Arch support why is it important

A fully formed arch in an adult may be one of the following:. A normal arch adequately supports your body weight and rolls in slightly as you walk or run. Usually, no special arch support is necessary. This arch makes your foot roll in excessively overpronate when you walk or run. A low arch can cause foot pain as well as muscle stress and joint problems that travel up into your ankles, knees, and hips. The doctors at Hoosier Foot and Ankle can offer stabilizing arch supports that are appropriate for you.

A high arch can also cause muscle pain and joint strain, not only in your feet, but all the way up your kinetic chain. When you walk or run, your feet may not absorb shock well, so your feet tire easily. The Hoosier Foot and Ankle Team may recommend arch supports with lots of cushioning.

Arch supports also help diabetic patients lower their risk of ulceration in the feet if they suffer from neuropathy. The doctors customize arch supports for your specific needs. You place them into your shoes to support your feet and eliminate pain.

Custom arch supports provided by Hoosier Foot and Ankle fit your foot to efficiently relieve pain and improve your function and performance.

At Hoosier Foot and Ankle, the podiatry team is dedicated to helping you maximize your foot health. Call today for your appointment, or schedule your meeting online.

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Schedule an appointment. Upperline Health Indiana provides the highest quality integrated lower extremity care to patients in need through a skilled and compassionate team. We strive to deliver care in a consistent and high-quality manner.

Sale Men's. Foot Care. Arch Supports. See all Sale Shoes. Athletic Running Athleisure Walking Outdoor. Sandals Thong Slide Backstrap Outdoor. See all women's Shoes. See all men's Shoes. See all Foot Problems. See all Accessories. See all Brands Shoes. Locations Rancho Cucamonga Riverside. San Dimas Anaheim Hills. Temecula Palm Desert. Long Beach Redlands. In Store Experience Upland. See All Locations. Foot Problems. Table of contents 1. What are Arch Supports? What Are Orthotics? Importance of Arch Supports 7.

How Do Arch Supports Help? Benefits of Wearing Arch Supports 9. Types of Arch Supports 5. Frequently Asked Questions. What Are Arch Supports? Importance of Arch Supports Arch supports are becoming more and more important. Regardless of who you are, arch supports can help you.

Here is what all arch supports do. Benefits of Wearing Arch Supports:. Arch supports help distribute pressure — Since the arch support is more contorted to your foot, you help eliminate the primary pressure points which are usually on the heel and ball of the foot.

Arch supports help evenly distribute that pressure by putting some of that pressure into the arches of your feet versus leaving all the pressure in the heel and ball of the feet. Arch supports provide support — Most people feel like arch supports only support the feet. The reality is the feet are the foundation of our entire body. If you are lacking support in the foundation, it can affect your entire body.

This is why arch supports are commonly used to help with knee, hip, and back-related alignment issues as well. Lessen or prevent pain — This is one of the main reasons why someone chooses to initially wear an arch support as they are the most commonly prescribed non-invasive treatment for most foot ailments.

Many foot problems are solved by wearing properly fitted footwear and arch supports. We will get into this in-depth later in the article. Arch supports prevent your arches from harm — While most people choose to first wear a support based on an injury, trauma, or inflammation; arch supports can be tremendously beneficial in helping prevent harming the arches of your feet. One of the more commonly occurring issues is falling arches.

Another common ailment is plantar fasciitis which can oftentimes be prevented by wearing arch supports. Ultimately, wearing a support properly fitted for your footwear and feet can help you in numerous ways.

Provide stability and balance — By filling the gaps in your arches, you give a more stable surface area for the feet which in turn, improves your stability and balance. You can see examples of how your balance is improved by sampling adding arch support here. What are the best arch supports available? Grab a pair of these insoles today Shop Now. Shop Now. Sovella Dress Orthotic. Custom Molded Arch Supports. Sizing — Since there is a wide variance in sizing with footwear, the best option is to make sure you have orthotics when you are trying on the shoes you are looking to purchase.

For example, if you wear a size 9. Another consideration with sizing is the overall width of the shoes. Many shoes have a narrow arch fit which makes orthotics difficult to fit. When the shoe is too narrow in the middle, that shoe is trying to support the arch with the upper of the shoe. Adding an arch support to this shoe will generally cause that shoe to be too tight and make the heel slip. You want to make sure the heel cup of the orthotics sits flat into the heel cup of the shoe, the arch fits nicely into the middle, and the toe extension fits into the forefoot of the shoes without folding up or pinching.

