The human foot has a motion most people have never even heard of, it’s the Windless Mechanism Motion. The human foot has three arches: the medial longitudinal arch, which stretches on the inside of the foot from the heel to the ball, the lateral longitudinal arch, which stretches on the outside of the foot from the heel to the point just posterior of the ball between the 5th metatarsal head and the cuboid bone, and the transverse arch or more commonly known as the metatarsal arch, which stretches just posterior of the metatarsal heads from 1st to 5th. . Many people believe that the foots’ arches are stationary while the body is in motion. This is simply incorrect. The arches are designed to move with the rest of the foot similar to the struts on a car. Since all of the arches need to move for proper foot function, an arch that is injured or simply not working efficiently can impair that function and cause bio mechanical imbalances of the foot which will effect the entire body. If you don’t walk efficiently, things like knee pain, hip pain, and even back issues can occur over time.
Let’s understand the importance of the windlass mechanism of the foot. According to Wikipedia,the windlass mechanism is an very impressive natural feature of the human body. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, engineers have copied the natural windlass mechanism of the foot when designing machines capable of carrying heavy loads. The windlass mechanism is “the coordinated action of the layers of muscle, tendon, ligament and bony architecture, to maintain arch height and foot function. Without it, the foot is unable to correctly and efficiently carry the weight of a human body.” Therefore, you can see how important proper arch support is. If the foot moves as it walks, but it is supported incorrectly long term (as in the case of over the counter arch supports), the windlass mechanism will be compromised and will not work efficiently. This alone can cause issues throughout the entire body. Improperly fitting and unsupported footwear is one of the biggest reasons the windlass mechanism is compromised.
Shooting pains in the arches of the feet, swelling and aching of the soles of the feet, persistent heel pain, shin splints and sore knees are all common injuries that occur when people go without proper arch support and wear poorly fitting footwear. Shin splints and sore knees generally develop gradually, beginning at first only when you are moving in a way that bears weight on the appendage, such as when walking or running. However, if this goes on long enough, the pain becomes persistent and chronic. If left untreated, surgery becomes the only answer. More and more people at younger and younger ages are having joint replacement surgeries. Do you suppose we should be taking a closer look at our footwear?
There are several diseases that require proper arch support for optimum treatment benefits. Diabetes compromises constant and clear blood flow, and circulation in the feet is usually impaired. Therefore, arch support is important for diabetics to ensure proper blood flow. Obese people also need optimum blood flow, so arch support is also especially important for them as well. When you think about it; mass produced shoes and over the counter arch supports come in mirror matched images, feet do not. And neither one of those mass produced shoes and supports were ever made for either one of your feet. So clearly the only answer is to learn how to properly fit your shoes and only use bio mechanically designed custom orthotics. Boi mechanically designed custom orthotics are just that, custom made for each one of your feet independent of each other in a way that improves the bio mechanics of each foot.
Your feet should walk from lateral heel to medial forefoot. In other words, you should strike on the outside of your heel and then push off with your big toe joint. These two areas are large structures in the foot and are designed to carry weight. If you are not walking this way you are at risk for a number of injuries like, plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammer toes, overlapping toes, metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, stress fractures to the smaller bones of the foot, knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, and even neck pain . The feet are the foundation of a good body structure. If the feet are not supported properly, the entire body will suffer.
A flatfoot and a rigid high arched foot both have an impaired windlass mechanism. A flatfoot is on the floor at weight bearing and therefore the motion is stopped. A rigid high arched foot is motionless due to the rigidness of that foot. If motion can not occur the feet are impaired. The flexible foot is easier to help regain windless mechanism motion than a rigid foot, but a proper bio-mechanically custom arch support like the ezWalker Custom Orthotic from www.walkezstore.com is imperative.
There are several types of arch support materials for sale that help correct existing symptoms, or prevent any injuries in the first place. Over the counter arch supports are popular due to the inexpensive nature of their pricing compared to custom made orthotics and are available for purchase at pharmacies, superstores such as Wal-Mart and Target, and grocery stores, without a prescription or consultation from a doctor. Ready-made over the counter arch supports are still mass manufactured in mirror matched images. These items include heel cups, which fit inside the heel of a shoe, or insoles, which fit the inside of an entire shoe. These simple arch supports vary only in size, depending on the size of the foot, while custom orthotics are made from a plaster mold of each foot independently. Custom orthotics need to be fitted properly and to do that a proper impression of the foot is imperative. There are many ways of creating that plaster mold, but, non weight bearing methods work best. Better impressions make better orthotics. Bio mechanically correct custom made foot orthotics are the best kind of arch support available. These are made using a strategic impression process that allows the foot to determine what it is looking for in the way of proper support instead of a clinician. These type of custom orthotics benefit those who stand for long periods of time, athletes and people with obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses that comprimises circulation and stability. Most arch supports or custom orthotics immediately alleviate symptoms such as pain and swelling, but, in the case of shin splints, resting, icing and elevating the foot is also necessary for complete healing. Wearing proper bio mechanically designed custom orthotics has proven to be the best option and will out preform over the counter arch supports long term. The foot is very mold-able and if it’s given an over the counter arch support that is not designed precisely for the foot, over time other issues can arise from the foot having too much or too little support in just the right place. A bio mechanically correct custom orthotic will support the hind foot at the STT joint where control needs to happen, so the forefoot can follow and function more efficiently. It is important not to lock up the 1st metatarsal bone so proper loading of the forefoot can occur. Even poorly casted custom orthotics can do this and the overall health of the foot is compromised. That’s why some people complain that the custom orthotics they received didn’t work or even caused more pain than without them. This is usually due to the type of impression process that has been used to manufacture the orthotic.
How do you know your getting a proper impression of your foot when ordering a pair of custom orthotics? It’s simple. First, don’t allow the person doing your impression to lay you on a table face down with your feet hanging off the end. Do you walk in this position? No! Gravity will have an effect of the orthotic and it will not preform as well as a proper bio mechanical impression orthotic will. Second, do not place your feet into impression using your body weight. You foot’s arch will collapse and you will get a collapsed orthotic. Collapsed means no support. Third, don’t get a mold made of your foot from what is called a slipper cast. These are done by wrapping the foot in wet casting strips and the clinician must hold your foot in a certain position while the casting material hardens. This method leaves to many variables for the foot to be held exactly correct while drying. The only tried and true nearly fool proof method is a strategic bio mechanical placement of the foot into impression foam using The Walkezstore.com 7 step method. This leaves very little room for error and will produce the best impression possible for your feet independent of one another. Truly stated, better impressions make better orthotics.
At The Walkezstore.com you will be guaranteed a proper bio-mechanically designed orthotic that will enhance the way your feet preform. It has even been proven that an ezWalker Custom Orthotic will improve the alignment of the bones in your feet giving your feet better function and your body overall better health. The ezWalker Custom Orthotic offers guaranteed comfort or your money back. Check it out. www.walkezstore.com
So to recap: If your feet fall flat to the floor when your stand on them, your windlass mechanism is most likely broke. If you have high arches and your feet do not flex, it’s likely again your windlass mechanism is broke. What to do to fix it? Order a proper bio-mechanically designed ezWalker Custom Orthotic today. Once your get one you’ll wonder what you ever did without it. Don’t delay, order today www.walkezstore.com/buynow.html Because…When your feet feel good you feel good!
