Discover how custom foot orthotics can reduce knee, hip, and back pain by improving alignment and movement. Learn how Genfinity’s orthotics support your mobility holistically.
When you think of foot orthotics, you might think of heel discomfort or arch support right away. But what if we told you that your feet are a lot more important to your body’s comfort than you think? We at Genfinity think that your body is a connected system. Custom foot orthotics can do a lot more than just support your feet. They can also help with knee pain, hip pain, and even back pain.
This is how.
Understanding the Kinetic Chain: Your Feet Impact Everything Above
There is a “kinetic chain” that connects your body. Your feet absorb shock every time you take a step, which affects how your knees, hips, and spine line up and move. Even a small misalignment of your feet can cause bad posture and strange movement patterns. Over time, this can put stress on your knees, hips, and lower back, which can cause pain that lasts a long time.
For instance, overpronation, which is when your foot rolls too far inward, can make your knees tilt inward, which puts stress on your lower back and hip joints. High arches can also make it hard for your body to absorb shock, which sends shock waves up your legs and into your spine.
Custom foot orthotics work to rectify these imbalances from the ground up.
How Custom Foot Orthotics Help Knee Pain
A lot of people have knee pain because of illnesses like patellofemoral pain syndrome or osteoarthritis, which can get worse if the knees are not aligned properly. Custom orthotics can benefit in the following ways:
- Realigning the foot and ankle fixes the angle of the knee while you walk and stand.
- Putting pressure uniformly on the knee lowers stress on certain places.
- Taking in shock to lessen the effect on your knees with each stride.
Our foot orthotics at Genfinity are made to fit the way you walk, which will help you walk better and with less knee pain.
How Custom Foot Orthotics Can Help with Hip Pain
When your feet aren’t lined up right, your hips often make up for it. Over time, this compensation can cause muscles to be out of balance and stress on the joints, which can lead to hip pain.
Custom foot orthotics can aid in the following ways:
- Encouraging legs of the same length can help lower pelvic tilt and hip pain.
- Making your hips line up better so that they move naturally and efficiently as you walk.
- Supporting your body’s natural posture will help reduce muscle fatigue and let the hip muscles work appropriately without overworking themselves.
How Custom Foot Orthotics Can Help Your Back Pain
When your feet are out of alignment, your lower back is especially at risk. Bad foot mechanics can cause the pelvis to be out of alignment, which can cause pain and discomfort in the lower back.
Custom orthotics can:
- Help you keep your back straight, which will ease the strain on your lower back.
- Minimize shock transfer from the ground up to lessen the stress on your spine.
- Make sure your feet and legs are straight so they don’t twist or tilt, which can hurt your back.
At Genfinity, we encounter many patients who receive considerable alleviation in their lower back pain after using personalized foot orthotics, allowing them to walk with greater mobility and less difficulty.
The Genfinity Way: Care for the Whole Person, Not Just Foot Pain
We don’t just look at your foot at Genfinity; we look at the full person. We make personalized foot orthotics that support your whole kinetic chain by taking the time to learn about your pain spots, lifestyle, and movement patterns. We want to help you live a more active, pain-free life, whether you’re walking your dog, working on your feet all day, or going on a hike on the weekend.
Do you need custom foot orthotics?
If you have:
- Knee pain that gets worse when you walk or do things
- Hip pain that makes it hard to move around
- Lower back pain, especially after standing for a long time
- Foot pain that makes other parts of your body hurt more
Then bespoke foot orthotics might be a useful part of your treatment regimen.
Start Moving Without Pain
Your feet are the base of your body. If you support them correctly, your knee, hip, and back discomfort can get a lot better. At Genfinity, we want to help you move better, live better, and feel better, one step at a time.
Call us today to find out how our custom foot orthotics can help you move about more easily and get back to doing what you love without pain.
