Why they’re key to your care – educating patients about the 3-arch difference

Most people know that their feet have arches. However, many of them incorrectly believe that each foot only has just one. It’s crucial to successful care that your patients know each foot has three distinct arches, all with a unique role in balance and stability. Without proper support for all three arches, the patient will not be in optimal balance, which could compromise the success of your care.

In addition, each arch supports the proper function of a specific primary or secondary muscle group:

Medial Longitudinal Arch

  • Tibialis Anterior, Tibialis Posterior
  • Iliopsoas

Lateral Longitudinal Arch

  • Peronei Longus, Brevis, Tertius
  • Gluteus Medius and Minimus

Anterior Transverse Arch

  • Flex, Digitorum-Longus and Brevis, Lumbricals and Interossei
  • Quadriceps and Hamstrings

Educating patients about the importance of correctly aligning and supporting their foot structure helps them:

  • Make the connection between foot alignment and overall health
  • Better see the need for custom flexible orthotics that support all three arches of the foot
  • Comply with wearing their custom orthotics regularly
  • Get optimal results from their custom orthotics and chiropractic care

Assess the feet of every patient, every time

Make foot assessment part of every patient’s protocol. Practically everyone overpronates to some degree and needs custom flexible orthotics that support all three arches to restore proper alignment. After you assess the patient’s feet:

  1. Show them a diagram of the foot’s three arches and explain the plantar vault
  2. Share the results of the foot assessment with the patient
  3. Discuss their degree of instability and how it affects the rest of their body, now and in the future
  4. Explain the need for custom orthotics for all their activities; recommend the best orthotics for the patient
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Patient Education Tools

Here are some conversation starters and suggested information to help patients understand the importance of correctly aligning all three of their arches.

  1. Did you know your foot has three arches?
    In architecture, the curve of an arch makes the entire structure it’s part of stronger and more stable. That’s why your feet, which support your entire body, have arches too.
  2. Over time, it’s common for arches to collapse.
    Arch tissue should be elastic like a bowstring. However, over time the tissue of the plantar vault can lose its stretchiness and begin to sag and fall. When that happens, the arches aren’t able to effectively absorb and manage stress. Factors that accelerate the process include injury, obesity, pregnancy, and arthritis.
  3. When your arches collapse, your whole body becomes unstable.
    Arch collapse is usually gradual and you won’t feel it happening. By the time the arches have completely collapsed, the feet themselves don’t hurt. But they are often the cause of pain you may be feeling in other parts of your body like your hips, knees and back. Without their natural curve, your body has become structurally unsound.
  4. Arch collapse is not reversible.
    Once arches collapse, there is no exercise or brace that will permanently restore the elasticity and proper position of the arches. Painful surgical procedures to reconstruct the arches involve lengthy recovery and rehabilitation, with no guarantees of success.
  5. Custom flexible orthotics are a painless, non-invasive and easy-to-use way to properly align the feet and stabilize the body.
    For over 70 years, patients around the world have trusted Foot Levelers custom flexible orthotics. Through custom orthotics, they’ve experienced less pain and fatigue, greater mobility, improved sports performance and more. As your doctor, I can prescribe the right Foot Levelers orthotics for you and help you get great results from them too.

 

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Why Foot Levelers

When you prescribe Foot Levelers you’re giving your patients the very best custom support, backed by proven science and trusted by doctors for over 70 years. They’re the only ones that support all three arches of the foot for total body health.

We have a wide range of orthotics styles to suit every person and offer numerous modifications to tailor them to each patient for optimal outcomes every time.

We are committed to giving you useful tools like this tip sheet to boost your custom orthotics success.

How can we help you today? Call 800.553.4860 for more information, or Get Started with Foot Levelers by completing the form below.

 

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