Sports/Athletics

Sports activities result in a great deal of movement and pressure on the foot often causing over-use injuries. Slight imbalances in the foot under normal circumstances may not be noticeable but with the extra stress of sports activity, they can become exacerbated. Sports orthotics are meant to compensate for the imbalances. A properly balanced foot will promote efficient muscle function as well as reduce fatigue. Many sports orthotic users noted that their performance is enhanced while wearing orthotics. With the proper correction, the foot can be aligned to give more propulsion, making walking, running and cycling, golfing and practically every weight bearing sport more mechanically efficient.

CHV (Club Head Velocity) increased between 3 and 5 mph, or a relative increase in CHV by up to 7%, after subjects had worn custom-made, weight-bearing, flexible orthotics daily for 6 weeks. A 5-mph increase in CHV is equivalent to an approximate increase in golf ball travel distance of 15 yards, a significant increase for the tour player for whom small increases in performance can reflect large position changes on the roster board. In addition, the use of these custom orthoses eliminated the effects of fatigue associated with playing 9 holes of golf (relative to CHV) and therefore may improve the likelihood for more consistent golf performance.

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 168-174