Chiropody helps for making custom boots
Every one has particular feet, due to single and specific morphology. Most of skaters have to accommodate with it when choosing a pair of roller skates. This paper is devoted by REL to the benefits and help of chiropody concerning custom carbon fiber boots...
Par alfathor
To feel good in roller skates!
From etymology chiropody refers to human foot knowledge. But it is a mistake to consider the foot independent from body, so chiropody completes human being study through static and dynamic behaviour.
If pathological foot induces upper compensation (knees, hips, rachis…) an inferior limb can also provoke reverse compensation on foot.
These mutual phenomenon leads to balance and welfare of human being.
Benefits of foot examination
Adapted to athletes, foot examination focuses on difficulties encountered in the practice. For roller skate, it allows a better making of custom carbon boots. Moreover foot examination tells apart between material, technical or morphologic problems.
Roller skate characteristics
Speed roller skating involves a specific movement: edge toppling with weight transfer. Foot and leg move aligned in a front plane. Any heightened valgus (pronator, i.e. closing outside angle between leg and foot) or varus (supinator, opening outside angle between leg and foot) can disturb skating. Either by increasing energy consumption, or injuring muscle and tendons, or bringing friction and burn.
The above useless movements can be due to static morphology (morphotype) or exhibited in dynamic phases. Tiredness raises this trend.
Examination and interview
An interview coupled to examination is very important to understand problems encountered by athlete, as well skating as on every day (discomfort, pain, unbalance feeling).
Examination leads to: a qualitative characterization of plantar support via backlighted podoscope, a quantitative one via electronic podoscope. Moreover postural informations are given by this apparatus that measures how moves the body push center.
Deviations in the frontal plane and in the sagittal one can be also exhibited.
Applied to roller speed skating, unipodal examination (support leg being bended) is very important. It allows a simulation of skater when pushing, leading to semi-dynamic approach.
Foot casting
Casting should be made bended, as near skating posture as possible (especially to get the right ankle to leg angle). In most of cases it is not required to adjust the foot placement. When severe valgus or varus is encountered, it is better to modify the angle between sole and ground. This is realized by putting sloping wedges between frame and boot, and achieved by lateral adjustment of the frame. 
Performance clinchers
Material is important, but others elements enhance the performance:
– regular training
– skating technique improvement
– muscle reinforcing
– Physical therapist or osteopath treatment to reduce muscular stress
– Using orthopaedic insole when needed to improve balance and tonus
Podiatrist – Chiropodist French D.E.
mcp.podologie@orange.fr
