. BioPed clinicians are uniquely positioned to help you do more by providing you with a thorough biomechanical assessment, excellent products and ongoing care to keep you happily on your feet all day long.
Properly fitting shoes can make a world of difference. Shoes are with us every step of the day. They are the interface that our feet use to interact with the ground, and they need to be given more care and consideration if we want them to work for us, instead of against us.
Common complaints that keep us from doing more in our day:
Pain in the Toes – From slightly scrunched to blistered from friction, our toes are what push us from one step to the next, and these seemingly small discomforts can quickly stop us from doing more in our day. If you are kicking off your shoes before the end of the day and spreading out your toes, taping their blistered tips or seeing red pressure splotches all over them, your shoes are probably too tight. The properly fitted shoe has the depth, width and length that allows your toes to move without being pinched, squeezed or rubbed the wrong way.
Pain at the Heel – Whether the pain is under the heel, through the heel, or right on the back, there are many shoe features that can help to alleviate these daily discomforts. When the shoe is too big the heel can slip around and even out of the shoe causing blistering and soreness along the tendons that rest there. Having a cushioned collar and deep heel cup to hold the heel in place can minimize these effects. Supportive, cushioned heels that are resilient as well as comfortable can increase shock absorption and decrease throbbing, achy heels.
Pain at the Ball of the Feet – Corns, calluses, redness, swelling, soreness… any of these along the ball of the foot indicate that there is too much pressure happening in that bony area of the foot. This is the on-the-go movement, that push from the whole foot to the forefoot, and when it’s painful it drastically changes our yes to adventure, to a no from the couch. Properly fitting shoes that have a stiff forefoot rocker can help to propel you through your day with ease by offloading the front of the foot and lessening pain with each step.
How do orthotics fit in?
Quite literally, they fit into those new properly fitting shoes! When the shoe supports the foot, the shoe will also support the orthotic against your foot. With custom made orthotics designed to offload the sore, painful areas of your feet you can do more every day! Orthotics impact us from the bottom up. They offer firm support to the flexible foot, and cushioned shock absorption to the high arched foot, while considering points of pain and offloading those areas of discomfort. When your feet are feeling good, so are you, and you deserve to feel great when you’re out there living your life. Let your feet take you on every path your heart desires by fitting your feet into custom orthotics and properly fitted shoes with your lower limb team at the BioPed location nearest you.
