How often do you really think about your shoes? Most of the time we rush to lace up our sneakers before hitting the gym or slide on a pair of flip flops to go out to run errands without thinking twice about what we’re putting on our feet. At the end of a long day, you might find yourself complaining about back aches or knee pain and attribute it to poor posture at your desk or a tougher than normal workout. That may be a factor, but it could also be that your footwear isn’t providing you the appropriate level of support.

Your feet are the foundation of your body, and good support and proper alignment of the feet can help alleviate pain in your ankles and other joints, as well as improve performance in your favorite sports and activities. Orthotics, or custom-made inserts, are a great way to improve the support and cushion in your shoes and improve your gait and overall alignment. Foster Chiropractic offers our patients a customized treatment with Foot Levelers, the world’s leading provider of custom-made orthotics and therapeutic products. 

Our process starts with an analysis from the 3D Body ViewR imaging unit from Foot Levelers, a tool that allows Dr. Foster to help identify problems in your foot’s anatomy that might be causing pain. In addition to the imaging, Dr. Foster will do a physical exam and analyze your gait, watching your feet, ankles, legs and hips as you walk. The analysis is then used to create an orthotic just for you to help alleviate your pain and provide the cushion, support and positioning to give you optimal performance in all of your daily activities.

Many of us live with poor positioning, high arches, or minimal cushioning without even being aware of the problems it causes in our daily lives. Other people might realize these issues are causing pain and irritation, but not know it could be avoided. Some of the issues orthotics can help with include:

·      Rheumatoid arthritis. This auto-immune disease can cause poor positioning and swelling in the joints of the body, including the feet.

·      Plantar fasciitis. Heel pain from inflammation of the band tissues that run along the bottom of the foot.

·      Back pain. Poor positioning, such as arches that roll inward, can cause back pain from walking with a misaligned gait over time.

·      High arches. This anatomical condition can cause stress in the muscles of the feet which leads to shin splints, knee pain and plantar fasciitis.

Orthotics and a foot adjustment by Dr. Foster make sure all the foot bones are aligned makes sure the foundation of your body is as strong as the foundation of your house. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Foster today to have your feet examined. You’ll be surprised how much better your whole body will feel!