physio - March 12, 2014

how to protect your feet

A soccer players feet are the most important things in the world to them. That why they need to protect them. Soccer may not look it but it is a very dangerous sport for our feet! I have been playing soccer for many years now…. and in that time I have sustained many many injuries which could have easily been avoided if I was wearing the right footwear and insoles…. I have came to realize that insoles are the most important piece of equipment in soccer…. (yes you need a ball to play but I am talking about protection). Soccer trainers are good and all no matter whether you bought a pair for $20 or $200 if the insoles aren”t the right right fit or dont support your feet correctly then they will not be doing you any favors as soccer is a dangerous sport and there are lots of things that can go wrong and result in you damaging your feet… I bet we have all done this before you go to kick the ball and in doing so you kick the floor instead resulting in you rolling around in real pain whilst your team mates laugh at you antics. The pain and damage this can cause can sometimes be severe that why you need protection to stop or minimize the shock and damage things like this causes. A incident like this will tend to effect the metatarsal area the most and you can if you kick the floor hard enough cause serious injury.. a good pair of insoles will help to reduce the impact and absorb some of the shock of this. This is just one of the many examples I could point out… But not everything can be so obvious as that…Over time running constantly over a long period can cause stress and pressure build up on the sole and heel of your feet which can cause long term small amounts of micro fractures which over time can become a real issues as the micro fractures increase and further weaken the feet causing more pain that is why it is again important to wear shock absorbing insoles to stop this from happening. For me I have found that gel insoles [the ones I wear] work best for me as they adapt to the shape of you own feet and the silicone gel is really good at minimizing shock. Shock can also travel up through to your knees as well and can be quite bad for them as well resulting in excess stress in the knee area which can cause acl knee injuries and even arthritis meaning it is important not just for your feet but for other parts of your body as well. I also wear a pair in my shoes even when I am not playing soccer just for out and about because because even if I am not running I am usually on my feet for most of the day and at the end of the day I can really feel it in my feet thanks to the build up of pressure caused by my body weight weighing down on my heels and feet… but gel insoles make sure that the pressure is not focused and helps to spread it evenly which reduces its effects.rn But again shock absorption isn”t the only thing that you should keep in mind when playing soccer… arch support! Whats arch support? Arch support is added to many sports insoles to help better stabilize your feet in the correct footing position to ensure you feet are less likely to step into a awkward and potentially harmful position but more importantly because your feet are under constant pressure and must support your whole body then it is very important to help your feet out by giving them some help through added arch support. Having a lack of arch support often mean the plantar fascia (arch of your foot) is at risk of being inflamed especially in sports where tension and pressure from running is increased causing inflammation or tears to the plantar fascia can cause plantar fasciitis a nasty and painful condition that can keep you off the pitch for some time. This is particularly the case in over pronating and under pronating feet were the risk of strain to the plantar fasciitis is greater. Often it is the result of not having the right arch support which is to blame for foot cramps and pain in the arch of the foot. Some people may think that insoles are only need by professional runners but soccer is all about running and keeping up so it would be ludicrous to think that you dont need them. You can buy lots of different types from orthotic ones to gel insoles like I mentioned above it is upto you which ones you find most comfortable with and you do not have to blow you entire life savings on a pair either contrary to what many others have you believe (usually so they can sell you more expensive ones) custom insoles which often cost a lot of money are not worth the extra dough, I find if you buy gel or some insoles made out of particular materials like foam or gel that they will mold to the shape and also adapt to the changing shape of the feet during your soccer match pretty more efficiently than custom insoles do… as custom insoles will be fixed albeit made to the specification of your exact foot shape when you had them made but because running is very dynamic and the fact that your feet change structure whilst you run getting some out of a material that actively adapts to your feet shape whilst you run is far better and offers better support and comfort too… these insoles can a lot less expensive as well so you will have money spare to splash out on other things. You can do something about it but whether you want to do so is entirely up to you, but keep in mind even if you are not suffering from any aches and pains at the moment you maybe just lucky and remember that prevention is always better than the cure.rn’, ‘In this article I will be talking about the best insoles you can get for soccer and exactly why you need to start wearing them to keep your feet protected and prevent injuries! It is a rather a long article so buckle up! Feel free to comment as well if you have any questions or want to add anything…

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