Placement — You always want to place orthotics at the rear of the shoe with the heel cup seated flat on the inside heel of the shoe. The arch placement should start at the forward portion of your heel and should end just before the joint at your big toe.

If the arch support also has metatarsal support, you want the metatarsal pad to sit just behind the bones in the ball of your foot. Correctly placed met pads will usually feel like a small ball in the middle of your foot.

If the met pad is placed correctly and appropriately for your foot, that feeling will diminish over time. Your Arch Type — All feet fall within a range of three arch types. Those are the low arch, normal arch, and high arch foot.

The low arch type is commonly referred to as a flat foot. The high arch type is also referred to as a cavus foot. The lower your arch, the more of your foot will make contact with the ground leaving a fuller imprint. A high arch foot will generally only show the heel and the ball of the foot with no part of the middle of the foot making an imprint. While the flat foot and the cavus foot are the types of feet that usually feel the most immediate relief from arch supports, the normal foot benefits as well.

As we age, our tendons and ligaments begin to wear out and the arches of our feet have to work harder and harder. By wearing good arch support you can keep your feet and body supported which helps prevent many issues. Materials — Arch supports are made in a wide variety of materials. Most are made with a variety of types of plastics ranging from a hard molded support to a soft foam. There are hundreds of types of varieties used in the manufacture of arch supports.

Two of the most popular used materials are EVA and Polyurethane. These are the same types of materials you will find in many running shoe midsoles.

The reason why they are commonly used is that they have really good shock absorption and rebound properties. Both of these make for an instant comfort factor. Orthotics made from firmer plastic materials are usually used in the manufacturing of custom-molded orthotics. These orthotics are usually made to correct a foot condition and have maximum support. This is why the firm plastics need to be custom-molded for the individual by a specialist.

Footbed Type — There are two main types of arch support footbeds. A full length is designed to replace an existing insole in a pair of shoes. Choosing a specific type of shoe because it is recommended for your arch type will not protect you from injuries. Arch support or orthotics might be of help in some cases but the difference is too small to be clinically important.

Running economy is a term used to describe the effort we put into running. Just like fuel economy in cars, running economy refers to the distance traveled and energy consumed. The less energy consumed, the longer and farther you will be able to run.

Many running shoes promise to enhance performance. Nike has recently introduced a new shoe Zoom Vaporfly Elite that boast about breaking the two hours marathon barrier. Adidas has made the same claims about its Adizero Sub2. First, have a look at the factors that affect our running economy, according to the researchers in this study :. We have discussed how the spring-like mechanism stores energy and uses it to propel us forward. Some running shoes or shoe inserts can interfere with this mechanism.

In other words, you will end up wasting more energy if your arch support is restricting the compression. Arch support cannot improve running economy. Inserts provide added cushioning. And since running is essentially a series of one-legged hops, those "hops" need to have significant energy return from the stance phase of the gait. Added cushioning will reduce this energy return, causing a less economical stride.

A helpful analogy is asking whether a bouncy ball bounces higher on concrete or grass. Softer, more cushioned surfaces reduce energy return. There are multiple studies that suggest barefoot or minimal shod runners have better running economy compared to shod runners. This one found that lack of cushion lead to better economy. Another study states that barefoot running can improve running economy in high-intensity exercises.

Barefoot running was found to be more economical on treadmill and track compared to shod running in this study. A meta-analysis of 13 studies concluded that barefoot or minimalist runners have better economy compared to shod runners. However, the difference was small and authors have mentioned a high risk of bias in the studies reviewed. A study of 9 runners revealed that running economy is not different across footwear. Certain models of footwear can improve running economy as observed in a systematic review of 19 studies.

Same is the case with energy return footwear that improves overall comfort and oxygen consumption. Arch support can improve running economy by reducing torsional forces in the lower extremety due to pronation. They are also helpful in developing a more balanced foot pattern.

Again proper shoes with the right structural parameters and loaded heel to toe ratio should be considered first. Unfortunately, most shoe experts are unaware of the structural parameters of shoes they recommend, and they rely on shoe reps. Some of these studies seem to contradict each other.

This can be because of different footwear and shoes used in different studies. However, looking at the results of these studies, we can conclude that arch supports or special types of soles cannot make a huge difference to your performance.

Things might change in future with the coming of next generation shoes. Some of them are going as far as using a spring plate in the soles already patented by Nike. But these are intended for professional athletes, and not for recreational runners. Can midsole or shoe inserts improve running economy? If you are talking about arch support and are assuming this will work for all runners, no.

