3D scanner

reward-your-feet

What are you doing to reward your feet after ……..?

by Jennifer Estabrooks Co-Owner

After you’ve run, walked, worked out, hiked, played your favorite sport, what do you put on your feet?  Everything starts with your feet – your transport, your moves, and your activity every day!  How do you thank them after you’ve worked them hard?  You put on the oldest; worn-out pair of shoes or slippers you own.  Your feet are tired and sore and deserve a little attention.
Your feet hold your weight, balance, propel you, and absorb shock.  Yes, there they are at the end of your legs stabilizing your every move.  Don’t take them for granted.
Think about it each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and have more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments.  The average person walks 180,000 kilometers in a lifetime; the equivalent to walking 5 times around the world.  Your arch bears between 90,000 and 135,000 kilograms of stress.  75% of people experience some type of foot pain.
Your feet are looking for some cushioning and support.  Here are a few brands we carry and why –

  • Aetrex Flips – best indoor slipper with extreme cushioning, shock absorption and durability.  They have an arch support to help stabilize and align the feet and a metatarsal support to help reduce the ball of the foot discomfort
  • OOfus  Sandals – known as the recovery sandal made with OOfoam technology absorbs impact and gives the perfect blend of cushion and stability.  They support the arch to reduce energy exertion in the ankles.
  • Asics, Brooks, New Balance and Saucony are our top athletic brands and all have technology-specific to them for cushioning, support, stability and motion control.  Every style of every brand has unique qualities that are designed to help you perform better and recover faster.

The most important thing is to come in and be measured, let us watch your gait and try on as many styles as you like to see what makes your feet feel amazing.

And just a little more information, we have a 3D scanner named ‘Albert’ that will digitally scan and take pictures of your feet to determine not only the pressure points but the arch length, foot differentiation, instep girth and recommend solutions.  And best of all we have an amazing staff of experienced footwear specialists, two Canadian Certified Pedorthists and two bracing specialists!  Keeping you educated is on us!  

Come on into Soles in Motion, 133 Baker Drive, Dartmouth!

-Submitted by Jen Estabrooks, Co-Owner, Certified Brace Specialist

slips-and-falls_Winter

Don’t Be Down And Out This Winter!

by Jennifer Estabrooks Co-Owner

No matter what is going on around us the seasons are still coming.  Winter is here and with it comes slips and falls.  Did you know that over 70% of all fractures in people over the age of 65 are due to falls?  Falls with or without injury carries a heavy impact on your quality of life.  The most profound effect of falling is the loss of independent living.  Therefore, people may stop doing things that have kept them active.  However, staying active needs to overcome your fear of falling again.

Here are a few ways you can improve your confidence:

Move and strengthen – Many falls among seniors are caused by muscle weakness. Exercise is very important.  If you don’t want to participate in a group setting then do it at home.  I met a lovely gentleman last week that had lost a lot of muscle in his upper legs fairly quickly.  After talking to him, we discovered that after moving from his home to an apartment he no longer did stairs multiple times a day or general outdoor activity.  Although a small thing to some, he was doing very little in his new home to keep those muscles strong.

Stabilize your feet – If you are unstable consider your shoes; high heels, floppy slippers, slick soles can make you feel unstable and make you stumble and fall.  Sensible shoes or orthotics will not only make you more stable but may also reduce joint pain.  Make sure you have boots with good traction if you are going outside; otherwise, it is like driving with bald tires!

Stabilize your Knees – Unfortunately, as time goes by your knee joints are the first joints to wear and you may have osteoarthritis or kneecap pain. This causes instability and weakness leading to falling.  Consider a knee brace that will help with the redistribution of forces away from the area of degeneration.

At Soles in Motion, we want to make you happy and pain-free from the feet up.  Did you know we have two Canadian Certified Pedorthists, Graham and Sandra, as well as, Jen and Megan, Bracing Specialists, who would love to see you?  There is no charge for our appointments and we will educate you on how we can help.  We will also introduce you to Albert, our 3D scanner, who will tell you all about your feet and measure your feet to make sure you get the proper shoes.  Drop-in or give us a call – 902-468-7911

Submitted by Jen Estabrooks, Co-Owner, Bracing Specialist