Frequently Asked Questions

The bones of the ankle and heel are most stable when they are positioned in alignment. If they shift away from a center alignment, they become less stable.

Imagine pressure being placed on those unstable structures over and over again while you walk, run, or work. That is where the injuries can take place.

Injuries can present as chronic pain in the foot, knees, hips, and back. They may also include acute injuries such as an ankle sprain.

Keeping your hindfoot in alignment allows not only your bones but also the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments to properly handle the pressure placed on them from your feet through your back.

Your ankles and feet work together to manage how weight is distributed as you move

If your heels and ankles are not in their proper positions, they cannot properly distribute weight and this may lead to a less stable walking motion.

When your ankles and heels are out of alignment, your muscles, ligaments, and tendons often have to step in to ensure proper alignment and balance.

When these muscles become fatigued, they may not be able to handle the task properly and you become more likely to fall or become injured.

As you walk and move, your kinetic energy moves from your feet up through your body.

This energy can be seen when walking in sand. Sand kicks up behind you with each step. It is moved by the energy created when you move your foot.

Fatigued muscles don't pass as much of that energy onto the next structure. That is why walking in sand is tiring; energy is being lost and your muscles become fatigued.

An aligned kinetic chain allows the highest quantity of energy to be transferred up through your body, giving you more power and helping you feel less tired.

The body is designed to distribute pressure so that your muscles can primarily be concerned with movement.

When the skeletal system becomes misaligned, especially at the joint between the heel and ankle, pressure is no longer distributed across the structures that are most able to deal with it.

Instead, other structures, such as the ligaments in the knees, hips, and ankles, must take on the job and that can lead them to become fatigued, sore, or injured.

Protalus insoles correct the misalignment so you can avoid fatique and injury.