Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), often called “wear and tear” arthritis, is the most common form of arthritis. It is a progressive, degenerative joint disease that causes damage to cartilage and bone. It is the arthritis most associated with old age and results when the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones wears down over time. Over pronation (excessive inward rolling of the foot) and over supination (excessive outward rolling of the foot) are often strong contributing factors to the development of osteoarthritis in the feet, ankles, knees and above. The feet are the foundation upon which the entire body rests. When they become misaligned, as with both over pronation or over supination, the entire skeletal system above also becomes misaligned. This can create a mechanical issue in the joints that, over time, can cause a breakdown of joint cartilage and bone, leading to the joint pain, stiffness, swelling and locking that characterize osteoarthritis.
Will My Kids Inherit My Foot Problems? Transcript
(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)
All right happy whatever day it is guys i’m sitting here with the donna robertson our chief pedorthist here at foot solutions donna thank you for joining us thank you very much i’m glad to be here oh my goodness so it is such a blessing to have you here um we have a couple of questions that we want to just have you answer and the first really it would be we get a lot of people that come in and ask how soon should we start taking care of our feet can you speak to that i yes i thank you for the opportunity to i would really address foot conditioning foot function structure strength at a very early age in life children need to have their feet addressed as far as their walking biomechanics especially if mom and dad already have flat feet and are having issues in their in their activities or during their life or during their professional career that way you know some of the extreme flat foot issues what happens they become rigid and that’s an inherited characteristic over the majority of the time got it excellent and another question i know that a lot of people normally have is so when we come in we offer custom orthotics and otcs over-the-counter orthotics can you speak to the difference in when you need one versus the other i would address that issue with over-the-counter or insults have improved tremendously over the years the technology has improved they address a lot of just simple common biomechanical issues as long as the foot the shoe that was selected for them offers a functional component as well now if the shoe is very lightweight very cushioned and flexible of course you need more of an intense or more corrective functional device that’s where a lot of times we go with custom foot orthotics because they’re fabricated directly from your foot in the positioning that we want to accomplish so if you have a severe midfoot collapse we don’t want to capture that foot in mid foot collapse we want to position that foot in more of a functional structure alignment that way when you walk in the custom orthotics it is guiding your foot from heel to toe progression walking is enhanced your speed is enhanced your relaxation is enhanced and you accomplish a lot more during the day so the custom orthotics if you have a very severe excessive pronation or supination we need to specifically support in critical areas that allows for muscle activity to occur and you can’t do that with over the counter got it excellent yes and i know another question is so a lot of our clients that come in and they have a custom orthotic already they’ve had it maybe 10 years sometimes longer than that now would you recommend them actually getting scanned again or just using the same mold my recommendation and it’s through the years of experience that i’ve had your feet change every three to five years sometimes quicker than that if you put three to five pounds on excess weight you’re stressing the arch structures of your foot no matter what you’re doing so that’s where we always go through a complete foot assessment because there is changes that’s occurring you look at posture you look at knee positioning foot positioning so yes that needs to be addressed i would always if the if they’ve had the orthotics 10 years materials don’t last that long okay unless they’re extremely rigid that needs to be also repositioned a lot of times you need to offer more heel stability more metatarsal support to guide the foot during the activity or motion that’s required on a daily basis so i would always recommend follow-up care with your foot orthotics people with custom foot orthotics need to be seen every six months or to a year for an assessment to make sure that that orthotic is still accomplishing what it was desired to do i love it that is awesome information well thank you so much for joining us today thank you very much
What Shoe is Right for Me? Transcript
(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)
What is Foot Solutions? Transcript
(This transcript is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.)
For over 20 years, Foot Solutions has been evaluating, solving, and preventing foot and joint issues for people just like you.Our highly trained board certified foot specialists are available at our retail locations to expertly fit you in a truly custom orthotic and recommend the perfect footwear from our collection of stylish international brands.We are proud to have thousands of positive reviews online, evidencing the care and attention that defines our service. At Foot Solutions, you will meet men and women passionate about foot and joint health and eager to provide you with a meaningful, first-class experience.Come into Foot Solutions and see for yourself how visiting with one of our specialists can improve your quality of life.
Symptoms, Causes and Common Treatments
Osteoarthritis
Symptoms
- Joint pain
- Joint stiffness
- Swelling of the joints
Causes
Osteoarthritis is the gradual deterioration of joint cartilage over time. Mechanical issues such as misalignment of joints can lead to osteoarthritis, as can repetitive motion that puts excess burden on a specific joint (as can happen in running, walking, dancing and in certain professions) and joint injury, often sustained in sports activities. The risk increases with age. Women are more prone to osteoarthritis than men, though it is not known why. Having diabetes, under active thyroid, gout or Paget’s disease can increase the risk of OA. People born with malformed joints or defective cartilage are more likely to develop OA.
Common Treatments
- Reduce pressure on painful joints
- Ensure proper alignment of the feet and ankles
- Add arch supports (orthotics) to shoes
- Wear supportive shoes
Through the use of custom orthotics and supportive shoes, alignment of the feet can be improved or restored. Achieving proper alignment is preventative and therapeutic. It takes pressure off painful, arthritic joints and alleviates pain and joint breakdown.
Find your local store to speak to a Foot Solutions Expert
Find a Store Near YouFoot Solutions Products
- Custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch supports (orthotics)
- Over-the-counter arch supports (orthotics)
- Supportive sandals, dress and athletic shoes