Plastic Deformation
ORTHOTICS
Explaining this condition to patients
Tim Maggs
"Back pain” is a common complaint for a chiropractic patient, but pain in the back can originate from somewhere else along the kinetic chain, such as in the feet.
However, pain caused by the feet might not necessarily mean pain in the feet. Instead, a structural imbalance might be caused by stress, time, and plastic deformation—when the foot’s tissues stretch beyond their elastic limits and become permanently deformed. Explaining the need for custom-made, functional orthotics to correct this condition can present a challenge.
Arch Collapse Is Inevitable
Materials are both elastic and plastic, but some are more elastic, while others are more plastic. Those that are more elastic return to their original shape after a stress is removed from them (like a rubber band). Those that are more plastic don’t (like a plastic bag).
Unlike other fibers in the body, the fibers that make up the ligaments, tendons, and fascia in your foot aren’t very elastic; they’re more plastic. As you walk around every day, they bend to help withstand tearing and stretching, but over a period of years and decades, the repetitive stresses slowly break them down, eroding the support for the bones and joints of your feet.
These long-term lengthening forces decrease the elasticity of the foot’s connective tissues and result in a sagging of the foot’s arch. Once they’re stressed past their structural limit, they collapse and the foot’s arch becomes permanently deformed.
Orthotics Can Help
As people age, the foot’s connective tissues become even less elastic, making collapse even more likely, whether from repetitive stress or sudden, heavy stress.
Here are some things I try to do for every patient:
• Explain that chiropractic adjustments work best when supplemented with custom orthotics.
• Encourage them to buy custom orthotics and shoes for every level of activity.
■ " The most effective custom-made functional orthotics are those designed to remove biomechanical stress from the body by supporting all three arches of the foot. J J
• Emphasize that their orthotics should be worn at least 75 to 80% of the time.
• Point out that this is a permanent form of treatment and support.
• Express my ongoing interest in their long-term health and wellness!
The most effective custom-made functional orthotics are those designed to remove biomechanical stress from the body by supporting all thr ee arches of the foot. As I explain to my patients, once the feet are adjusted, these orthotics help hold the adjustment.
Dr. Tim Maggs has been in private practice for 35 years. He has specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries throughout his entire career. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Maggs, together with three-time Kenyan Olympian Joseph Nzau, developed a Kenyan training program in upstate New York, The team ran under the name of Team Stick, For three years, Dr. Maggs treated and traveled with the 20-plus runners to races all over the country. Today, Dr. Maggs works with athletes from more than 25 high schools, and he is the Director of Sports Biomechanics at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, New York, He is also the developer of the CPOYA Providers Network, which teaches DCs and other health and sports professionals how to help prevent injuries in young athletes.
