Currently viewing the tag: "orthotics"

I often have to explain overpronation to a number of my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood chiropractic clients.  I have finally found a video (please see below) that does a great job illustrating what happens to the feet during the gait cycle when overpronation is an issue.

Overpronation is an excessive turning in of the feet (to be more accurate for you doctors out there–pronation a combination of eversion, abduction and dorsiflexion).  Pronation is a natural movement that we all do (or are supposed to do, anyway) during the foot-strike phase of the gait cycle (walking).  Pronation is necessary to adapt to the surface of the ground when we take a step.

Overpronators, then, turn their foot in excessively causing a chain of events occurring up the foot, leg and thigh, and eventually into the back, which can lead to excessive wear and tear on joints and cause pain.  Some common maladies attributable to overpronation are:

The real way to correct overpronation, and thus prevent any of the above issues from becoming chronic and leading to breakdown, is the use of custom-made orthotics.  Despite a current trend toward believing (hoping?) that barefoot running is the solution to all foot dysfunction, low back pain, goiter, syphilis and every other malady of the modern world, I can assure you I have seen nothing better for resolving musculoskeletal problems caused by overpronation than orthotics (and, believe me, people have been trying).

Watch the video below to get a clear picture of what is happening during overpronation.


Low back pain can be caused by a number of things, but one of the most common disorders I see in my West Hollywood sports chiropractic office happens to be a gait dysfunction. Our gait–or the way we walk–is dependent on a number of factors, one of which is the structural make-up (or breakdown) of our feet.

One such dysfunction is called overpronation, which is an excessive turning out of the feet from the heel during the gait cycle. Overpronation is usually the result of flat feet or collapsing arches. This excessive turning out causes a dysfunctional chain of events up the legs and to the low back. Some common symptoms, along with low back pain, are shin splints, sciatica, tight hips, and poor posture, among other things.

The answer to low back pain caused by overpronation is to have custom orthotics made for your feet. We cast orthotics in my West Hollywood chiropractic office, and within two weeks you’ll a comfortable and effective pair of shoe insert arch supports that are made specifically for your natural arch.

Please watch the video above to see overpronation in action, and a sample of custom-made orthotics. If you are having low back pain and you suspect that your feet may be part of the problem, please contact your local chiropractor today. If you are in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills or Los Angeles you can contact this chiropractor and we’ll evaluate your feet so you can kick low back pain to the curb.


Do you wear orthotics? Do you have back pain, hip pain, knee pain; do your feet hurt? Has anybody checked your feet? If you wear orthotics, then you know how much they help your particular condition. But did you know they need to be repaired periodically?

Orthotics are devices inserted into the shoes that support the feet. They are customized to each individual, so they may provide an arch for one whose arches collapse; or they might provide cushion for people that come down hard on their feet. Each foot dysfunction and gait abnormality has its own particular correction in custom-made orthotics.

We take approximately ten million steps a week. By the shear volume of it all, orthotics wearers have to be aware of one thing–orthotics eventually break down. Once the device expires, symptoms slowly return. Hello sciatica–long time no burn. Shin splints–thought you’d never come back. Oh, and low back pain–fuggedaboutit–that’ll come back with a vengeance. Sometimes symptoms return slowly; other times–BAM!–hello again.

The approximate time frame to repair or replace your orthotics is 1-2 years. For runners or heavy tennis players that only have one pair, your looking at closer to a year. But for the average weekend warrior, or for the person with two or more pairs, it’ll be closer to a year and a half, two years. Once you get them repaired, your orthotics will be like brand new.

Just ask my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood chiropractic client Eddie Pence. He’s been running around in his pair for a couple of years–he’s taken them up Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, trudged them through the Los Angeles flag football gridiron, and slugged mud in them with his dog at the most popular of West Hollywood dog parks. And although the Biomechanical orthotics we fit him for could take a serious licking, Ed knows that to keep them ticking, it’s time for a repair.

If you need orthotics, or you would like to have your low back, hip, groin, knee, calf, shin or foot pain evaluated by a sports chiropractor, and you live in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, or West Hollywood, come see Dr. Nick Campos and get your foot problems squared away.


Finally if you have an underlying foot dysfunction (overpronation or over-supination) you increase your susceptibility to knee injury due to faulty biomechanics and diminished proprioception. Foot dysfunction can be helped immensely by a good orthotic shoe insert.

Custom made orthotics to help knee pain

Custom made orthotics to help knee pain

Custom orthotics are best, and for that you will need to visit a professional (like a sports chiropractor or podiatrist). Don’t let your knee pain or injury become chronic, as that can lead to irreversible damage requiring surgery. Follow these tips and keep your athletic performance pain free.

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