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Evolution of Orthotics

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by mandy236, Oct 10, 2006.

  1. mandy236

    mandy236 Member


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    Hi, does anyone know the dates of when foot orthotics were first introduced?
     
  2. According to Eric Lee, the year 1781 was the first time in-shoe inserts were described in the literature in a book by Petrus Camper (1722-1789) entitled Over den Besten Schoen (On the Best Form of Shoe).
    (Lee W E: Merton L. Root: An appreciation. The Podiatric Biomechanics Group Focus. 2(2): 32-68, 2003.)
     
  3. yehuda

    yehuda Active Member

    The Talmud in tractate Shabbos talks about Midrasim (translated as orthotics) ((in fact in modern day hebrew the word for orthotics is midrasim) Talmud babli is more 2000 years old :eek:
     
  4. Yehuda:

    For those of us not of Hebrew origins, maybe you can translate the following words:

    1. Talmud
    2. in tractate
    3. Shabbos
    4. babli

    Thanks in advance.

    By the way, when you say that "The Talmud in tractate Shabbos talks about Midrasim", what does it say specifically about them (i.e. the orthotics)??
     
  5. yehuda

    yehuda Active Member

    Sorry Kevin after I sent you the hand I assumed you now understood Hebrew :D

    The Talmud is the oral law of the Jews I thought I was anglicizing it as we call it the gemorrah, it and the Chumash (the the old testament ) is the basis of jewish thought and Laws.
    It takes 7.5 years to learn this on a very simplistic level. It is the reason why Jews are called the people of the book.

    A tractate is a volume of the Talmud

    Shabbos – The tractate (see above) dealing with the laws of the Sabbath

    Babli – Babylonian (there is the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud)

    The Talmud talks about wether it is permissible to wear midrasim does not discuss treatment regimes. However It does talk about using honey as a treatment for ulcers, which when I was a pod student was the up and coming Treatment for diabetic ulcers !!
     
  6. Yehuda:

    Are you certain that these "midrasim" were actually in-shoe inserts of some kind, or could they have been some type of shoe? It would be interesting if you could research this further since it would be fascinating if the Hebrew people from 2,000 years ago were making "removable arch supports" for the shoes they wore. This would be something worthy of publication in JAPMA as a short letter to the editor or one page article, especially since there are many Jewish podiatrists here in the US and abroad who would also probably find this quite fascinating.
     
  7. Felicity Prentice

    Felicity Prentice Active Member

    Where in the tractate Shabbos, because we would love to look it up (nothing better to do on a Sunny morning Down under)
     
  8. yehuda

    yehuda Active Member

    i will research it....
     
  9. Cameron

    Cameron Well-Known Member

    mandy236

    Shoe inserts have been found in bogbodies and Icemen so accommodative foot orthoses have a long linage. Felting has been used for at least ten thousands years which corresponds to the introdcution of shoes as we would understand them today and was thought to have been common practice in Siberia. The Valentki (sheepskin boots -aka Uggs) wearing Siberians who then migrated to Canada across the Bearing Straits were thought to have introduced moccassins to the continent. Albeit this is now a contraversial claim. In Biblical times felting is well documented as a form of shoe insert and in Roman Britian, finds of Roman sandals have shown the biomechanics of Roman Britians is similar to modern feet. Sandal wearmarks and repairs would confirm this.

    Biomechanics is an 18th centuary innovation and relates to a complete body system ie kinematics and kinesiology of an organ. Its origins were French. although the Gremans were very interested in walking analysis (but this only really developed after the introduction of photography). This specific interest came through Le Gaze (or the beginning of medical specialisation). Medical proccupation in Europe with flat feet was prominently brought upon by the Wars of the 17th and 18th century and the need for fit cannon fodder. Long story but the movement was antisemetic and the European authorities were convinced being Jewish was a disease, and the Jewish body was diseased. Something common to many Jewish people was flat feet. So every effort was made to make a curved foot (Christian foot) and this is the origins of the arch support. By the 19th and ealty 20th century foot orthotics (aka arch supports) were heavily promoted as more middle class people wore shoes. Not that they did any good but were considered a must accessory. By the 30s and the western world turning to marathon dances and roller blading, running cross country etc. meant companies like Scholls sponsored the events and had arch supports to sell the foot weerie. Post Sputnik era in the 50s hastened the aeronaughtical industry and the post Korean War increased the number of Vets with amputation. When these two groups got together was really the beginning of bioengineering and consequently the platform for Root et al to consider functional control of the foot via levers ( foot orthoses)

    Cheers
    Cameron






    and their social stigma had all manner of arch supports used form
     
  10. mandy236

    mandy236 Member

    Thank you very much for the above information. I read that it was early innkeepers that first recognised the need for insoles due to weary travellers complaining of foot pain. They made them from matted animal hair.
     
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