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Foot pain is an extremely common complaint. But that's not why they should go untreated!
Quite the opposite: your feet are responsible for your balance and posture, and the pain in your feet can be signs that something is wrong.
In this article, you'll learn about Podoposturology. This is a field in the health area that studies postural changes through the analysis of the feet.
This technique is aimed at prevention and therapeutic treatment, through the use of insoles or plantar orthoses. Understand better below.
What is podoposturology?
Podoposturology is an area of health that has a postural approach to prevention or treatment. This is achieved through the use of insoles, which can also be called plantar orthoses.
These orthoses are made based on the redistribution of the body weight load on the feet. The foot pods are strategically positioned at specific points on the feet, activating mechanoreceptors that send information to the central nervous system.
It is interesting to point out that podoposturology is mainly preventive. This means that it is a constant treatment to the opposite of punctual. And it is not only done through the recommendation of insoles. Orthoses are complementary to medical, physiotherapeutic and podiatric treatments. Therefore, the follow-up by a professional must be continuous.
How is the evaluation done in podoposturology?
Of course, each patient is unique. So, there is no insole that can be recommended for any case. Therefore, you should make a personalized evaluation of your posture.
The evaluation is performed in a static and dynamic way, using different techniques and tools. For example, by using the baropodometer. It is a digital platform, which detects the main points of friction.
Another option for the evaluation is the podoscope, an equipment that highlights the pressure points through the different skin tones. The professional can also use the plantigraph (analysis of the impression left by the foot) and even the clinical evaluation to determine which are the most stressful points for your posture.
What are plantar orthoses and how do they work to relieve foot pain?
Did you know that your nervous system is distributed throughout your body? The human being has numerous receptors in all parts of the body, responsible for sending important information to the central nervous system.
It is based on this information that the brain controls variations in tension and muscle stretching, adjustments in balance and posture.
Thus, the postural insole aims to modify and improve this information, enabling the brain to make adjustments in posture. This can prevent posture problems in the future, reduce pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips and spine, and even correct differences in limb length.
There are two different types of plantar orthoses:
● Mechanical or orthopedic: used when there are significant real differences in limb length. With differences of up to 3 cm, it is possible to use insoles inside the shoes. Above that, the use of external orthoses is necessary.
● Proprioceptive: sensory elements positioned at specific points on the feet, with the aim of correcting posture through information sent to the central nervous system.
What are the indications for using insoles?
The best way to determine if you need to use proprioceptive insoles is by consulting a specialized professional, who can be a podiatrist, physiotherapist or orthopedist. This professional is prepared to diagnose the cause of foot pain and other potential problems with your posture. In addition, he has several equipment that can point out exactly where the points of greatest friction are.
In general, however, proprioceptive insoles are indicated in the following cases:
● Intrinsic symptoms of the foot (pain, sprains followed, tendinitis);
● Tenderness muscle pain of the lower limb (pain in the feet, knees, hip);
● Spinal pain (chronic back pain, scoliosis, postural deviations).
● Metatarsalgias;
● Plantar fasciitis;
● Spur of the calcaneus;
● Morton neuroma;
● Caved foot and flat foot, pronado foot (valgus foot) or supinado (varus foot);
● Difference in length of lower limbs;
● Hallux valgus (bunion);
● Canelitis;
● Diabetic feet;
● Tendinitis and sprains of lower limbs.
● Scoliosis;
● Spinal pain due to postural problems.
What are the advantages of the treatment of pain in the feet through podoposturology?
Podoposturology offers non-invasive treatment methods and, mainly, preventive treatment for posture problems that can cause pain in the feet, legs, back and hips. The biggest advantage of the treatment with plantar orthoses is that you are acting directly on the cause of the problem, which reduces the possibility that the pain will recur in the future.
As every case is different, the efficiency of the insoles can vary from person to person. people. However, works published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, one of the most respected sources of scientific research in medicine, showed improvements in cases of painful cavus, rheumatoid arthritis and bunion.
Most studies focused on plantar orthoses have proven its effectiveness.
Often, however, the treatment does not only involve the use of the insole. Thus, it is essential that the patient follow the other instructions offered by the specialized professional and monitor the condition with a professional.
In addition to relieving foot pain, the use of insoles can offer other benefits, such as:
● Improved posture;
● Relief for patients who need to spend a lot of time standing or in the same position;
● Reduction in the impact caused by playing sports in areas such as tendons, knees and ankles;
● Reduction in the daily impact on joints. main benefit of monitoring your health closely: well-being.
After all, your feet are one of the most important parts of your body, and they are always in use. There is nothing better than knowing that your feet are healthy and being free from the pain in your feet, which bother so much. Schedule your evaluation today, take care! You deserve.
