Uneven Shoe Wear Patterns Often Indicate Musculoskeletal Problems

Uneven Shoe Wear Patterns Often Indicate Musculoskeletal Problems. The wear pattern of your shoes can provide important clues to how your weight is distributed on your feet. Many people don’t know there is a relationship btwn low back, hip & knee pain & biomechanical foot dysfunction. This is because our feet are the foundation for the musculoskeletal system. What happens with our feet affects everything above.

There are 2 main wear patterns that are problematic; overpronation & supination.

Overpronation: The bottoms of the shoes wear on the inside heels & edges. Typically, overpronators have flat feet that roll inward. This prevents a good, rigid push-off when stepping. Overpronation is associated with foot, ankle, knee & hip-related injuries, plantar fascitis & running inefficiency.

Supination: Shoes show wear on the outside edges of the heels & sides. Usually, supinators have feet that are too rigid & arches that are too high. This results in poor shock absorption. Supination may lead to stress-related bone & joint injuries.

At Swank Chiropractic Sports Medicine, we determine whether custom orthotics are right for you. Using computerized laser analysis, we prescribe the exact correction & support for your custom orthotics. Custom orthotics are typically covered by most insurance.