Orthotics for injury prevention
Posted November 27th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jonathan Faccone
Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Gear & Apparel, Sports Medicine
Runner’s face the risk of injury on a consistent basis because of the extreme and wear and tear of the sport.
The impact that is innate to running is hardest on our joints but also can cause serious injuries to our feet, muscles, etc. Although a good pair of athletic shoes is of the utmost importance, studies how that for many people that just isn’t enough.
That’s why orthotics can be a helpful solution. Orthotics are specifically made foot inserts to correct the biomechanics of the foot during running. Many runners suffer from common lower extremity injuries, such as stress fractures, and studies have found that this is often caused by a person’s stride, pronation, foot structure, etc. In correcting biomechanics, orthotics help keep the foot in the normal position through the footstrike; helping to relieve stress caused by structural or postural instability.
A study performed by Commander Richard Shaffer, Ph.D., of the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, CA found that:
Recruits with flat feet or high arches were more likely to suffer a stress fracture — one of the most common injuries among runners — than those whose arches have an average curve.
However, not everyone who experiences recurring lower extremity injuries need orthotics. As a matter of fact, they are often over-prescribed. According to Dr. Richard Schuster, orthotics usually help those who experience pain after running a certain amount of miles in either their daily run or reaching a certain mileage during the week. In other words, orthotics are helpful in relieving injuries from overdoing it.
Before trying orthotics, Dr. Schuster suggests that you consider a few things. You should take a look at your training habits to see if any variables have changed such as change of shoes, an increase in running mileage, whether you started training on a hard surface and if you pumped up the intensity of the workouts. He recommends to decrease the intensity of the workouts by lowering the mileage and/or intensity (making sure you are stretching properly). In addition, you might want to try an arch-support from a local convenient to see if that fixes the problem. However, if these steps are ineffective and your pain persists, then go see a podiatrist or your orthopedist about orthotics. If you are a candidate, they may be a complete solution for your pain; putting you back on track and allowing you to finish strong.
Sources: [George Sheehan], [WebMD]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: biomechanic, feet, foot, injury prevention, orthotics, pronation, running shoes, shoe
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