UNDERSTANDING THE RELATION BETWEEN YOUR FOOTWEAR AND ANKLE-FOOT INJURIES

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Greetings to our reader!             The relation between footwear and ankle foot injuries is often overlooked. In reality, proper size and texture of each and every component of a footwear is essential to prevent injuries of the ankle, knee, hip and even the spine! This article includes:         • WHAT ARE THE ARCHES OF FOOT         • DIFFERENT TYPE OF ARCHES A PERSON MAY HAVE         • RELATION BETWEEN ARCH TYPE AND FOOT ALIGNMENT         • FOOT PLACEMENT ON WALKING         • THE LOW ARCH FOOT OR FLAT FOOT         • THE HIGH ARCHED FOOT         • SELECTING THE PROPER SHOE – THE MUST KNOW FACTS!         • KNOW THE TIME TO CHANGE YOUR SHOES What are the arches of foot              First we need to have a basic idea regarding the arrangement of foot bones. Look at the foot below, the line shows the arches of our foot. They are formed mainly by our bone alignment and some ligaments and muscles.

They are very significant in deciding our way of walking, running, climbing etc and how the forces are exerted to the muscles of our body by these activities. Hence it is vital to understand them when we select a footwear, footwear should satisfy the need of our foots’ arches efficiently. Different type of arches a person may have             Each person is unique and the normal arches vary among individuals. Let us get a general understanding of the type of arches through the below illustration.

Relation between arch type and foot alignment            Now let us learn about the relation between our individual arch type and what will be our foot alignment as a result of that type of arch. With this we should be able to, select the type of shoe we need according to our foot requirement. Look at the illustration below.

FOOT PLACEMENT ON WALKING Before I describe the above illustration, one has to understand the way we place our foot on standing or walking. When our foot strikes the ground initial contact is at the outside of our heel and then it is progressed to our ball of foot on the inner part of our foot. Pronation - inwardly rotating your foot (sole faces out or away from our body) Supination - outwardly rotating your foot (sole faces towards midline of body) The low arch foot or flat foot usually exhibits a great deal of pronation, landing on the outside of the heel and rolling inward excessively. To see if this is your problem, get your feet wet and walk (don't just stand) on a piece of paper. If you see the print of your entire foot including your arches, you are probably a pronator. The “pronators” tend to have flexible feet so this foot needs maximum stability and control. Avoid highly cushioned, highly flexible shoes. The high arched foot under pronates and does not absorb shock well. This type of foot may supinate or roll outward when running. To see if this is your problem, get your feet wet and walk (don't just stand) on a piece of paper. If you only see the print of your heel and the ball of your foot, you are probably a supinator. “Supinators” feet are more rigid and cannot absorb shock well. So this foot needs a highly cushioned sole with maximum shock absorption plus a great deal of flexibility to facilitate proper foot motion. Stay away from heavy motion control shoes that can make gait unstable and may even promote ankle injury. Selecting the proper shoe  SIZE        Don't select shoes by the size inside the shoe. The size your foot measures is your foot size. Sizes vary among shoe brands and styles. Judge the shoe by how it fits on your foot. Don't hesitate to try on a shoe in a size other than what measuring indicates. Don't assume that you know your current shoe size. Have both feet measured, as you stand, each time you buy your shoes (the size of your feet changes as your grow older). Most people have one foot larger than the other. Fit to the largest foot. SHAPE        Select a shoe that conforms as nearly as possible to the shape of your foot. The ball of the foot should fit at the widest part of the shoe. This is where the shoe is designed to flex. Women especially, should check this as they tend to be wider here relative to the heel. HEEL        The heel takes a large proportion of a person's weight. Unfortunately, the height of the heel is often determined by fashion, not by the needs of our feet. Ideally, the heel should have a broad base and the height should be no greater than 4cm. A wedge, which adds height to the heel, enhances the shoe's ability to absorb shock and reduces strains. While this may ease problems like achilles tendonitis, a shoe with a higher heel may feel less stable. Know the time to change your shoes     Place the shoe on a hard, flat surface and look at it from the rear. The entire upper part of the shoe should be centered and not leaning to the side or bowed to the side (inside or outside).    When looking from the rear of the shoe, the sole should rest level to the surface. If the shoe rocks side to side, replace it. For more info on this and your doubts related to physiotherapy log on to www.xpertphysio.com