Science of the sole: do orthotics help people with sore feet? | Steve Caplan

By 2015, the global orthotics industry may be worth as much as $4.7bn, mostly for foot orthotics. But do orthotics actually help?I have a long-term interest in orthotics, the custom inserts that reportedly ensure pain-free feet, stemming way back to my days as a PhD student. In the early and mid-1990s, I worked on T cell receptors and the mechanisms by which they transmit important signals into the cell interior, ultimately leading to cell proliferation – a critical component of our normal immune response. However, my own physiological response was that by the end of a long day in the lab, mostly standing and running biochemical assays, my feet ached.The first course of action for sore feet is to rest. Popping off one's shoes or sandals, and propping up one's feet usually brings a degree of relief. And it did for me; at least for a while. But over time, I began to notice that upon awakening in the morning, my feet were already sore – and hadn't recovered from the previous day's aches. For those who haven't experienced this kind of feeling, in my case it was never acute pain – just a dull ache in the heel and metatarsal areas. But it was depressing to feel uncomfortable getting out of bed and standing up after a full night's rest.It was my PhD adviser who first suggested custom orthotics – that my feet were probably flat, or had insufficient arches, and that custom orthotics would help. Being me, I resisted; I compromised and came to work in supportive training shoes, ...
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