List of the best insoles for foot pain
Your feet help to support your entire body and have a huge impact on your overall health and well-being that is why you should protect them the best you can. One of the best ways to protect your feet from damage and injury is to wear a pair of orthotic insoles.
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In this article we will be looking at all of the most common foot conditions and injuries that can cause foot pain and what you can do to treat them.
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Pronated feet (Fallen arches)
If your foot is pronated it means that the arch of your foot is lower than it should be and may even mean that your foot is totally flat when you put weight on your feet as you walk or run. Pronated feet often cause extra stress and pressure on the muscles and ligaments in the feet.
Numerous things can be to blame for arch and foot pain however over-pronation is the most common cause! This is because when you suffer from pronated feet whenever you walk or run the arch of the foot flattens completely to the ground causing excessive stress to build up on your foots muscles and ligaments. Pronated feet also cause the plantar fascia that supports the arch of the foot to become overstretched increasing the chances of you inflaming your arch and getting plantar fasciitis.
There are several circumstances where having pronated feet can increase your risk of getting arch pain however you don’t have to put up with having pronated feet as you can do something about it! A pair of arch support insoles are best for pronated feet as arch support insoles are specially made to correct your gait and stop your feet from pronating in the first place. Arch support insoles also help to
Achilles tendinitis
The Achilles tendon is a tendon which is connected to your calf muscle and to the heel bone. The Achilles tendon is a really strong and flexible tendon which is essential for your foot to function properly!
You will find numerous factors that can contribute towards Achilles tendinitis and prevalent in individuals no matter what sort of foot type you have. More often than not the main reason why people get Achilles tendinitis is that they have started they have started to do more running, walking or hiking distances than usual and the tendon does not have the time it needs to adapt and strength and flexibility in accordance to these new activities causing them to over use the Achilles tendon.
Achilles tendinitis can develop in runners who train in unsuitable hard training running shoes that have lifted heels, and subsequently run a race straight afterwards wearing flat running shoes with no heel lift. This particular scenario leads to the Achilles tendons being forced to stretch a lot more than normal, because of the training shoes unnaturally lifted heels, add to this this that that most running races tend to be ran at a quicker pace than training means that at this point you have now have not one but two things which could raise your chances of getting Achilles tendinitis.
The same sort of scenario often plays out with women who wear high heels as well. women who often put on high heels but then quickly change to flat shoes when their feet start aching are at risk of developing Achilles tendinitis because the Achilles tendon is stretched and then put through stress which it isn’t used to and can result in the Achilles becoming inflamed.
Achilles tendinitis can effect virtually any bit of the tendon, however in the majority of cases the tendinitis occurs where the tendon gets tighter the most which is where the Achilles tendon connects to the heel bone.
Footwear which chafe around the back of the heel area may damage the Achilles tendon as well as the back of the heel bone this chaffing can cause inflammation to the Achilles and cause tendinitis. To get rid of tendinitis you must stop the cause of the inflammation such as changing your shoes to a pair that do not rub on your Achilles.
PRICE is a good way to reduce inflammation of the Achilles and ease pain associated with the injury.: Price stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Protection – Make sure that your Achilles tendon so that it does not get worse. For example stop your shoes from rubbing against your Achilles.
Rest – rest your Achilles and do not apply any weight or pressure to it until all inflammation is gone.
Ice – Reduce the inflammation by applying ice for 5-8 minutes to the Achilles multiple times every day until the inflammation is gone.
Compression – Apply compression to the affected ankle by wearing a ankle support to promote blood flow to the Achilles.
Elevation – Keep the Achilles tendon elevated in the air. You should lift the Achilles above the heart which will help to reduce swelling.
If you have Achilles tendinitis it is very important that you get treatment for it as not getting treatment can result in the injury becoming chronic and enable scar tissue to form on the Achilles tendon, scar tissue will diminish the overall flexibility and strength of the Achilles tendon and can even raise the possibility of the tendon rupturing completely.
You can find more about treating Achilles tendinitis here.
High arches
If you have high arches it means that your arches of your feet are higher than normal and because of this whenever you stand on your feet instead of your weight being evenly distributed across your foot your weight will be just focused on the bony prominences underneath your feet such as your heel bone and ball of the foot, this can then cause excessive stress and pressure to build up around these areas.
