Custom orthotics for flat feet and the many benefits of 3D scanning for chiropractic patients

Chiropractors can provide crucial guidance and information that the patient will not get elsewhere regarding custom orthotics for flat feet

Chiropractors know how critical the feet are as the foundation of chiropractic health, but the majority of patients probably have no idea how fundamental their feet are to their health and well-being. Custom orthotics for flat feet provided via 3D scanning are changing patients lives, with research showing that 45-50% of patients have  low-back pain due to flat feet.

When they walk in the door as new patients, this fact is one of the first things you should teach them. When patients don’t respond as well as you expect to chiropractic care, a source of interference is frequently located in the pedal foundation. If there are issues with a patient’s feet, those issues travel up the kinetic chain to the knees, hips, back, and even the neck and upper regions, emphasizing the need for custom orthotics for flat feet.

An abnormal gait contributes to musculoskeletal imbalances throughout the lower extremities, and eventually back pain develops as a result.

“When the feet are out of alignment, the entire body is affected and becomes unbalanced,” says Kevin Wong, DC. “Assessing and correcting foot function and the importance of gait analysis should be an integral part of chiropractic treatment and can help doctors achieve better care outcomes.”

This is where a foot scanner comes in to not only promote alignment but to build your business.

“A weight-bearing, 3D, laser digital foot scanner offers accurate assessments of the state of the arches underneath the feet,” Wong says. “The scan indicates the severity of the arch collapse.”

Do most patients need custom orthotics for flat feet?

A 2017 Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation report showed that custom orthotics from one major manufacturer were clinically proven to improve low-back pain almost immediately. The study saw that six weeks of wearing custom orthotics reduced low-back pain by 34.5%, and improved function by 18.5%.

The addition of chiropractic care to wearing custom orthotics led to a 32.3% improvement in function.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, patients can also develop the condition “adult acquired flatfoot” which causes injury to the ligaments in the foot, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD), arthritis, and diabetic collapse among other issues.

Personalized and custom-made

Each foot scan “is analyzed by the lab correlating the patient’s age, height, weight and gender. Sixteen different measurements are then used to create a custom molded, three-arch orthotic to be worn comfortably in the patient’s shoes,” says Wong. “So not only do these types of orthotics support the patient’s feet, but they stabilize the whole body from the ground up.“

This is a point in the treatment path at which chiropractors can provide crucial guidance and information that the patient will not get elsewhere regarding custom orthotics for flat feet. The 3D scanning and subsequent orthotic that supports all three arches of the patient’s feet provides every-day support for chiropractic adjustments and patient health outside the chiropractic office.

For more orthotics info or products go to chiroeco.com/products/product-category/orthotics.