Insoles for flat feet Hi, I found this blog about these new insoles for flat feet (overpronation). You may want to check it out. Here is the link: http://myflatfeet.blogspot.com/ The insoles are thin, don't have arch support but raised wedge under the big toe. That does the trick and builds up the muscles in your arc and also controls your posture. Neat.
Ok I know this is an old thread but i just have to say this. I've played volleyball for seven years, starting in high school. I'm a guy and I jump pretty high so my legs take a pounding during games. Playing for my college club team, I began suffering from foot soreness and patella tendonitis (basically pain right below the kneecap). I thought it was Jumper's Knee, so I bought all kinds of fancy knee braces. The braces helped but didn't solve the knee pain. I always knew I had flat feet, but didn't think it was a serious problem. Two days ago I went to my doctor for a regular checkup and mentioned the knee pain. He asked me to stand barefoot, and was horrified at how flat my foot arches were. Basically the entire bottom of my foot was flush to the ground and my ankles were severely pronated. The good doc wrote me a referral to a podiatrist to get some custom arch support insoles. However, I had a v-ball tourney scheduled for today so I wanted to address the problem immediately. I stopped by a Walgreens and bought an arch support half-insole, it kinda looks like this... http://www.myfootshop.com/images/products/893_orthotic.jpg They're light as a feather and only cost 9 dollars, put them in my volleyball shoes, played 4 matches in the day. WOW. I just finished the tourney (my team won), I'm relaxing expecting the usual foot soreness and knee tendon pain, and theres NONE!!! My legs feel tired but my feet and knee joints feel like I spent the day swimming, not jumping 2 feet into the air and crashing down hundreds of time in a few hours. THIS HAS BEEN A REVELATION. I will wear arch insoles for the rest of my life and I can't believe I didn't start wearing them years ago. My advice for every flat footed person on EARTH... it doesn't matter if you play volleyball, basketball, badminton or poker, GET ARCH INSOLES. Stop by any pharmacy like a Walgreens or Eckerd or Rite Aid. There will be different styles, gel insoles, foam or rubber. Try 'em on and get the one you like. It will only cost about ten dollars and it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Any flat footed person here have a job as a waiter or clerk where you have to stand all day? Get arch insoles and say goodbye to the pain forever. (Well you still have to work at the job but at least your feet won't hurt anymore. I work at a supermarket so I know the pain) Last point: Your podiatrist can make custom insoles for you, but they'll probably be hard plastic; fully rigid insoles aren't as comfy. Plus I don't think typical health insurance covers custom insoles. Instead of playing 100+ dollars for a custom rigid insole, grab the ten dollar foam ones that are nearly as good and can flex with the shoe.
Good point indeed, I don't use custom insoles but I use custom orthos for my feet and if I had to spend a 1000 dollars on my feet. I will..just because it's part of your body and you want to take care of it. I would agree with you on the arch supports because they are fairly cheap and from the sounds of this product it seems to be quite good. Here I will also suggest a way to relieve from high arch, flat feet,etc. The answer is...custom orthos. I know they are very expensive, ranging to the few hundred dollar mark. To be honest I have to say using these my feet don't get sore after a 30 minute walk around the streets. They help me in badminton because of the support on my feet. And if you have a health insurance that covers medical things such as braces, orthos for teeth,feet etc. Try to ask if that company will cover the cost of the orthos. I just think that custom orthos might be better than the arch supports, I may be right I may be wrong. I thought about this, everyone has different feet so a typical arch support might not be able to support everyone's need. So that's why I suggest trying custom orthos. Or just buy these arch supports to see how they go. And yes..definately get these arch supports if you don't want to spend too much on custom orthos.
i actualy think flatfooted does have to do with athleticism. if your born to be a good athlete. you really dont need to be taught to move on your tippy toes? lol i forgot what the front of ur foot is called.
