When experts on feet address pain or injury, you can bet your last dollar that “customized” foot orthotics are going to be framed in such a way as to show where they may have value. May being the keyword.
Talk about weaving a tall tale. Blending what comes out of pain science with the next best guess as to where orthotics fit doesn’t change the fact that there’s going to be a whole lot of additional compensation that follows the use of foot orthoses.
You aren’t likely to hear a foot orthoses enthusiast say, “Now, keep in mind, this is the next best option.”
Of course not. You also won’t hear any mention of custom shoe insoles throwing off the timing at which joints move. That’s a problem because the joints throughout your foot are expected to absorb shock with a device that forces your feet, hips, knees, and spine to take on more stress. Not to mention that muscles throughout your feet and the rest of your body will be weaker for what’s underfoot.
If you have experienced pain in your foot, and you went to a foot orthoses enthusiast, I’m willing to bet they added to the overall amount of instability. From there, it’s a matter of secretly crossing their fingers and hoping your body figures out how to compensate in such a way as to no longer experience the sensation of pain.
By putting pricey pebbles in your shoes, it’s possible to turn down the frequency of pain.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes and without your conscious awareness, another workaround was formed.
Before using custom orthotic inserts, it’s entirely possible you had muscles that weren’t capable of answering the call at the right time. Unfortunately, experts on all things feet didn’t let you in on that side of the story. (You aren’t alone.)
(Priorities)
I’ll let you in on a little secret, resorting to putting orthotics in shoes takes less time than it takes to address muscles.
Imagine what happens when one muscle can’t answer the call. Your feet won’t be prepared for landing. If that same muscle can’t prepare your foot for a relatively soft landing, it’s also not going to control your foot as it comes in full contact with planet Earth.
Without knowing it, your foot is crashing into the ground with more force than it would when that one muscle is capable of pulling (generating tension) at the right time.
Underperforming muscles are ignored for addressing symptoms.
And yet, in most cases, pain and injury come down to a muscle’s inability to pull at the right time.(Principles)
Remember, when experts address pain or an injury, locally, they miss many muscles that contribute to function elsewhere.
Muscles as far up as your hips and spine allow your feet to be more responsive to what the ground is bringing on every step.
If you’re thinking, “Why didn’t anyone make me aware of this before now?” I can see why you would think that.
“…if all you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
– Abraham Maslow
Two Things About Strength and Conditioning
Having recently read a relatively new book called, Loserthink by Scott Adams (a.k.a., the creator of the Dilbert comic strip), my brief interaction with this tribe of orthotics enthusiasts reminded me of how difficult you have it. That’s the reason for the #Loserthink in my initial tweet.
Rather than restore stability, podiatrists, chiropractors, and physical therapists who sell orthotics increase compensation. By bringing the ground up to meet your arches, your feet are unable to initiate shock absorption. Your feet have nowhere to go but out.
In other words, your feet are forced to underpronate, a.k.a., supinate. With feet functioning from a position that’s far from optimal, more stress is forced upon your knees, hips, and spine.
That’s even the case with your shoulder. (emphasis added)
When it comes to working with orthopedic injuries and the musculoskeletal system, luck and placebo will only take an expert so far.
Much like the over-the-counter store-bought kind, custom foot orthoses are a crutch. If your feet (and body) can adapt to your foot orthoses, down the road, they will become an anchor. So much so that you will get to the point of not being able to walk around your house without arch support.
What you just read is proof that orthotics take more than they give.
Continually pursuing and practicing that which doesn’t allow for the best possible outcome doesn’t lead one to achieve more expertise. There is deep work and a state of flow though. It’s this level of sacrifice, focus, and consistent effort that it takes to achieve mastery in something that has real power. The kind of power that when used for good, touches lives in ways that most practitioners dreamed about before entering their field of study. Sadly, most practitioners will never experience this level of work (or expertise) for themselves. In my mind, that’s no way to spend the majority of the hours you’ll have in this lifetime. Delivering on a promise is a gift for both the receiver and the giver.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Engaging Muscles. You can also like Engaging Muscles on Facebook, subscribe to my YouTube Channel, or feel free to connect with me on Twitter @rickmerriam.
[Some of the links I’ve shared with you are affiliate links. In other words, if you make a purchase using one of these links, I will receive a commission. The commission doesn’t cost you any more than what you would pay for these items on Amazon (as an example). When you use any one of these affiliate links, you’ll be supporting the Engaging Muscles Podcast. This will help me to keep putting out valuable content.]Book mentioned:
LoserThink by Scott Adams
Product mentioned:
I have held a license to practice massage therapy for thirty years. For eighteen of those years, I was a nationally certified personal trainer. During that time, I completed thousands of one-on-one personalized fitness training sessions. I went on to teach the biomechanics of exercise to personal trainers, group exercise instructors, and physical therapists throughout New England. Teaching exercise biomechanics led to consulting for The Greenbrier, Canyon Ranch, and ESPN, which evolved into providing deep tissue and sports massage for four years at ESPN.
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