About time. We’ve been telling the truth about orthotics for years.
Money quote: “As for ‘corrective’ orthotics…they do not correct so much as lead to a reduction in muscle strength.”
The article is not perfect, though. What are we to make of this?:
Dr. Nigg says he always wondered what was wrong with having flat feet. Arches, he explains, are an evolutionary remnant, needed by primates that gripped trees with their feet. “Since we don’t do that anymore, we don’t really need an arch,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Why would we? For landing — no need. For the stance phase — no need. For the takeoff phase — no need…
Dr. Nigg seems to have a very limited understanding of the actual present-day function of the arch. I agree that flat feet are not the disaster needing correction that many practitioners find profitable. Nevertheless, the three arches of the foot serve an incredibly vital function in establishing support for the entire body. We spend a lot of time discussing this is my yoga anatomy course.
