REHABILITATION
feet. Your recommendation of the correct shoe is vital. If you
are not comfortable making a recommendation, then recommend that your patient go to a running store to get correct
information on what shoe is best for them. Running shoes are
designed on three types of foot structure: the supinator, neutral
and hyper-pronated foot. The supinator, or high-arched foot, is
usually demonstrated as a C-shaped shoe. This shoe is usually
more flexible and has additional shock-absorbing support. The
neutral foot shoe is semi-curved with adequate support and
shock absorbing capabilities. The flat foot, or hyper-pronated
foot, requires a shoe that is referred to as a motion control shoe.
It is designed to add additional support on the medial side of
the shoe to assist with pronation. This shoe is usually straighter
in its appearance.
I am often asked by doctors when I am lecturing, “If we place
a patient in a motion control shoe, do we still need to recom-
mend an individually-designed, flexible orthotic?”
The answer is YES! Remember, the individually-designed
orthotic is designed to balance the three arches of the foot to
allow a symmetrical heel-to-toe transition. If you put your
hand inside the shoe, you will find that the shoe is usually flat
on the inside. The additional stability to the shoe is placed in
the medial side for additional support as the weight bearing
forces go medial. They are not designed to correct a fallen or
dropped arched.
A 1980 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic,
Dr. Kirk Lee is a member of the Palmer College of Chiropractic Post Graduate Faculty and Parker College of
Chiropractic Post Graduate Faculty. He has lectured
nationwide on sports injuries and the adolescent athlete,
and currently practices in Albion, Michigan. TAC
To learn more, circle #243 on The Action Card
www.amchiropractor.com
JULY 2011 I The American Chiropractor I 59
