Over the past 25 years, I have discovered that one of the biggest challenges facing a limb chiropractor is the general public lack of knowledge about the feet and how they affect other parts of the body. From a very young age, we have not correctly understood our anatomy and how different body parts interact and influence each other. This comes into play when combining the use of orthotics and three-foot insoles in chiropractic treatments.

Allopathic drugs are where most patients seek medical care. These practitioners train patients from a very young age, and pain is an indicator of when to call the doctor.

Usually only treat the pain of diseases such as plantar fasciitis, metatarsal pain and Achilles tendinitis, rather than identifying and correcting the root cause of foot/foot dysfunction and biomechanical problems. Interestingly, many patients with defective foot biomechanics do not have any foot pain at all in their lives.

However, based on my experience, I have found that more than 87% of people in a standing position show signs of flat feet or internal rotation, which can cause knee, hip, pelvis, neck and spine pain and dysfunction. Even common diseases such as shin splints and ankle sprains can stem from unhealthy foot function.

If you ask 10 people on the street this question, "How many arches do we have under each foot?" They will most likely answer "one." The average person will never know that we have three functional arches forming the plantar vault.

Above: Plantar arch: A – C = internal arch (medial longitudinal arch); B – C = external arch (transverse longitudinal arch); A – B = foot span (anterior transverse [metatarsal] arch). Most patients from healthcare providers agree that the inner arch is the only arch that exists. This kind of misinformation can affect people's purchasing decisions for foot-related products (especially orthotics).

Attention must be paid to proper education of patients so that they understand the difference between mass-produced universal insoles and custom orthotics for three-foot arch insoles. Three-foot arch insoles are designed to solve the unique biomechanics of each patient and restore all three. The natural and healthy function of the person is arched, thereby stabilizing the whole body.

Dictionary.com defines the term "orthosis" or orthosis as "a device or support, especially for the foot, used to relieve or correct orthopedic problems." The definition itself is vague. The orthotics market is confusing because it is flooded with too many cheap pre-made products.

On the one hand, retail/pharmacies, online retailers and some care providers offer many ready-made, pre-made, non-custom orthotic brands. Manufacturers use attractive marketing and compelling statements to influence customers' impulse purchases in order to relieve pain and improve athletic performance.

On the other hand, flexible, customized orthotics and tri-arch insoles have been around for more than 69 years. These custom orthoses can only be obtained from specially trained and qualified healthcare providers who evaluate the foot through a weight-bearing scan or foam casting process. The job of doctors is to provide these products in their practice and educate patients about their benefits. Let us make some common corrective phrases and concepts clearer so that you can get better care outcomes by helping your patients make more informed choices.

When promoting orthotics, we often see comments like this:

The implication that prefabricated orthotics has been clinically proven is very vague. They usually have only one dental arch, so they end up helping some patients more than others. Some people don't feel better or even worse.

If the person’s internal arch is flat, they may get some initial pain relief from these orthoses, but the other two arches (lateral/lateral arches) will not benefit from these ready-made orthoses. Due to the lack of support, the feet will actually continue to flatten over time. During this period, their defective foot biomechanics may disrupt the stability and healthy function of their entire body.

The custom flexible orthosis with three-foot arch insole has passed more than 37 scientific studies, and its effectiveness and success rate have been verified in countless patients. You can access and read many research articles, case studies and white papers. These studies and over 69 years of successful implementation by countless healthcare providers around the world have clinically proven that these orthoses are very effective.

The podiatrist’s view of the foot is more static than dynamic. They only treat the patient's feet and rarely consider the above-mentioned bone structure and related joints.

They also tend to echo the concept of internal arches or single arches, so their patients will not be exposed to the existence and importance of supporting three arches. The options for podiatric orthoses can range from very expensive, rigid, single-arch orthoses to telling the patient to go to the store and choose an off-the-shelf brand. This can be very confusing to the patient.

Recall that the body is a dynamic system. The feet/ankles closely affect the knees, hips, pelvis and spine. As chiropractors, we understand this relationship. When the feet are excessively internally rotated, this affects other parts of the body, and they can significantly cause some very common clinical conditions for patients to seek care, such as low back pain.

In our society, we are used to getting what we want quickly. When patients feel pain, they want immediate relief. Off-the-shelf orthotics companies try to take advantage of this. Instead of waiting for a custom shaped orthosis that fully supports the patient's body, they try to get customers to take a bite of a poor-quality product because it is easily available.

Taking the time to scan or cast patients and customize a pair of orthotics with three-arch insoles for them ensures that they have an unparalleled product that is specifically designed for their feet and their entire body.

When I scan and evaluate the patient’s foot, I can submit a customized orthosis order on the same day. If patients need to be faster, they can pay some additional fees to speed up the transportation. If this is what the patient wants, then getting a customized orthosis quickly has never been a problem.

The term "you get what you pay for" is appropriate here. The price of the prefabricated orthotics that are removed from the shelves and mass-produced is 35-80 US dollars, and the materials made of the materials can be sold at a low price.

When these companies produce such low-cost products, how can they really use high-quality materials? Look at the websites of these prefabricated orthotics companies and see what materials are inside the insoles, you can see that there are not many of them. Products under $100 are expected.

The custom flexible orthosis with triple-arched insole is made of high-quality, high-performance viscoelastic materials, which can absorb shock, enhance stability and provide propulsion during all weight-bearing activities. Their designs and materials have been developed for more than 69 years based on feedback from patients and doctors. For the best care results, patients should always wear orthoses, so durability is very important.

Off-the-shelf orthotics companies hope that the low price of their products will be very attractive to consumers. This strategy suits them because they are dealing with customers who do not understand the arch and foot anatomy. Their advertisements often emphasize low prices and immediate availability.

As chiropractors, we are aware of the importance of the three arches and the importance of choosing orthoses for patients. We will not compete with online retailers, sporting goods stores or pharmacies on price because their pre-made orthotics are of poor quality and effectiveness.

Each foot has its unique biomechanical properties and dysfunction. By clearly analyzing the feet (using a digital scanner or foam model), it is similar to a prescription for glasses, where the lens correction for each eye is usually different. For effective and accurate arch support and body stability, each foot needs to be customized for all three arches.

Healthcare providers trained in prescribing custom orthoses provide patients with a proven value-added "experience" rather than impersonal off-the-shelf solutions. There is no need to keep inventory on site, and the one-year money-back guarantee convinces patients that spending more money on quality products is the right move and enhances the value of their custom orthotics.

For a long time, patients have wrongly believed that we only have one arch under each foot. The prefabricated orthotics company succeeded in attracting these customers by using its single-arch insole to further spread this myth.

Provide your patients with awareness and education about custom orthotics, once they understand the anatomy of the foot and how it affects their body, they will be very suitable for the custom, three-foot, flexible orthosis you provide as a chiropractor .

KEVIN M. WONG, DC, graduated from the University of California, Davis, and graduated with honors from the Palmersey College of Chiropractic in 1996. He has been a chiropractor and continuing education lecturer for more than 24 years and is the owner of the Orinda Chiropractic and Laser Center in Olinda, California. His practice has had an evolving influence on the course materials he teaches chiropractors, chiropractors assistants, and students. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Foot Orthotics Speech Bureau. He is often invited to give lectures on topics such as limb/spine adjustment, foot biomechanics, orthotics and ergonomics, and teaches more than 120 in the United States and internationally each year. Hours.

Submitted as follows: foot orthotics, resource center marked as: custom orthoses, foot orthoses, orthotics

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