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The human foot is a combined structure of base and lever, supporting and balancing the body’s weight while standing, as well as raising and moving the body forward when in motion. Our feet work for us the whole day, whether we stand, play, run, or walk, and in the process they become the most affected part of our anatomy.
The foot is composed of 26 skeletal bones held together by muscles, ligaments and tendons.
When you are standing, half of your body weight goes through each foot. When you stand on one foot, your full body weight goes through that foot. In easy walking, 1 to 1½ times your body weight goes through the foot. In running, however, the amount of force going through the lower extremity is at least three times greater. This demonstrates why even a slight imbalance of the foot and lower limb structure of anyone contemplating any type of sporting activity needs correction.
Flat Feet
The low arch in this foot type is usually associated with over-pronation. This is when the foot strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards too far. If this is allowed to continue it can cause many different types of injury. The instability associated with this foot type and the flattening out of the foot as we bear weight against the ground, can create arch fatigue, heel pain and forefoot problems as well.
“Normal Feet”
The motion of a “normal” foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards a small amount to absorb the shock. This would suggest that you are biomechanically efficient and can use a large variety of shoes.
High Arched Feet
If you have high arched feet, this may indicate that you under-pronate (supinate or roll outward) and are not very effective as a shock absorber.
Your podiatrist may prescribe orthoses for your particular foot problem after a comprehensive assessment, taking into account your own biomechanics, footwear, and occupational and lifestyle factors.
Orthoses provide valuable long-term solutions in the treatment and prevention of corns, callous and ulceration by redistributing the pressure of the body's weight on the feet.
Orthoses also help with rehabilitation of acute and chronic foot conditions such as tendonitis, recurrent ankle sprain and stress fractures, by providing consistent postural control.
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