C.B.A.S. (tm): Custom
Biomechanical Arch Supports (new technology)
Foot Pain and Orthotics
With all the different products advertised for
relief of foot pain and deformities, picking the right one for your
needs can be confusing and
difficult. The truth
is there are quite a few people that suffer from foot ailments who
are anxiously looking for a solution –some willing to try anything.
It is also sadly true that the vast majority of products currently
sold as foot pain solutions are useless, especially in regards to
eliminating the problem long-term. So how do you find what is right and effective
for you?
The Main Problem: Over-Pronation (Flat
Feet)
If you are like the majority of people with some
degree of
arch loss, either from birth or over time, there are some critical
facts you need to know before you can
make an informed decision. All of the common foot problems, such as
bunions,
plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, calluses and corns, etc. are
usually caused by the lack of enough arch in the foot when we are
standing, walking and running (weight-bearing activities). There are
a number of reasons why most of us have some degree of flat feet,
but mostly it comes down to body weight, gravity and concrete. The
first two are constantly flattening the foot down against the hard
surfaces we live on. The ligaments that support the bones of the
foot get stretched out and our arches drop.
Orthotics Before
CBAS
Typical custom orthotics are made based on some
unproven assumptions about how to control the foot that seem to defy
real-world engineering and the laws of physics. These are blindly
followed
simply because they are "industry standard", not because they have
been proven effective. In fact, the majority of medical studies done
on the effectiveness of standard custom orthotics compared with
off-the-shelf cushions or other treatments have
demonstrated that they are either no better or
worse.
Standard custom orthotics use wedges under the heel and forefoot to
try to correct foot function –because that is
traditional teaching. Usually the arches in these
orthotics are minimal, partly because manufacturers are concerned
that the casts they receive from practitioners are unreliable,
and
partly because the flatter the orthotic, the less
chance the user will be uncomfortable. Because they avoid full
and dynamic arch support, they cannot be effective in preventing
arch collapse. So they end up merely being
expensive. If you have flat feet, try standing on a small wedge and
see if it holds your arch up!
C.B.A.S.™: New Technology
The real question, then, is what is the best way to
hold the arches up, correct the way our feet work, and fight body
weight, gravity and concrete? That is how we can appreciate the
difference between a
Foot Solutions Custom
Biomechanical Arch Support™ and typical custom
orthotics. C.B.A.S.™
were designed like an engineer would design the best way to
build a bridge, looking at the real forces involved and how best to manage
them.
The C.B.A.S.™ design incorporates
three critical factors that an orthotic must have in order
to be
effective. First, orthotics must capture the properly corrected
position of the foot: as high an arch as the foot
can make with heel and forefoot flat on the ground. Second, the
orthotic must make full contact with the entire foot in this
position, especially with the corrected arch position, in order to
have the mechanical power and efficiency to control the foot. Third,
the orthotic must be rigid enough to maintain this corrected position
against the person’s weight and gravity and yet flexible enough to
be comfortable upon impact with a typical concrete floor. To
accomplish these three main goals, new, reliable casting techniques
were tested to achieve the right custom foot mold. New materials
were discovered that could offer the right blend of rigidity and flexibility
for every individual foot, then calibrated
to deliver the proper force for your
feet.
Other
Problems: Over-Supination (High-Arched, Rigid
feet)
A small percentage of people have the oppo
site problem: their arches are too high and rigid
due to
congenitally tight bone structure. Their feet
are very poor shock absorbers and all the force of body weight
and gravity gets concentrated on a few points at the bottom of their
feet. C.B.A.S.™ engineers discovered
that the full contact orthotic design was also quite effective for this foot type because it re-distributes foot pressure evenly across the entire sole of the foot. For the
first time, people with this more unusual foot problem now have a
custom orthotic solution.
The Results
Hopefully, now you can understand that all
orthotics are not alike.
C.B.A.S.™
are proud to be setting a new, effective
standard for foot relief that helps prevent as well as treat all the
common foot and even lower leg conditions caused by poor foot
function. Ask your Foot Solutions specialist if C.B.A.S.™
may be helpful for
you.
Main Reasons
C.B.A.S.™ Are
Different:
• Conform perfectly to your arch for
support
• Designed with your weight and activity levels
in
mind
• Engineered to actually control foot function,
not just cushion it
• Captures the foot in the ideal position for
weight-
