The answer to that question is Maybe. I have seen over a 150 people in the last 8 months with plantar fasciitis and over 90% of them had used or were using some sort of Insole or orthotic. Some were from a specialist podiatrist, the majority of them were from various internet providers.
I have found that if insoles do work it tends to be predominately with standing and early stage plantar fasciitis. Issues with movements like walking, running and sporting movements and everyday life they are significantly less effective.
As a rule I feel that insoles in any form short be a short term solution as the nature of them is to support the foot similar to a walking aid. This is good initially, but, they need to be reduced in use so the muscles of the foot can strengthen and support the fascia as it heals.
Our feet were designed to walk on soft earth with no footwear or support and the muscles and structure of the legs support this. As our environment has changed with hard concrete floors etc our footwear has changed. Significantly for either fashion as in heels for ladies, boots for men and sports shoes and flip flops. Most people I see in addition to insoles wear some sort of cushioned trainer or sports shoe which at best was designed for running.
I have said this many times we were not taught how to walk only how not to fall over. When we are a toddler our parents hold our hands to help with balance for standing and walking. We fall over a few times and increase our walking distance through trial and error. Once we can do this task we just increase the distance. We do exactly the same with running just faster, and learn from other children through play. We only have specific walking or gait lessons if we have to rehabilitate from a injury or are coached in a sport.
People with Plantar Fasciitis tend to be a mid-foot to toe striker when walking and have relatively short strides. This is partly due to loading and the heel pain and also their walking style or gait. Heel strike and foot alignment tends to be erratic along with overuse of hips when walking and not using the ankle or knee correctly. ((https://interxpainclinic.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-movements/) .
Online Insoles are looking at supporting the foot and arch along with limited cushioning of the heel. They are the same for each foot assuming complete symmetry and alignment of the foot. They do not cater for gait patterns or alignment of foot when walking and are focused on standing. They can be adapted to be used in current shoes which may be worn offering limited support or accentuating the plantar problem.
In the video you can see 3 different insoles for Plantar Fasciitis and some fit the foot better than others essentially trial and error. The ankle position is not taken into account as most plantar clients are toe or midfoot there is limited cushioning and the heel is very thin. The focus for the insole is standing when the fascia is loaded the most at the heel but the support is on the arch.
The insoles are focused on standing and do not take into account the shoes they are in or boots and how people walk. This is the same for custom orthotics or insoles. This does refocus the question do insoles work to heal plantar Fasciitis?
Custom orthotics or insoles are significantly better for fit and correction than web based alternatives. This is because you have a mould of your feet taken and the loading on your foot is also taken into account.
However, some of the same issues remain around the type of footwear they are used with and the support when not standing. The other issue with custom insoles is they alter how the foot sits on the floor which is excellent in other applications (see Do insoles work to heal Plantar Fasciitis Part 2).The issue is usually likely to be foot alignment in relation to hip and knee, along with stance and walking gait all of which needs addressing to allow the pain reduction of plantar fasciitis see (https://interxpainclinic.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-movements/) .
The custom insoles look at pressure on the foot and where the loading is while standing or in some cases sitting. This is great and very accurate but does not take into account what the person was like pre plantar fasciitis and how they walk. So the correction works on the correct biomechanics and pressure but patients are not shown how to adapt their movement inline with the insoles. This results in a 50% plus number of people either not using them or using them incorrectly and thus making them uncomfortable.
I would rather people not use insoles, however they are a initial solution to plantar fasciitis so the two from the video I would promote are:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Z099HX2/ref=nosim?tag=energymedic01-21
Option 2 the Heel insole. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VX9QXLC/ref=nosim?tag=energymedic01-21
Above are Amazon Affiliate links
I use a 3, 6, 9 step process to treat plantar fasciitis and in addition to my medical treatment to help reduce pain and inflammation and accelerating healing of the damaged tissue I spend lots of time looking at walking and movement mechanics so speeding up recovery for a lasting repair.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment is Available at InterX Pain Clinic Stratford Upon Avon
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If you would like to know more about how I treat plantar fasciitis please call Stephen on 01789 228123 for a conversation or use the messenger icon.
