Oh, My Tired and Aching Feet


Then the flat-footed women were given custom-made arch supports to wear for 2 weeks prior to a second study. After the 2-week period the treadmill exercise was repeated with both groups, and the overall results were compared.

In both tests, the control group of normal feet showed no difference in any of the measurements while the flat-footed group had significant differences in both their walking and post-exercise measurements. With the arch supports, the study group had lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, they used less oxygen and the math showed that they used less energy to do the same amount of exercise. Interestingly, the differences were more noticeable at higher speeds and greater inclines. In other words, those with flat feet could expect to be more tired if they did more work.

So the only difference in the 2 study periods was the use of custom-made arch supports in the flat-footed group of women. Custom-made arch supports are more commonly known as orthotics. People with flat or over-pronated feet should take notice here: orthotics really do help. Like eyeglasses, orthotics can be expensive when custom-made, but if they're well fitted and in a proper set of footwear, they're worth every penny.

The copyright of the article Oh, My Tired and Aching Feet in Chiropractic Health is owned by Dr. David L. Phillips. Permission to republish Oh, My Tired and Aching Feet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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