Each body is different. However, some of the carbon fiber and pebax plates used in racing shoes may improve running economy. In a research carried out at McGill University, researchers found that the more padding we have, the harder we hit the ground. This is because we need to have a sense of ground to maintain our balance. Similar observations were made in another study that the impact is more forceful when runners wore maximally cushioned shoes. Are arch supports recommended for everybody with high arches?

A blanket statement such as this cannot be made. There are different foot types which cause a high arch. A diagnosis needs to be made by a doctor as to what is the specific cause of the high arch. Sometimes a running shoe made for a high arch is enough, but other times a custom device serves the patient better. The impact goes all the way up to your knees. Regardless of the padding or cushion in your shoes, there's less impac t when you land on the balls of your feet. Interestingly enough, your choice of shoes can influence the way you land.

Barefoot or minimal shod runners tend to land on forefoot or midfoot, which is good for shock absorption. Runners in modern shoes with cushion and all will usually land on rear-foot.

In general, feet with normal arch are better at shock absorption compared to high arches. This is where an arch support or orthotic device can help. So, those arch supports or insoles that you are sold by the salesperson in the store might not make much difference. The shape of the arch has very little to do with mobility. That has been shown by research consistently.

There is no relation between orthotic prescription, static arch shape and injury rate several military studies on this. So no. Don't do that. If you are still giving people arch support based on their arch shape, you should go back to the s. The right posture and technique are important in everything you do, be it the work, exercise, rest, or running.

Good running posture will improve your breathing and you will feel more relaxed. Proper body alignment gives you more flexibility and strength, and make it easy to move ahead. Bad posture can put unnecessary strains on your joints and muscles. How good is over-the-counter arch support or shoe insert for injury prevention? I think it's mixed, all depends upon how the support is made. Some are helpful, others not so much. I prefer to get my support in my actual running shoe though.

Other than the position of your head, shoulders, and arms, the right posture requires an efficient stride. A step too short or too long will increase injury risk and mess up your running efficiency. Same is the case with your strike pattern. Our skeletal movements are pre-programmed and a simple shoe insert is not going to change it.

However, orthotics are recommended for stability and balance in people with specific conditions. They can improve posture and stability in the clinical population. For the healthy population, arch support made no real difference. Medial or lateral postings cannot shift COP center of pressure during running into the desired direction. Some improvement is possible but there is no surety. In a trial , the COP in almost half of the subjects went in a totally opposite direction.

OTC arch support or shoe insert can be very good for injury prevention, but one should definitely not choose a shoe based on wet test. Over pronation or supination is often associated with poor balance in runners. You might think that "motion control" shoes can correct your gait all by itself.

Choosing or changing shoes based on specific arch type can be counterproductive. It was demonstrated in a trial when runners choose neutral, motion control, and stability shoes based on their foot type.

After a 13 weeks marathon training programs, it was observed that runners with motion control shoes missed the most training days due to pain. Shoes should be chosen live, meaning going and trying them on. You have to choose the best shoe that provides the best support and comfort for your particular feet. A shoe for one person might not work for another. If you are looking to improve your posture and balance, you need to focus on training and strengthening the right muscles.

Simply changing your shoes is not going to make a difference. However, vibrating soles have shown some improvement in balance and agility for athletes, according to this research. The area from our hip to the toes is referred to as lower extremity.

Lower extremity injuries are common in long distance runners, ranging from Let's see if it can help with lower extremity injuries linked to running.

The most susceptible area for runners is the knee area, even more than the feet or ankles. Normally, the elevated load results in osteoarthritis of the knees. Before we look into the role of arch support, it is worth noting that running is not necessarily bad for knees. It's true that we put more load on knees when our feet hit the ground but this is balanced by the time we spend in the air.

As a result, the load per unit distance is pretty much the same in walking and running. Coming back to arch support, using the arch support or certain type of footwear can interfere with your natural gait which results in more pressure on knees. No real improvement was seen on knee joint movements when runners used 5 different types of shoe inserts. Another study revealed that arch support can increase the knee varus torque that is linked to the progression of knee osteoarthritis.

Heels are the second most vulnerable part for runners. Plantar fasciitis is a common complaint that results in stabbing pain in heels. Studies have shown a reduction in pain after using arch support, mainly because arch support provides a cushion to the affected area. Neutral cushioned shoes can result in the reduction of pain in flat-footed athletes with plantar pressure.

Another trial was held on 43 patients with plantar fasciitis. During one year of follow-up, pain reduction and better foot related quality of life were reported.