Orthotics for Knee Pain: How Custom Orthotics Provide Knee Pain Relief

Knee pain is debilitating. It stops you short and takes your breath away. But knee pain does not mean a knee injury. It can simply mean you need some alignment from the bottom up. Keep reading to learn how orthotics or insoles for knee pain can solve your knee problems.

Knee Pain and Your Feet

Knee pain can come from overuse, underuse, or arthritis. A stable body will help stabilize your knee and keep knee pain at bay. In most cases, retaining balance to your entire body will solve your knee problems.

Many times knee pain stems from your feet. When you feel a sudden sharp pain, stop your activity and seek treatment.

Wearing orthotics combined with seeking chiropractic care can solve your knee pain.

Symptoms of Knee Problems

In addition to the breathtaking pain or the general ache of your knees, knee problems present themselves with stiff and swollen knees. If you cannot bend or put pressure on your knee, you have a problem.

Often knee pain stems from unstable feet. If you under pronate or overpronate, you will have knee problems.

What is Pronation?

Pronation is the inward movement of the foot when it rolls to distribute the impact of a step. All of our feet pronate to a degree. Normal feet will roll inward about 15 percent.

Your feet need to pronate to properly absorb the shock of a step and to properly push off from the ball of your foot for your next step.

Many of us suffer from under pronation or overpronation. Overpronation occurs when your foot rolls inward more than 15 percent. Your foot and ankle cannot adequately stabilize your body, and your foot ends up pushing off the ground primarily with your big toe and second toe.

Underpronation or supination occurs when your foot does not roll inward until after it lands. The outside of your foot takes on most of the shock. Your foot ends up pushing off with the outside of your foot and the smaller toes.

Both under pronation and overpronation lead to knee problems.

Treatment

When you injure your knee, treat the knee first. Use the RICE method of treatment. Rest it, ice it, put compression on it, and elevate it.

Then begin to find the source of your pain by seeking a good chiropractor. Often the source will come from your feet, because if your foundation isn’t stable, then your joints will suffer.

Prevention

Custom orthotics help stabilize your knee. They provide the foundation and correction to your feet so that when your heel strikes the ground, your foot does not roll in or out too much, and this, in turn, will help stabilize your knee.

Orthotics will change how the body distributes stress through the foot and ankle. They help your body to distribute weight and shock more evenly over your foot, and thus they lessen the distribution of force through your knee.

Plus, technicians make orthotics from shock-absorbing material, which reduces stress from your foot to your knee.

An orthotic will change the alignment of your feet and ankles, and thus they change the alignment of your knees. Your knees will have a healthy alignment rather than an alignment that puts stress on the inner or outer knee.  Good orthotics and knee pain do not exist simultaneously.

Recovery

When you have knee pain, take your time to recover. Go slow and easy. After you’ve treated the knee with the proper rest, ice, compression, and elevation technique, slowly move back into activity with your orthotics in place.

Do not resume exercise until your knee pain has subsided and you have a shoe insert for knee pain properly fitted.

Consider Orthotics for Knee Pain

If you have not seriously injured your knee, shoe orthotics for knee pain can solve your problems.

We have orthotic insoles for knee pain that will help. For all of your chiropractic care needs in the Mill Creek area, contact us.

Your Guide to Custom Orthotics and Achilles Pain

You’ve probably heard your Achilles heel is often your biggest weakness. This stretches back to mythology and Achilles himself. He was a great warrior and fighter in the Trojan War. The legend goes that his father, Thetis, took him and dipped him in the River Styx. He held him by the heel and the rest of Achilles body was in the water. It’s believed that the water made him invulnerable and he became the greater warrior that he was. All except for his heel, which was not in the water. This became an Achilles heel or his greatest weakness. Many who have suffered from an Achilles injury might agree with the myth and the associated weakness and pain. So, what should you do when you get Achilles heel pain? What causes it and how can custom orthotics help treat the pain and weakness?

