Your feet are the foundation of your body. Much like a house, if your feet are not stable and well supported, the rest of the body can feel out of balance. Footwear and orthotics can be an integral part to keeping the house stable and pain away from more than just the feet! Orthotics work to redistribute pressure in addition to helping control abnormal lower limb alignment and positioning. Today we’ll talk about how different types of lower limb pain can be addressed and influenced by the feet!
Ankle Pain
The ankle most commonly moves in two main ways, pronation, and supination. And we see these motions occurring more with either pes planus or pes cavus feet. Pes planus, or flat feet, tend to experience more overpronation which can lead to more medial ankle pain with a higher likelihood for developing plantar fascia pain. Pes cavus feet, or high arch feet, experience more ankle supination and as a result, more lateral ankle sprains.
Knee Pain
The heel’s position can significantly influence the alignment of the lower body, particularly the knees. Whether the heel turns inward or the foot pronates, the rest of the foot tends to follow suit. Pronation can increase the stress on the knee’s inner or medial structures, while supination limits the foot’s motion and can reduce pressure redistribution upon impact.
Hip Pain
Some of the most common causes of hip pain are arthritis and bursitis. Osteoarthritis occurs over a lifetime and is a result of general wear of the joint itself, or secondary to injury. Bursitis is similar in that it is also most caused due to overuse but can occur much more rapidly than hip osteoarthritis due to acute injury. Bursas are fluid-filled sacs that surround joints. Often, they work to cushion bones, tendons and muscles around joints. As these become inflamed, bursitis can form. Orthotics work to aid in relieving hip pain by working on shock absorption and pressure distribution. If we get the body moving better, we can remove more pressure from the trouble areas.
Lower Back Pain
        With lower back pain many factors can be at play and it’s never as simple as changing one thing. How we sit, how we work and how we move are all extremely important factors in the equation. The beauty of orthotics in helping to manage ongoing back pain is alignment. By aligning our foundation, we can stop excessive movement higher up before it starts. As our ankles move, our knees move, and onwards up the movement goes. This is called the kinetic chain. Stopping some of this additional movement before it goes up the kinetic chain is critical in stopping pain before it starts.
Come See Us!
Don’t let the risk of injuries get in the way of doing the things you love to do. Please book an appointment with us today! At BioPed Footcare, whether its orthotics, footwear or bracing we are here for you. With our on-site lab there is nothing we can’t do! Meet with one of BioPed’s lower limb clinicians to see how you can keep your feet and legs healthy!
