Pelmatography – Insoles
Our feet support our body every day and their task is our movement. During walking, body weight is concentrated on the foot and the ankle joint. When our foot has some kind of deformity/anomaly, our body posture changes, it is not correct, and it is possible to feel pain and fatigue in the area of the foot. Incorrect body posture can cause functional problems and increase the possibility of injuries (e.g., fractures, sprains, etc.). Special foot orthotics can be used in order to avoid unpleasant consequences of incorrect body posture.
They are made of a very light polymer and are lined with an antifungal agent. They are unique for each patient, providing ideal support and equal body weight distribution.
In order to manufacture the appropriate foot orthotics, the patient must be accurately diagnosed based on the evaluation of his pelmatography.
Pelmatography is performed with two methods:
1) The foot’s morphology can be visualized with the help of a special platform and a software on a computer, because of the numerous pressure sensors on the platform.
2) A small device placed on the patient’s body. It is wired to two specially arranged pads that consist of sensors and then inserted carefully into the shoes. During the patient’s movements, all pressures that the feet undergo during walking are recorded. In both cases, the devices are connected via a USB cable to the computer, which processes and analyzes the data retrieved during the examination.
Each pelmatography is divided in two phases:
1) Static pelmatography: It analyzes the patient’s stability in sagittal posture.
2) Dynamic pelmatography: It measures the pressure exerted during walking on every square centimeter of the feet, and compares steps from both the static and dynamic measurements, allowing the analysis between the two feet.
With the help of the specialized software, we can receive various graphs and measurements from one pelmatography, as well as compare results and different measurements of the same patient. Pelmatography is a simple, painless examination that answers many questions about the main reasons we are having problems with our feet, ankles, knees, hip and back. The following is a list of conditions for which pelmatography and orthotic insoles are recommended.
- Flat feet – Knock-knees – Rearfoot Valgus
- Diabetes or post-operative diabetes foot
- Hollow foot – Hammer toe – Claw toe
- Hallux Valgus, “bunion”
- Frequent sprains
- Feet ache, “calluses” on the surface of the sole
- Leg length discrepancy – Scoliosis
- Persistent lower back pain
- Achilles tendinitis
- Heel pain (Heel spurs, plantar fascia, Sever’s disease, etc.)
- Patients with a deformity either caused by rheumatoid arthritis or another rheumatic condition
- People who stand on their feet for many hours (athletes, etc.)
- Osteochondritis of the foot or knee
When dealing with particular foot conditions, apart from foot orthotics, shoes also play a big role, for example in cases of diabetes and rheumatism. It is essential for patients with diabetes to wear orthopedic shoes. The shoes must have the correct width, extra depth and their upper part must be made of soft leather, so that no additional injuries occur on bone protrusions or developing bony deformities. The design of the special sole, which must be adjusted inside the shoe, has necessarily taken into consideration all parameters, reducing the chance of additional injury to the foot, or even amputation.
