Arthritis of the feet, ankles, knees, hips and back, whether from degenerative/osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritides, can be extremely debilitating. Besides the significant pain caused, it can interfere with your ability to move efficiently, and with time, lead to cumulative damage to your vital organs from the toxic analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications taken to manage the pain, cause the progression of inefficient movement patterns, joint damage, structural misalignment, and deterioration of posture.
What role can custom orthotics play? If made properly, custom foot and arch supportive orthotic insoles support the feet in their optimal alignment providing powerful stabilizing forces to counteract and prevent the pain and progression of joint damage and deformity caused by biomechanical dysfunction.
How is this achieved? By supporting the foot bones and joints in their best possible alignment, the abnormal stresses passing through the joints of the feet during standing and movement are significantly reduced. Analogous to a stable foundation required to properly support a building, optimal foot alignment improves the alignment of the ankles, knees, hips and back, reducing pain and progressive damage to those structures as well.
The end result? Reduction in pain and progressive damage to the joints, improvement in movement patterns, posture, and the ability to exercise and perform other physical activities, and reduction in need for toxic pain medications, time consuming and expensive physical therapy, bracing, and possible need for risk-related invasive joint procedures or surgeries.