Having high arches can also affect the way your foot functions. One particular function that the arch was designed for was to transfer weight and energy from the rear-foot on to the forefoot. The arch was also intended to flex and move to absorb shock however high arches will not be able to shift this weight as efficiently and will also be too tight to properly flex and move the way the arch should this will also add to stress and pressure building up around the arch area.
This stress and pressure that can build up around these areas can result in aches and pains in the arches and the balls of the feet pain.
By wearing a pair of insoles that are specially made for those with high arches can really help to ease this pressure, this is because insoles for high arches have been made to ease some of the pressure underneath bony prominences as well as preventing the arches from becoming tight.
In certain instances, when you possess an particularly high arch, it can be a good idea to buy custom made insoles to provide support exactly matches the height and the depth of your arch.
Lots of people think that arch support insoles have to fill or elevate the arch to work, but this is wrong because having high arch support in the middle of the foot can create a teeter-totter effect that will not support your feet or heels properly. Preferably, the aim of good support should be to support typically the largest bone in your foot first, which is actually your heel bone, and then once you have done that that support the rest of your foot.
Flat foot
Flatfoot can also be known as pes valgus. It has numerous causes and it is often usually a inherited condition however there are other this that can cause flat feet such as:
Nerve problems can cause flat feet such as neuromuscular disorders, such as cerebral palsy.
Individuals who have very soft tissue or flexible joints and bones in their feet tend to get flatfeet, such as “double-jointed” people.
Those with Achilles tendons which are too tight will cause the plantar fascia to be pulled back causing the arch to flatten.
TARSAL COALITION caused by bone tissues growing together instead of growing separately in your feet can cause flat feet.
Not everyone who has flat feet suffer from problems, but nonetheless some of the very worst foot problems are frequently related to having flat feet.
Treatment for flatfeet is based upon the underlining cause of your flatfeet as well as what symptom you have got thanks to having them. Treatment often includes supportive insoles that tend to be inserted within the individuals shoes to to support the arch. If you suffer from minor flat feet, possibly a lesser amount of support will be needed and a pair of off the shelf insoles may work however if you suffer from very flat feet then the possibility of requiring a custom made insoles is more likely and will also probably need given extra bracing such an ankle support.
If your flatfeet are believed to possibly be triggered by a tight Achilles heel or calf muscle stretches designed to exercise and improve flexibility in your Achilles and lower leg maybe recommended. Due to the fact
In case you have got equinogenic flat feet, putting on shoes that have a heel which are raised over the front portion of the shoe can worsen your flat feet. That is why you need to wear shoes that do not raise your heel at all (which means high heels are a big no no!)
In case you are not able to get back flexibility and untighten your Achilles and calf muscles, you may well be able to get surgery to extend the Achilles tendon for you. However this is always a last resort when nothing else works and if you are in sever pain and discomfort constantly.
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis not only just causes pain in your heels but it also is the number one cause of arch pain as well!
Plantar fasciitis is actually the inflammation tearing of your plantar fascia which connects the heel bone to your toes and supports the arch of your foot. The plantar fascia is comparable to a guitar string, whenever the plantar fascia pulled it gets tight and when it gets too tight it ends up snapping.
Plantar fasciitis can be brought on by a variety of various things such as…
The most frequent thing that ends up causing plantar fasciitis is over-pronation. When the foot pronates when you walk the plantar fascia becomes very tight and stretched. It is this tightness and stretching that can occur when you walk and put weight on this stretched plantar fascia that can cause the ligament to become inflamed and even tear as a result.
Certainly, pronated feet are not the only cause of plantar fasciitis as there are definitely various other things which can lead to plantar fasciitis developing, such as wearing a footwear which is not the right fit or offer the correct support, or even shocks to the bottom of your foot. which these shocks then can cause the plantar fascia to become bruised or stressed.
A pair of insole is definitely an great way to start the healing process.
It is imperative when you have got plantar fasciitis to to make sure that you wear wear a decent, sturdy footwear which provides the foot with support and stability. furthermore you need to get a great pair of insole as well that should correct the foot function and reduce the amount of stress on the arch. plantar fasciitis insoles must also support the bone structure of the foot whilst the plantar fascia is out of action, and give them a chance to heal.