Great, if you want to take a risk with your health. If you have a lower limb biomechanical problem and you feel the local supermarket can provide you with the same expertise as professionals who daily prescribe devices for problem feet and legs, that's fine, but it's not generally the advice I would give to those serious about their body or their sport. That said, there are a number of recent RCT studies which observe there is little difference in clinical outcomes for the treatment of plantar fasciitis with custom -v- prefabricated orthoses, although the latter type of device was not the kind you buy at the local Walmart. Much also depends on the ability of the clinician who examines you and their experience in dealing with a dysfunctioning foot in a high impact sport. My advice would be therefore, to seek out a podiatrist who specialises in sports biomechanics and can offer you all the various treatment modalities and give an indication of their effectiveness. BTW good custom orthoses are usually made from composite graphite and will cost anything between $400 and $1400
That's true...I just need custom orthos--mine around around $200-$400 range. All I know it's customized and works 100% for me. I never heard about composite graphite =( maybe I should ask that store that makes custom orthos for me XD.
Would absolutely not recommend these insoles - this particular blog is nothing more than a marketing ploy from the distributors of 'posture control insoles' a crank device which is claimed to work by stimulating the nerves in the feet. The insoles are marketed predominately by a Prof Brian Rothbart - a podiatrist who had his practising license revoked in the USA for fraud and misrepresentation. He now works in europe and sells these insoles, which he claims cures all ills from infertility to dental pain and uses the internet to promote them. Rothbart is a conman and snake oil salesman par extraordinaire. Avoid at all cost.
how'd it affect? i'd been playing running all type of sports for years with flat feet but never given me any probs xD
I am flat footed, and I do find badminton shoes uncomfortable because of that. I use volleyball shoes which has more arch support, along with contoured gel soles
wouldnt arch support make you feel more uncomfortable? it's like something pressing against my flat sole <_>
I guess it depends on the degree of how flat footed you are. Since it is more natural to have an arch, for me it feels better, and I can move better; admittedly though, you have to get used to it in the beginning, but the adjustment is still better than moving about a lot with the flat foot. I had to wear customized orthopedic soles when I was a kid just to be able to endure sports activities, as my feet would really be in such pain, even from long walks without the support
Same thing happened here-except it wasn't soles it's some thing you slide inside your shoe. Yes, at first the orthos will not feel that comfortable but you'll get used to it eventually.
A much more interesting question is how many players develop hallux limitus (loss of dorsiflexion of the big toe) which is much more indicative of adverse clinical pathology. Studies show tht high impact sports such as badminton, squash, sprinting & etc are more likely to cause functional hallux limitus where there is contributory fators like flatfeet and medially deviated subtalor axis, but players can also develop structural hallux limitus which is caused by trauma to the big toe joint and a resultant increase in tensile stiffness which may lead to osteoarthritis and eventual joint fusion. To check if you suffer from this, stand and pull the big toe upwards. You should have about 70-90 degrees of movement relative to the metatarsal. If not.....:crying:.....see your podiatrist!
i think mine's pretty normal but what really gets me is that mine pretty wide in front like duck's feet. it annoys the hell out coz its just absolute horror to find shoes that fits all-round. i have to tied the lace hard out so the shoes gripping my feet otherwise it will move forward/backward. u guys have this kinda prob? mine's prob very very wide so any shoes usually dont last long and its always the front outer side =(
If you have problem with your feet or you need knee braces, I would suggest you go to a qualified podiatrist and get a biomechanical examination. The podiatrist is qualified to treat your problem, somethimes with custom made orthotics. I have had problems with my knees for years which forced me to use knee braces all the time. After seeing a podiatrist who made me a pair of cutom made orthotics, I no longer use any knee braces. Having used one pair of custom made orthotics for 4 years, I knew it was time to have a new pair when my right knee needed a knee brace. After fitting the new pair the right knee brace is now no longer needed. I strongly suggest to any of you who have to use knee braces to have a proper biomechanical examination of your feet, ankles and knees by a podiatrist. Wearing knee braces is symptomatic of some biomechanical problem with your feet that distribute your body/impact load unevenly, hence the need for knee braces which are merely bandaids that do not solve and correct the root problem.
