How do you know if you need custom orthotics?

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Do you have trouble jogging or even walking? Do you feel like the spring has left your step?

It could mean it’s time to talk to your doctor about custom orthotics.

The average person takes 10,000 steps a day, so if your feet are not working properly, you can end up with some serious problems that can affect not only your feet but also your hips, back and even your neck.

Dr. Frank Antolcic is a chiropractor with offices in Burnaby and Maple Ridge. He says the feet are the foundation of our body and the way we walk is inherited.

So what are custom orthotics? Antolcic explains they’re insoles that you place in your shoes which allow your feet to maintain a neutral position. “[It] allows a proper amount of movement. It’s very important, because it does affect the rest of the body.”

As for how to tell if you need them, Antolcic says sure signs include flat feet, shoes that have worn excessively on the outer edge, or one of your pant legs dragging on the ground more than the other. He also notes some people who need orthotics will notice bunions that seem to get worse as they get older. “If you’re walking improperly, there’s going to be too much tension on those muscles and they just become over-worked.”

He says users should be wearing them as often as possible. “But unfortunately, there’s just certain times when you can’t wear them. Like ladies who go out for a night, they’re going to wear their high heels. But as long as they’re wearing them when they’re most active, that’s the most important thing.”

According Antolcic, it’s never to early to size up your walk; he has seen patients as young as two. But it’s also never too late; he tells us women in their nineties have found great relief from things like problem bunions after getting their insoles.

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