Read on to learn about Achilles heel pain and treatment using custom orthotics.

What Does the Achilles Tendon Do?

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in your body. It connects the heel bones in your foot with the calf muscles in your leg. You need this tendon to walk, run, jump and do any movement where you are standing on your feet.

If you injure or strain your Achilles tendon, you will know because of the symptoms that come with the strain.

Symptoms Associated with Achilles Tendon Issues

Before discussing treatments, let’s take a look at the symptoms associated with an Achilles heel problem. These include:

• Stiffness and tenderness in the heel and back of the leg, usually worse first thing in the morning
• Significant movement like jumping, running, stair climbing causes severe pain
• Starts as an ache that worsens over time
• Pain is located in the lower part of the calf, just above the heel

You might also see redness or swelling in the area signifying a problem.

Treatments

In some cases, the tendon pain that’s bad in the morning eases with movement. In more severe cases, you may need to see a doctor.

Often the doctor will suggest the RICE method: rest, ice, compression and elevation. If you have an Achilles injury ignoring it and thinking you can power through is a mistake as it’s likely only going to get worse.

The doctor can also use custom orthotics to treat your Achilles heel pain. A custom orthotic slides inside your shoe. It raises your heel slightly which relieves the pressure on the Achilles tendon.

The doctor uses either a foam cast or computerized technique to get a mold of your foot. Then the custom orthotics is built specific to the shape of your foot to support it and take the pressure off of the Achilles tendon.

Custom Orthotics for Your Achilles Heel Pain

Are you suffering from heel and lower leg pain? You might have an Achilles heel injury or strain.

We can help address the pain you are feeling. We also build custom orthotics to help treat Achilles heel pain.

Contact us today for more information or to book an appointment to have your Achilles heel evaluated.

Custom Orthotics for Low Back Pain in Mill Creek

The fact that 80% of Americans will experience back pain in their lives is alarming, but it’s even more so when you realize that this isn’t a problem specific to the United States. Back pain is the leading cause of disability around the world, and it inhibits the regular daily functions and lifestyles of billions of people.

If you’re one of the people that’s experiencing this common issue, you’ll be happy to hear that there are natural, holistic treatments that can help. You can get chiropractic care, massage therapy, and, most importantly, insoles for back pain. Read on to learn how orthotics can help you to recover from lower back pain so that you can stay active and live a full life.

The Causes and Effects of Lower Back Pain

There are many potential causes of lower back pain. The most common ones are:

• Too much time spent standing with no breaks (or too much time spent sitting with no breaks)
• An abnormal gait that weakens the muscles and joints in the lower back
• Leg Leg Discrepancy – meaning on leg is longer than the other leg.
• Poor posture- includes slouching when sitting or standing as well as hunching over a book or keyboard
• Any of these causes of back pain can result in one or more effects.

These possible outcomes are:

• Knee, hip, and foot pain because of tissues and nerves connected with the lower back
• Poor posture- this can be both a cause and an effect, making it a vicious cycle
• Radiating pain up the spine and through the body
• Abnormal foot function that leads to bone-structure issues in the feet
• Inability to perform daily tasks due to intense pain

Treatment: Insoles for Back Pain

Because so many causes of lower back pain stem from foot-related issues- poor posture, abnormal gait, and too much time spent standing, custom orthotics one of the best forms of treatment. Insoles can be molded to the precise shape of your foot to ensure that they’re both comfortable and supportive. This will ultimately lead to the correction of your posture and gait so that you can take some pressure off of your back.

Our custom orthotics are made with a 3D computerized technique or computerized technique. The impression of your foot is taken and outlined before being sent to a specialty lab that fabricates the insoles. These insoles will be made from a material that is both soft and comfortable as well as being semi-rigid. This ensures both comfort and support when standing and walking.

Start Feeling Better

An aching back is never fun, but insoles for back pain are an incredibly effective and simple treatment.

