MyORTHO Public Talk Series: Understanding What Your Feet Need? How Healthy is Your Feet?

Most of us tend to ignore our feet because we take them as granted. Have you really try to understand what our feet need? How healthy is our feet? I guess most people do not know until they start having back pain, knee pain, or foot pain. In fact, our feet are our foundation hence we should take care of our feet from young.

Thanks to MyORTHO for the invitation to ‘Understanding What Your Feet Need? How Healthy is Your Feet?’ public talk at Royale Bintang The Curve Hotel last month. All the guests and media had an insight to our feet’s health from the sharing of Dato' Edmund, an Orthotic Specialist and Madonna, Certified Pedorthist and Physiotherapist.

Firstly, Dato' Edmund shared with us that any postural foot abnormality could have an effect further up the body, altering posture and walking style. Just like poor house foundations, foot abnormalities can have an effect knee, hip and back pain. ORTHOTIC THERAPY is used to redistribute the weight on the foot and to correct or Support any abnormal foot. 

He also shared with us how to pick the right shoes. 

Step 1 : Identify the activity you will be engaged in while wearing your shoes. Obviously, you will not want cowboy boots on if you are headed to the beach, but on the other hand, flip-flops are not appropriate in a pasture full of cattle. Here are some general suggestions for activities paired with suitable footwear.

Step 2 : Look for shoes that offer sufficient arch support. Our feet carry a load with each step we take, day in and day out, and the arch of the foot is a mechanical marvel that acts as both a shock absorber and balancing mechanism, and being sure to keep it supported will help maintain its health.

Step 3 : Have your feet properly measured for shoes to fit correctly. This means looking at the length and width, and here, there is no substitute for the help of an experienced shoe salesman. Not all feet are created equal, and many people find that their feet are not symmetrical, which may even mean buying a different sized shoe for each foot.

Step 4 : Consider the heel height of your shoe carefully. Heels of women's shoes are often raised in the thought that the lift will make them look more graceful, or thinner, but if this is accomplished at the expense of comfort, or even the health of her feet, it may not be a wise choice.

Step 5 : Choose the style and type of shoe you are interested in, and try them on in the store. Put both shoes on, lace them up, and stand in them for a few moments. Wiggle your toes to make sure they have sufficient space to keep them from being cramped. Walk around a little bit to get a feel for the balance. Look at them critically to see if they are right for you.

Remember, the professional athletes endorse various brands of shoes because they are paid to, and this does not imply any expertise in your own personal needs.

In fact, Orthotics Insole the most effective for correction and support malalignment of the FEET! They are many insoles available in the Market nowadays. The main differences for ready-made and custom made insoles are;

Ready made:

Non Custom Made to your foot condition

Salesperson – Non Qualified

Pharmacy & Shopping Mall

No Degree Forefoot Posting

Foot Tracing & Drawing

Custom made:

Custom Made to your foot condition

Professional Orthotist

Accredited Orthotic Centre

Forefoot Posting

3D Foot Scanning & Plaster Casting 

We had a short break before the next session which is also the most exciting session, the Lucky draw. 3 ladies have won the wonderful hampers from MyORTHO, congratulations!

Then, Madonna shared us some feet fitness for life. Changing Health Behaviors for the Better by incorporating the following strategies into your life will make it more likely that you’ll be physically active. Remember a little can go a long way hence do start exercise today.

·         Exercise in the morning.

·         Build exercise into your daily schedule.

·         Exercise with family and friends.

·         Start slowly. 

Once again, thank you MyORTHO for the public talk because I’ve learnt a lot from it. I hope we all will love and take care our feet from today onwards because we only have one pair of feet.

For more information on MyORTHO, visit http://myortho.com.my/