Back to school is around the corner, and we’re sure you can’t wait to meet your new students. But one thing you probably aren’t excited about is the pain and discomfort you feel from being on your feet all day. Teachers can spend many hours standing and walking while they teach. This can take a toll on their feet, causing some serious pain. If you are a teacher gearing up for the new year, we recommend you get fitted for custom orthotics.
Protecting your feet is important, especially when you are on your feet teaching all day. While you could buy over-the-counter orthotics, they won’t be the same. Custom orthotics are individually made to fit your foot, tailored to your shape and size, made by a 3D mold of your foot. Your podiatrist will take into account your height, weight, medical history and more when making your custom orthotic. We’ve compiled a list of 5 benefits of wearing custom orthotics:
Giving Your Feet Support
Your feet support your entire body weight, so if they are not properly supported, it can cause issues within your whole body. It is important to provide support for your feet no matter what you are doing.
Custom orthotics support the arches of your feet and provide balance when you walk. Since custom orthotics are specifically designed to conform to your foot, they will give you optimal balance and support as you go about your day. Custom orthotics can also correct common misalignments and foot abnormalities like high arches and collapsed arches.
Protecting Your Joints
Every time your feet hit the ground, whether you’re walking, running, or jumping, the force applied to your feet, legs and spine is equivalent to several times your weight. Over time, this can cause pain and soreness. Custom orthotics can aid in supporting the force load and distribute even pressure across the surface of your feet. They can also help to soften the impact so you can remain active and on your feet.
Reducing Pain in Your Whole Body
Many foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis, flat feet, and arthritis can cause a lot of pain in your body due to strain on the ankles, knees, and lower back as it tries to compensate for the poor foot alignment. Custom orthotics can alleviate this pain and help your body to heal as they won’t put strain on your joints. Custom orthotics can also help those with diabetes prevent developing foot ulcers.
An unknown fact about custom orthotics is that they can alleviate hip and back pain. Back pain can often be due to the misalignment of your spine that resulted from an abnormal walk developed to avoid foot pain.
Furthermore, foot pain in one foot causes you to favor one foot over the other, which can throw your hips out of alignment. Custom orthotics can straighten your hips and give you better posture.
Increasing Balance and Leg Symmetry
Custom orthotics help to balance your feet and body as they ensure correct alignment. This is especially helpful if you have legs that are asymmetrical. In fact, some 40-70%(opens in a new tab) of people have one leg that is longer than the other. While it is often not noticeable enough to affect function, it can be significant enough to throw your hips and back out of alignment, leading to pain in multiple areas of your body. A custom orthotic made for the shorter leg can instantly remedy this issue, allowing your leg to function normally with the other.
Injury Prevention and Healing
Custom orthotics can prevent and treat injuries to the tendons, joints, muscles, and even stress fractures. According to a medical study(opens in a new tab), there is a 17.8% reduction of minor injuries while wearing a custom orthotic.
Orthotics promote healing as they align your feet into a healthy position so that tendons and ligaments can repair themselves. Often, people who are injured find they don’t need other treatments besides custom orthotics because of their incredible healing properties.
Wearing custom orthotics can increase comfort, reduce your risk for injuries, and even treat them.
When you’re on your feet all day, your feet can really take a beating. Custom orthotics can alleviate pain and prevent serious issues from arising. When your feet feel better, your whole body feels better.
If you are going to be on your feet teaching all day, we highly recommend getting fitted for custom orthotics. The podiatry team at San Antonio Podiatry Associates uses cutting-edge technology to create individual orthotics that mold to your feet.
Are you looking for custom orthotics? The podiatry specialists at San Antonio Podiatry Associates are here to help. With more than 145 years of combined experience, our team is equipped to provide you with the efficient, personalized treatment you need. Schedule an appointment today, or call 210-405-7672 for more information.