Now that you know the causes of lower back pain, why it’s a severe issue, and how you can treat the problem, it’s time to get started with treatment. Click here to schedule an appointment with us. Our knowledgeable holistic health experts will be more than happy to discuss possible ways to help your back stop hurting so that you can feel great and function at 100% again.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a painful foot condition that affects up to 10% of Americans. While it isn’t dangerous, it causes enough discomfort to be the reason for at least 1 million medical appointments each year in the US. Also called “heel pain syndrome”, plantar fasciitis can stop your active lifestyle in its tracks. Thankfully, there are things you can do to treat it. Read on to learn more about this condition, how you can treat plantar fasciitis with shoe inserts, and why your shoes are so important.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis happens when the fascia (connective tissue) of the bottom of your foot gets inflamed and irritated. Many people develop it as they reach middle age, but getting older isn’t the only cause. The reasons for this condition can include:

• Poor shoe choices
• Overweight and obesity
• Frequent strenuous/high impact activity
• Flat feet
• High arches

Contrary to popular belief, bone spurs don’t cause plantar fasciitis. As such, surgery isn’t a reliable treatment option for this condition.

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

If you think you might have plantar fasciitis, here are some of the symptoms to watch out for:

• Stabbing or aching heel pain
• Pain gets worse after long periods of inactivity
• Pain gets worse over time, not better
• Heel swelling
• Pain in your foot’s arch

If your symptoms match up with these, it’s time to seek treatment right away.

How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis

If you’re dealing with this painful condition, there is hope! Here are a few prevention methods and natural treatments for plantar fasciitis so you can get back on your feet in no time.

Prevention

To prevent plantar fasciitis, stay active but try to reduce the impact on your feet when you exercise. If you’re overweight, losing a few pounds can help relieve some of the pressure. Also, make sure to stretch out your feet before and after any activities.

Custom Plantar Fasciitis Orthotics

Plantar fasciitis shoe inserts or orthotic insoles are designed to support the areas of your feet that take a pounding when you walk, run, or jump. They hold your foot in the optimal position for healing so you stop causing more damage during activity.

While some store bought options claim to work, the best orthotics for plantar fasciitis are ones that are custom-fit to your feet. Visit your chiropractor to have a pair made just for you.

Recovery

If you’re already dealing with plantar fasciitis, make sure to follow the instructions your chiropractor gives you. These may include specially designed exercises, stretches, and things to avoid. Remember to wear your orthotics as much as possible to promote faster healing.

Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis Matter, but so Do Your Shoes

If you’re wearing the wrong footwear, your orthotics won’t be able to help you recover. Here’s the lowdown on which shoes are good for feet and which ones you should avoid.

Shoes You Should Wear

The shoes you should wear are ones that provide adequate room for your feet and support for your arches. They should meet these criteria:

• Low-heeled (2 inches or shorter)
• Wide, boxy toes that don’t squish your foot
• Room for your toes (1/2 inch of empty space from the tip of your toes to the front of the shoe)
• Arch support
• Room for your custom orthotics

Tennis shoes or sneakers with good arch support often fit the bill, as can some flat-heeled dress shoes and slip-on loafers.

Shoes to Steer Clear Of

Avoiding the wrong shoes matters as much as wearing the right ones. Watch out for:

• High-heeled shoes (especially stilettos)
• Flat shoes with no support
• Shoes with a tight fit
• Shoes that are too small
• Pointy toes
• Flip-flops and other summer sandals

If you must wear any shoes that fit into these categories, try to do so for no more than two hours at a time. Always remember to stretch your feet before and after wearing these shoes.

Orthotics: a Natural Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

Seeing a chiropractor for plantar fasciitis may not make sense to you at first, but your chiropractor can do a lot more than help your back feel better. It’s time to talk to your Mill Creek chiropractor about getting custom orthotics for plantar fasciitis. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation!