Understanding the Problem

Environment: We walk increasingly on hard, flat surfaces (which prevents us from exercising – and developing strength and stamina – through our full range of motion).
Evolution has not prepared humans for this relatively recent development. Learn more»

Physical activity: A decline in physical exercise allows muscles to atrophy, contributes to obesity, increases the chance of injury and disability due to diminished muscle tone. On the other hand, an increase in physical activity leads to increased chance of injury due to magnification of joint instability and muscle fatigue. Obesity puts more pressure on feet and joints; fluctuations in weight (especially rapid ones) are particularly consequential.

Time: As we age, muscles atrophy, bones wither, the function of joints deteriorates, and physical stress cumulates. Falling in the elderly is a major problem in emotional stress, diminished quality of life, and healthcare dollars. During adolescence, muscles and bones are maturing, if proper alignment is not achieved the result can be life long instability/disability.

Health care: Feet tend to be medically neglected, and poorly understood by most of the medical community. The interrelationship between our feet and ankles, knees, hips, vertebrae, etc. are also poorly understood.

Just a few of the problems that can result include:

• TMJ and other cervical disorders can be caused by poor posture.
• Osteoarthritis in hip (due to mis-alignment)
• Bursitis in hip
• Sciatica
• Lower back pain

Each of these is at least influenced if not outright caused by poor postural alignment. Certainly any non-invasive solution to low back pain would have significant and far reaching effects on its own.

Knee problems can be greatly reduced and even with significant disease, major improvement can easily be achieved. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2003 there where approximately 300,000 total knee joint replacement surgeries performed in this country at a cost of $32,000 each. That comes to 9.6 billion dollars a year and does not include anything but the cost of the surgeon, implant, and hospital.

There are 28 separate and distinct diagnoses that affect the feet and most are erroneously attributed to poor fitting shoes and genetic factors. As the foundation of the body, surprisingly little has effectively been done to address postural alignment from the ground up.

Orthotics are a way to put something between foot and footwear to neutralize the deforming/atrophying effects of the environment on the foot and on the links between the foot and different body joints (a person’s so-called “kinetic chain”). Orthotics are an artificial way of adjusting to the environment – an evolutionary short cut.

Properly designed orthotics address the causes of various disabilities, deformities and conditions at the source, rather than the symptoms. Florida BioMechanics Groups’ orthotics are based on a unique technology to make possible the proper corrective measures to the foot.