Insoles don’t always cure plantar fasciitis though as there are numerous factors that cause plantar fasciitis that are different for each individual for example environment factors, your body weight, your biomechanics as well as the total amount of time that you spend standing, running or using your feet each day.
Heel spurs
Heel spurs are usually found around the bottom part of the heel. In a few cases heel spurs can sometimes be found on side of your heel. Heel spurs are not necessarily shaped like a spur but can be a number of different shapes and sizes.
Heel spurs often develop on the heel bone due to a number of different reason such as excessive pressure, movement or rubbing on the heel area can cause heel spurs.
A heel spur is a calcium bone growth which grows around the exterior of the heel bone. Heel spurs might have a little hook shape on them and are often found where the plantar fascia connects to the heel bone. Those with high arches have a higher risk of developing heels spurs due to the increased pressure that can occur around this area due to having high arches.
Heel spurs usually do not always cause pain or even discomfort and many people that have got heel spurs do not even realize that they have them
If you find that your heel spur is painful Cortisone injections can help to ease the pain.
Due to the fact a heel spur is part of the heel bone mean that the heel spur has no feeling to it. The actual pain which sometimes produced from the heel spur is attributable to the heel spur irritating surround soft tissue.
If you are able to correctly support the heel and stop improper friction and motion, it may enable the sensitive tissue near the heel spur to repair reducing pain and discomfort as a result.
One way you can do this is by wearing a pair of orthotic insoles. Insoles will to attempt to realign the heel bone and lessen abnormal movement and pressure on the area of the heel where the spur is found. Tight shoes can also cause heel spurs to get worse. Tight shoes can cause pressure to build up around where the heel spur is, as heel spurs grows in size because of this build up of pressure this can cause your shoes to become even tighter and the heel spur to worsen..
The main aim of wearing insoles would be to support the heel adequately to stop the heel spur from digging into the surrounding soft tissue. It is also really crucial to help support the soft tissue around the foot by trying to keep the heel cupped properly, and supporting it in a correct position so that it may increase its cushioning functionality close to the tender area of the heel. This is usually accomplished by making use of an insole that has a sturdy heel cup with a correct heel shape. It is also very important to make sure that you wear the right sort of footwear that has a strong heel at the back of them this will help to provide your feet with additional support and enable your feet to function as effectively as possible.
Hammertoes
Hammertoes is when the tendons which are connected to the back of the toes tighten and contract backwards, reducing the length of the toes and elevating the knuckle of the toe as aresult. You can treat hammers toes in a number of different ways, for example:
Among the first things to consider would be to examine your current shoes or boots and figure out if there is sufficient room within the toe box of them. In a good pair of shoes the tops of the toes should not rub on the shoe or boot, if your toes do rub on the tops of your shoes this can cause bunions, corns and blisters to develop.
Increasing the height of the toe box will provide the toes the space which they necessitate and will reduce pressure placed on the toes.
Insoles can also be used to help cure hammertoe by leveling out your feet and stopping friction and your feet sliding in your shoes.
In a few circumstances, hammertoes maybe removed surgically. It is advised however that you seek advice from a medical professional and try a pair of insoles first before taking the surgical route.
Bunions
Bunions are usually found right behind big toe joint and the big metatarsal bone your forefoot.
Generally there may be smaller sized bunions which grow on the foot, at the outside from your foot, that is located just behind the smallest toe, and the smallest metatarsal bone. Bunions on the outside of the foot are typically called “bunionettes”. The the majority of bunions are found around the ball of the foot.
Most individuals believe bunions are inherited but this is not true as bunions are not inherited but the amount of pronation that causes the bunion to develop is!
However a bunion can just be the cause of excessive pronation or pressure on the feet.
Anytime you have too much pressure or stress on a foots joint bone, the foot will try to combat it, initially the foot will use inflammation and fluids to stop the excessive pressure from damaging the joint. If that doesn’t work bone may begin to grow to protect the joint.
If a bunion develops, that tells you that there is simply too much pressure around that area.
Whenever you apply strong pressure to a bone or joint your body will cut off the blood flow around that area resulting in the deterioration and weakening of the joint or bone.
