Custom Insoles for Back & Leg Pain

Chronic back, leg and foot pain may indicate that you need more support in your shoes. Insoles for your shoes can be custom-made to address your specific needs. Insoles provide comfort and support and may eliminate the back, leg pain and foot that you are suffering.

Identification

• Custom insoles can protect and provide comfort for feet that are extremely sensitive due to diabetes and arthritis. The insoles are designed to accommodate the hot spots or pressure points on your foot so that they are afforded maximum protection. Custom insoles are resilient and light weight. The outsole is designed to cup the rear of your foot, which provides a cushion and stability, and which is particularly recommended for those with a medium to high arch. The forefoot of the insole provides support to the metatarsal, which eases off the pressure on the ball or front of the foot and helps redistribute weight from the metatarsal area.

Insoles and Shoes

• If you are suffering from arthritic feet, walking for any period of time can cause you agony. There are shoes and insoles that are specifically designed for arthritic feet. These shoes will accommodate the custom insoles that have been created just for you. The orthotics, or custom insoles, will provide a healthy environment for your feet as well as reduce the pressure causing your arthritic pain. In addition to using custom insoles, purchase shoes that have rocker soles, which reduce stress and pain on the front part or ball of your foot.

Non-Believers

• There are doctors who do not believe that insoles can prevent back pain or eliminate it. According to Medicalnewstoday.com and Tali Sahar, PhD, and lead author of a review done on the efficacy of insoles, which appeared in the 2007 Cochrane Collaboration Library report, researchers observed participants who wore insoles, including nurses and military recruits. Many of the participants complained of discomfort and noted the insoles were tight and unpleasant. In addition, Sahar adds the insoles did not help prevent or relieve back pain. However, she said that more research needs to be done on individuals who already have back problems to see if the insoles are beneficial to them, which is considered secondary prevention. The Mayo Clinic conducted a study to see if magnetic insoles would help relieve chronic foot pain. The results showed insoles did not help or were not considered clinically effective.

Relief

• Yet there are those who suffer from back, leg and foot pain, particularly when they have a condition called plantar fasciitis, where the fascia is excessively stretched, becomes inflamed, irritated and torn, who have found that insoles provide cushion and support to help minimize their pain.

Potential

• If you are suffering from leg and back pain, despite some evidence to the contrary, insoles may be quite helpful to you when it comes to eliminating pain. According to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Mayo Clinic study, the efficacy of viscoelastic polyurethane insoles made for women who spend the bulk of the day standing while at work was significant; the majority of women said the insoles helped to greatly reduce their back and leg pain.