What are Orthotics and Why You May Need Them If You Have Flat Feet
  The Reason Why You May Need Orthotic Insoles

An estimated 70% of the inhabitants of the earth deal with a condition called over-pronation, something that can be the culprit for severe consequences over the years. Certain people over-pronate more than others. The fact that so many people have flat feet is because of the flat and hard surfaces we walk on every day. In addition, age, weak ankle muscles and body weight play a role. For this reason, over-pronation is much more prevalent in people in their 50’s and above, and also in people that may be over their ideal weight.

For a lot of individuals, over-pronation doesn't cause a real problem, especially for younger people. Nevertheless, abnormal foot function caused by over-pronation will cause a variety of ailments like plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia - even knee pain and low back pain!

Orthotics correct the matter of over-pronation and can help reduce or get rid of many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Orthotics are not pricey, costing between $30 and $40 per pair. Buying a pair of orthotic insoles can be a valuable investment in your health, because they can also stop many future biomechanical problems.

What Exactly Are Orthotic Insoles?

Orthotics are products which are placed inside your footwear with the goal of restoring our corect foot function. Many common issues such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are caused by poor foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the research of movement and analyzes the body's movements during walking, running, and sports. The most familiar type of abnormal foot biomechanics is over-pronation. It involves falling of the arches and rolling inwards of the feet and ankles. On average, 70% of the population suffers from over-pronation to different extents. Orthotics fix over-pronation and re-align the foot and ankle bones to their correct position, reinstating the original foot function. Simultaneously, this will help ease troubles not only in the feet, but also in other areas of the body, in particular lower body parts such as the hips, lower back and the knees.

Orthotic Insoles: The Difference With Regular Insoles

There’s a large difference between ordinary shoe insoles and orthotic insoles. Standard shoe insoles are only designed to offer a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may feel comfortable at first, however they do not address any biomechanical problems i.e. they do not relieve over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotic insoles are practical devices, built to correct and normalize our foot function. Some shoe insoles also feature an arch support, but often the support is insufficient, especially if the shoe insoles are made of soft materials.

So how do orthotic insoles exactly work? First of all, orthotic insoles do a great deal more than providing support to the arches. Orthotics bring back the correct position of the feet and ankles and restore normal foot function. Additionally, orthotic insoles enable a smoother spread of our body weight, taking pressure off painful areas such as the ball of the feet, heels, corns and bunions, etc. Additionally, they supply a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their main goal. The main purpose of orthotic insoles is to improve foot function. In many cases, this will reduce foot discomfort and put a stop to future troubles and damage.