A lot of people believe only high heels can cause bunions even though this is true, the fact is that is any ill-fitting shoes that have incorrect shoe shape and affects your pronation that causes bunions.
You will find that lots suffer from bunions who haven’t ever donned high heels, or even shoes which has a pointed toes such as cowboy shoes. Therefore it is actually not really fair to suggest that just high heels give you bunions.
If it is pronation that is to blame for your bunions, you must wear some good supportive insoles that are designed to stabilize the rear-foot to ensure that your forefoot and your ball of the foot area are stabilized and supported. This is going to stop abnormal pressure around the ball of the foot.
It is just as vital to ensure that your footwear has lots of space around where your bunion is so your shoes do not rub against the bunion.
If this does not work Bunions can be treated surgically. However even if you have had surgery to remove the bunion it may reappear if the underlining problems that are causing the bunion are not dealt with.
Back pain
Often people wonder why feet cause back pain..but the fact is that the feet are the base of your entire skeletal system, just like the foundations of a house.
If you correctly support your feet, the structure on top of will work in the way that it was intended to.
If however you have biomechanical imbalance, can have a significant effect on the rest of your body. For example pronated feet will cause your lower leg to become rotated and twisted this in turn will also cause your your knee, thigh-bone and your hip to become twisted and misaligned., due to the fact your hip is connected to your lower back means that this misalignment will also translate to your the lower back as well and make your lower back misaligned and twisted as a result which can cause a curve to form in your lower back.
When your feet are correctly supported and aligned correctly, the level of rotation in the lower legs and your hips is greatly lowered, reducing stress and helping to correctly position your lower back.
As your lower body is repositioned when wearing a pair of insoles,the insoles shall additionally reduce stress and as well as fatigue from the muscles and tendons in your lower legs and lower back reducing the risk of injury to them.
Our insoles can really help to improve your overall posture. Correct posture starts as soon as your feet hit the floor and you put weight on them. Whenever you a good support under your feet, your body can be held in its most suitable form to function.
It is really important if you start wearing insoles to correct back pain that you give your feet a chance to “break in to” them. It will usually take a little time for your feet to get used to the new position that your insoles will align your feet in and may feel uncomfortable to wear at first. Further more your back pain will not be cured overnight with a pair of insoles as just about any aches and pains experienced in your body almost certainly would not developed overnight and for that reason probably wont go away overnight either.
Our orthotic insoles have been proven to improve support to the lower back as well as the upper-back and the neck.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Iliotibial Band Syndrome is recognized by pain within the outer knee, that can also be around the tibia area as well.
At first the pain can be treated by just resting your knee, however left untreated Iliotibial Band Syndrome can get worse if you carry on using your knee. Typically Iliotibial Band Syndrome is triggered by excessive use and incorrect function of the knee, or lack of stretching before exercise. Other things that can cause Iliotibial Band Syndrome include things like abnormal pronation, a tight Achilles tendon, bowl leg, and also incorrect positiong of the foot. You can ease Iliotibial Band Syndrome through using PRICE as well as stretching the knee. A good pair of orthotic insoles that correct your foot position and reduce tightness in the heel area can also help.
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is an extremely common injury that results in pain in the metatarsal area. Metatarsalgia is more or less similar to a tendinitis but found inside the forefoot.
It is generally a result of irritated and inflamed tissue found around the forefoot. Metatarsalgia could be caused by stress and pressure on the the muscles, tendons and bones in the metatarsal area of the foot.
Metatarsal pads that support the metatarsal area and prevent pressure and stress on the soft tissue and ligaments around the metatarsal area and ball of the foot.
If you wear shoes that do not flex at the ball of the foot which is where your foot should naturally flex it is going to place considerably more stress on the metatarsal area than it should, So it is very important to wear Wearing shoes which flex at the correct place to prevent this stress from occurring.
Conclusion, how insoles can help!
As you can see there are lots of different conditions that can increase the risk of you damaging and injuring your feet, but by buying correct insoles designed for your specific foot type you will be able to correct the underlining biomechanical issue causing your foot pain and be able to say bye bye to it once and for all!
If you are experiencing discomfort and pain in your feet, a good pair of orthotic insoles can really help ease your pain, however you should always talk to a medical professional in order to get a proper diagnosis on your foot pain!
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