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Your Foot bone is connected to your leg bone..
Or you may have a sore back or hip, and when you alter the way you walk to compensate, your feet begin to hurt. There are many reasons for aches in the back, legs, and feet -accidental trauma, poorly fitting shoes, or simply signs of age. That's why people whose feet are not "biomechanically correct" or in perfect alignment, often experience pain in other parts of their body. Remember, your feet are your foundation. Footmaxx orthotics correct the movement of the foot, and that relieves the problems in the legs and hips. IT TAKES A COMPUTER TO MAKE ORTHOTICS THIS PERFECT. There's a secret to making orthotics that give you exactly the right correction -- accurate measurements of the way you walk. In the past, doctors, relied on plaster or foam casts to get an impression of the feet. Unfortunately, these casts record only the shape of the foot at rest. When a plaster cast is made, the foot is not bearing any weight, nor is it in motion. People develop foot problems while moving and bearing their body weight, not sitting. Footmax orthotics are made from measurements that are taken by a computer while your feet are in motion and weight bearing.
That information is analyzed by the computer to produce instant 2D and 3D graphic images of your feet that you can see on the screen. The same information is then fed via modem to sophisticated diagnostic software that specifies the orthotics. In less than 72 hours, the orthotics are on their way to your doctor's office. SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR, AND CHECK YOUR INSURANCE PLAN. If you think orthotics might help you, speak to your doctor. You may be surprised at how easily they can provide relief. And check your insurance plan, because many plans allow for one pair of orthotics per year. You may be fully covered for the cost. AT SOME POINT, 75% OF THE POPULATION WILL SUFFER FROM FOOT-RELATED PROBLEMS. This often results in pain or discomfort in the feet, ankles, knees, hips or back. And yet just 2% will ask their doctor about it. Many people think they have to live with it, or hope it will just go away. Why do people have problems with their feet? It's simple. The foot is always in motion and under enormous pressure from the body's weight. As we walk or run, our entire weight lands on our feet, up to 10,000 times a day. Doctors and scientists know that with the proper support,
most problems with the feet, and in many cases, legs and lower back,
can be remedied. If you have experienced this type of discomfort,
your doctor may be able to help you quickly, easily and painlessly. ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THE NEW FOOT MAX ORTHOTICS Footmax orthotics fit into your shoes. They are similar to insoles, except that they are custom made just for you. These orthotics will correct and improve the way your feet strike the ground. They help your feet move more effectively and enhance your natural movement. Until a few years ago, many orthotics were bulky and that meant people sometimes had to buy special shoes. Not anymore! The new Footmaxx orthotics are very thin and lightweight. They fit easily and discreetly into you existing shoes. You can wear your most stylish form-fitting shoes, and still get the proper support and correction from Footmaxx orthotics.
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN A PERSON GOES TO PUT HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD, IT OFTEN HURTS.
With all this pressure, if your f eet and legs aren't aligned correctly, you could experience pain in your back, hip or knee. Traditionally, podiatrists would diagnose the problem after observing the patient walk and conducting a physical exam. Now, a new diagnostic computer system, called Footmaxx, helps podiatrists see foot and leg problems in action., "Never before has there been a way to observe problems when feet and legs are in motion, "says Woodbury podiatrist David Zuckerman, one of few podiatrists in the area with $6,000 system. The system would be helpful to analyze how weight is distributed during a gait cycle, says Dr. Richard T. Jermyn, director of the Comprehensive Pain Center in Voorhees and the University Back Center in Stratford. "This would be very helpful for people who can't feel pain in their feet, such as those with diabetic neuropathy," because they can't tell if they are injuring themselves, added Jermyn, an associate professor of rehabilitative medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey -- School of Osteopathic Medicine, Statford. "This would be very helpful for people who can't feel pain in their feet, such as those with diabetic neuropathy," because they can't tell if they are injuring themselves, added Jermyn, an associate professor of rehabilitative medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey -- School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford. Here's how the Footmaxx system works. The patient, in stocking feet, strides three times across a plate. Each time, the patient tries to walk onto the center of the plate, which is about the same size as a welcome mat. Patients usually have to practice a few times, to hit the right stride, Zuckerman says. The black plate is connected to a computer. As the patient walks, 960 selective electronic sensors scan his feet, taking precise measurements of how his feet strike the mat and distribute his body weight. The computer analyzes the information to produce two and three dimensional images of the feet, which are shown on a monitor. Sometimes the analysis reveals a person's gait would be helped if he wore orthotics, or specially made insoles, in his shoes. Traditionally, orthotics were made from plaster casts of the patients feet. But the rigid casts are made while the patient is seated and don't accurately show how the feet malfunction while in motion and bearing the patient's full weight, Zuckerman says. "For the first time, I can assess a patient's dynamic weight-bearing gait while he is walking." After the computer analysis, the doctor decides if orthotics would help. If so, the doctor transmits the data via modem to a lab in Toronto. Technicians there create extremely think, flexible orthotics using the two and three dimensional images. The orthotics are shipped to the podiatrists within three days. The Footmaxx orthotics cost approximately $400; traditional orthotics average $300 to $400. Zuckerman says. The difference in the old and new inserts is dramatic. "The old type works very well, but it doesn't fit in most shoes. The new orthotic is thinner and can fit in most shoes, "Zuckerman explains. "They (the new) are more comfortable and fit and feel better," says Maxine Cangelose, 52, of Turnersville. The first orthotics made her feet feel stiff while she was walking. "I have old feet. I'm a little overweight. Ever since I had these (Footmaxx orthotics), I feel like I have new feet." Cangelose, a management representative in Philadelphia, said unlike the old rigid orthotics, the new type is more flexible. "You can take them right out of your walking shoe and put them right into your dress shoe, "says Cangelose, who suffer from heel and bone spurs, as well as injuries to her feet. The footmaxx system was designed by Dr. Glenn Copeland, official team podiatrist to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. Twenty-nine major League baseball teams, including the Phillies, and 13 National Footballl League teams, including the Eagles, now sanction the system for performance enhancement, pain reduction and injury prevention, according to the company. The NFL endorsement swayed Zuckerman to try the system. "If the NFL is going to risk these multimillion dollar players, I figure it's pretty good, "Zuckerman says. This article is a reprint from the courier post.
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People
sometimes wonder how orthotics can correct knee or hip problems.
Have you ever had a blister on the bottom of your foot? If you have,
you know that you try not to put pressure on it. You change the
angle of your foot when you walk and the next thing you know, your
knee or hip hurts because you're walking differently. 
Here's
how it works. You walk across a mat that's connected to a computer.
The mat has 960 electronic sensor points built into it. As you walk,
the mat scans your feet in motion 30 times per second, taking incredibly
precise measurements throughout your footsteps of the way your feet
touch the ground, and how you distribute your body weight.
At
some point, 75 percent of the population will suffer from foot-related
problems, says the American Pediatric Medical Association. And no
wonder, During your life, your feet carry you an average of four
times around the globe - 115,000 miles. With every step, your body's
entire weight lands on your feet, up to 10,000 times each day.