plantar fasciitis

Considering custom orthotics?

Maybe your Chiropractor recommended custom orthotics to help treat a painful condition, like low back pain, knee pain or plantar fasciitis. Or perhaps you’re an athlete who wants to improve your performance on the field while protecting yourself from injury. Head to toe (and everywhere in between), research shows that the feet play a critical role in whole-body wellness. Custom orthotics can help keep them balanced and healthy.

But you may be wondering to yourself: why is custom such a big deal when it comes to orthotics? After all, generic, off-the-shelf inserts are cheaper, and they’re everywhere, lining the shelves of a number of pharmacies, super stores, even some grocery stores. Their bright and flashy packaging promises the world: “Get relief from runner’s knee!” “Soothe arthritis pain!” “Helps with low back pain!”

Off-the-shelf, generic inserts: great for arts and crafts or makeshift coasters. Not so great at treating clinical problems like low back pain.

If all that’s true… Why not go for the cheap and easy fix?

What is the big deal about custom anyway?

We’re so glad you asked!

Let’s start with the basics: Your feet are just as unique as your fingerprints. That means your size 9 feet are not the same as your neighbor’s size 9 feet (in fact, if you’re like most people, there are even significant differences between your right foot and left!).

Generic, over-the-counter “orthotics” ignore this crucial fact. Because they’re mass-produced, they can only address only general conditions, for “general feet,” as if such a thing exists. They can’t account for differences between your right and left foot, and they certainly can’t include specific corrections and accommodations for your specific feet, body and health condition(s). As a result, you may be only “half-treating” your issue, “over-treating” it—or not really treating it at all. Not only is this a waste of money, it could have consequences to your overall health.

As the body’s foundation, what you do to your feet can have major ripple effects all the way up the body. Consider this: the average American takes 5,117 steps a day (most of us take more). With each step, improper foot support can reinforce (and sometimes cause) degenerative changes in the muscles, joints and connective tissues of the feet. With the body’s foundation compromised, joint movement, circulation and proprioceptive input throughout the entire body may suffer.

Think about it: Would you take an over-the-counter drug for a problem that requires a prescription? Would you wear a pair of eyeglasses that weren’t prescribed just for your eyes? Of course not. The same logic applies to orthotic support.

No two pairs of feet are alike. Shouldn’t your orthotics be just as unique?

The power of custom orthotics comes from their unique architecture, built just for you based on a 3D scan image or foam impression of your feet, performed by a skilled health professional. Based on this data, highly trained technicians create your wholly unique, tailored product.

Just as no two pairs of feet are alike, no two pairs of Foot Levelers’ custom orthotics are alike. Their precision engineering helps balance the body’s foundation and correct often silent foot problems that may be causing—or at least contributing—to your symptoms. (These same problems can also interfere with the body’s ability to reach peak performance, which is why doctors often recommend custom orthotics for athletes).

Not surprisingly, the results you get with generic may be disappointing at best, dangerous at worst.

Why take the risk?

Don’t be fooled by the gimmicks: nothing is as powerful, proven or effective as custom support for your body’s unique foundation. Talk to your doctor today about Foot Levelers’ orthotics, backed by 37 clinical research studies, 64 years of proven performance and the testimonies of hundreds of thousands of patients. Don’t have a Chiropractor yet? Call us at 800.553.4860 to find one near you.

The real deal: Foot Levelers’ custom orthotics

We received this great message from Dr. Amy Olson in Birmingham, Michigan about her marathon-running patient!

“One of my most memorable patients, an avid runner, suffered from knee and shin pain when I first saw her. The runner was forced to abandon her goals of marathon events but one day said, ‘Forget this!,’ and made an appointment to see me, determined to run in the 2010 Chicago marathon.

She suffered from two very common problems: pelvic torsion, causing a leg-length discrepancy, and the inability to maintain the arches of her feet in a weight-bearing position. Both of these conditions are extremely common and can lead to problems such as: plantar fasciitis, shin splints, patellar tracking dysfunction (knee pain), low back pain, upper back pain, neck pain, and even headaches. For a runner these problems can become magnified due to the extreme stress on the joints of the spine, legs and feet.

I began my patient on a treatment plan of chiropractic adjustments targeting the spine and feet, stretching, massage therapy, and Foot Levelers functional orthotics. Once the pain was under control, my patient continued to see me once per week for the months leading up to the marathon. On the big day, my patient finished the marathon without a hitch.”

Thanks Dr. Amy! We’re glad we could help.

Foot Levelers

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Why ‘Custom’ Matters

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