A study was done on a new insole that might help fix the stability of your posture while also preventing falls. The study had a specificobjective: to design a properly fitting insole for healthy elderly people.Patients older than 65 went to a community hospital, at an out patient clinic,without having abnormal gait patterns, lower limb deformities, or foot painThey were given a heel cup with an arch support insole, that was provided. 5participants out 50 did not finish the study. Natural foot alignment helpsprevent foot injury and pain in the feet, by using the heel cupinsoles.
Getting to the point of having natural foot alignment means that the alignment has to begin with your feet, moving to your ankles, and thenthe knees, hips, back, and shoulders. Standing up straight requires your spine being aligned. Your joints need to be positioned properly to support the weight of the rest of your body. If your body is misaligned, this can cause an unevendistribution of weight during the gait cycle, while looking at the wear andtear patterns on the bottom soles of your shoes.
Heel cups with arch supports are good for making sure the elderly find balance. People who roll their feet inward show wear in the heelarea. Heel cup insoles help fix this. If you roll your feet outward, there willbe signs of wear on the outer edge of the sole. The uppers will have holes from the pressure of the foot, which is rolling outwards. Shoes that have deep heelcups should have a contoured insert providing arch support. You also need archsupport for rigid flat feet. Deep heel cups and arch support are things thatshoe manufacturers and podiatrists understand. The feet were never designed toendure concrete but softness instead.
Concrete leads to a lot of pounding on the foot, which issomething that an elderly person walking on concrete has to be careful with.Aging has a specific effect in causing osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. Top revent aging conditions such as broken bones, shoes require having a removableinsert so that you have enough depth in the shoe. The cushion helps protect your heel from the pressure of pounding the pavement. The foot pounding that pavement is the first contact between the body and the external environment.
A person’s posture is dependent on the position of the centerof mass of the body. In people aged 65 and older do not necessarily feel theirfeet. The elder population is growing now, which requires footwear that isadapted to this situation. Footwear may influence the quality of sensoryfeedback from the feet while acting as a sensory filter because of the tendencyof the elderly being not able to feel their balance shifting without feeling intheir feet. Insoles might improve the sensory feedback, aiding the elderlyperson’s posture. Elderly people do not always have as much muscle as they usedto in their youth.
Shoes made of soft materials can affect stability duringwalking, and this study designed insoles made a certain way to prevent theelderly from falling. If an elderly person wears an insole 8 weeks daily, theywill get used to having better balance. Orthopedic shoes also help thispurpose. There are several different kinds of abnormal gait patterns thataffect people. Foot pain itself is one situation that does not mean an elderlyperson will be out for a walk. Patients for this study stood on a platform thatevaluated how stable their own shoes were, as well as measuring their stances.