How Insoles Can Improve Your Performance

It is well known that one of the biggest problems for those who undergo lower limb amputations is learning to walk with a prosthetic leg or foot. Difficulties in using prostheses can often cause an amputee to develop a limp or other walking irregularities. However, in recent years there has been significant progress in providing orthotic insoles to correct these problems.

There are several reasons why difficulties can develop with lower-limb prostheses. Although we are not normally aware of it, as we walk, our brain is constantly receiving feedback from our muscles about our leg positions, the contact of each foot with the ground, and the force with which our feet push off. Without this information, movement co-ordination can be difficult, so people with prosthetic limbs often develop walking abnormalities such as shorter steps, or swinging the prosthetic leg from a tiptoe position. In addition, amputees often lack sufficient confidence to put their full weight on a prosthetic leg, and this causes asymmetry in walking. In the case of partial foot amputations resulting from diabetes, there are often pressure problems caused by the reduction in the load-bearing plantar surface of the foot, and this can cause instability in the push-off phase of walking.


For these pressure problems, it has been found that using a custom insole made from pressure-sensitive materials can distribute the pressure more evenly over the rest of the foot, thus reducing instability when pushing off. However, what is exciting is that a smart insole has been developed to overcome the feedback problem for people with prosthetic legs. The insole contains sensors that can read the user's walking information, tracking the position, angle, and pressure of the foot, and transmitting it to a smartphone app. This not only allows the therapist to identify irregularities in the user's gait, but also beeps to alert users themselves when they are not walking correctly, helping them to improve quickly.

Orthotic insoles are beneficial for anyone with biomechanical problems of the lower limbs, including people with back pain, arthritis or sports injuries. They guide and control the foot, while restricting its movement in particular directions, helping to correct imbalances and irregular walking patterns. However, for amputees, they can often make the difference between remaining disabled and leading a normal life.