Plantar Fasciitis | How Do Custom Orthotics Help?
If you have been dealing with painful plantar fasciitis without relief, you might be asking yourself “What is plantar fasciitis and how do custom orthotics help?” This condition can be debilitating when it is not treated and sometimes custom orthotics are your best bet to take care of this condition in a way that will make a big difference to your overall comfort each day.
Plantar fasciitis can be a lifelong struggle for some people and trying to handle this condition without the right supportive care can be really tough. If you have been diagnosed with this condition and have not been able to get relief through other therapies, custom orthotics might be the right solution for your discomfort.
If you are ready to learn more about how custom orthotics can help manage your plantar fasciitis pain, you need to read on!
What is Plantar Fasciitis and How Do Custom Orthotics Help?
This condition is a common cause of heel pain. Plantar fasciitis happens when the band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed. This band of tissue connects the heel bone to the toes, which means that it affects every single part of your foot in some way. This is the foundation of your foot’s support and flexibility and when you have this condition, you might experience pain even when you are not standing on your feet.
This condition is commonly associated with stabbing pains that will be worse early in the morning. Movement can sometimes improve the discomfort that you are feeling but over time, the pain will get increasingly hard to manage in most cases. Runners and people who are very active who struggle with plantar fasciitis can deal with times where their feet are too painful for them to stand on them or walk around.
This condition can be debilitating without proper care and sometimes the anatomy of your feet can be the main reason that you are experiencing issues with this condition. If you have plantar fasciitis that is caused by a specific activity that you have been doing, you might be more likely to control your discomfort with a change in your daily habits. For many people, however, this painful condition can be a lifelong struggle, especially if they do not seek proper treatment and support for their condition.
Is Plantar Fasciitis Permanent?
Thankfully, plantar fasciitis is often quite manageable with the right treatment protocol and the right orthotics. If you have very flat feet, you will always be prone to getting this condition and you might have to adjust some of the activities that you engage in to help manage the condition over the long term. Thankfully, custom orthotics can provide a lasting solution for your pain. These will be much more beneficial than staying off your feet and icing your heels.
Plantar Fasciitis can be tough to get under control in some cases, but custom orthotics can make a big difference in your daily comfort. There are many people out there who are not even aware that they have been dealing with some degree of foot pain all day long until they get their orthotics. You will see a world of difference if you are struggling with this foot condition and have not yet tried orthotics to improve your foot stability and comfort.
How Do I Know if I Have Plantar Fasciitis?
If you have not been to the doctor yet and you are wondering if your foot pain is related to this condition, you should look for these symptoms:
- Stabbing pain at the bottom of the foot near the heel. This will be the worst in the morning when you are first moving around.
- Pain in the soles of the feet when standing for long periods that does not improve with movement or when sitting down.
- Loss of flexibility in the sole of the foot which can be most noticeable to runners or athletes.
- Pain in the feet even when lying down or sitting.
These signs can come on slowly, but they will usually get worse over time. You should always go to the doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms so that you can begin treatment for your plantar fasciitis before the condition gets more advanced.
How Can Custom Orthotics Help?
If you have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, you will likely be set up with a physical therapy plan to follow as well as some icing and stretching techniques to help bring down the inflammation. This is going to help with the acute stage of the condition. However, it will not treat ongoing issues that can crop up for those with flat feet or other foot conditions that help fuel plantar fasciitis pain.
Orthotics can help you to improve and manage your plantar fasciitis by supporting your feet properly and helping to maintain the correct balance of heel-to-toe movement and weight distribution. These handy tools can make all the difference for this kind of foot pain. They can be a reliable, long-term solution for those who are struggling with plantar fasciitis.
There are various orthotic styles that are sold today and you no longer have to go to a doctor or a specialist to get some. These products are a little expensive but they can make your daily life so much more comfortable that the cost is well worth it for most people. Over-the-counter orthotics are not as likely to be effective as the ones that are custom made and you might even cause other foot conditions by using orthotics that are not built just for you.
Custom orthotics are made to measure. The custom nature of these products makes them really beneficial for those with unique foot shapes or flat feet who struggle to find shoes that fit them properly.
Benefits of Custom Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis Sufferers
These are the benefits of choosing to get custom orthotics for your plantar fasciitis pain management needs. You will experience all of these improvements just from adding these inserts to your shoes and using them daily:
- Reduced pain
- Improved foot to toe pressure
- Alleviate heel pain
- Manage gait abnormalities that are stressing the foot
- Make standing more comfortable due to even weight distribution across the foot
- Help alleviate poor shoe fit that leads to ongoing foot pain
- Improve or alleviate calluses that can be painful and grow to be quite large
- Improve balance and stability when standing or walking
These tools will actually help you to take the proper stride when you are walking or even running. This can make a big difference in your foot pain situation almost immediately. Many people with plantar fasciitis have developed the condition due to gait abnormalities or their unique foot shape causing them to injure their feet as they move. Inflammation and other problems associated with plantar fasciitis are often reduced or completely eliminated simply by supporting the foot properly.
Picking custom orthotics is important so that you can treat all of the issues that have led to your plantar fasciitis and avoid causing new problems that were not there before. Each person’s foot is unique. Generic orthotics might be made to match someone else’s foot but they will not be made to match yours. In most cases, a generic shoe insert will only change the support of the arch of your foot. It might not help with your plantar fasciitis pain or gait balancing needs at all.
How do I Get Custom Fit Orthotics Online?
You can work with custom orthotics companies online that will explain how to measure your feet and deliver the information that is needed to create your unique set of orthotics just for you. This is a great option for this need. Many people will order their own orthotics these days by a simple at-home kit fitting with impressive results. While this used to be an arduous process that required the approval of a doctor, you can now get your own orthotics without having to visit the doctor’s office and wait for a medical equipment company to make and ship you orthotics.
Custom-fit orthotics are so much better and more effective than the generic ones that you can get over the counter. It can be well worth your efforts to have your set custom-made for you. There is a big difference between managing arch support strain and actually managing the balance of your entire foot. You will not be able to get the same level of improvement and comfort from a generic set of orthotics that you will from a custom pair.
How do I Get Measured for Custom Orthotics?
The process is very simple and you will not need to get out a measuring tape and take extensive measurements. The process of getting the right orthotics measurements just requires the use of a special kit that will take an impression of your feet. You will simply press each of your feet into the mold and this will collect an exact impression of your foot shape and size.
You will then fill out a questionnaire that asks about the kind of foot pain that you are experiencing each day. This helps guide more advanced fitting and helps to make sure that you get orthotics that will suit your needs related to your daily activities. This is all that has to be done before you send the molds and your questionnaire back!
You will get your orthotics delivered to you once they have been made and you can start using them right away. You will need to remember to continue with any of the exercises that your doctor has asked you to perform to treat and manage the inflammation in your feet as well. The orthotics will not help you to remove inflammation from your feet as effectively as a treatment protocol. However, they can help you to support your long-term foot health once the inflammation in your feet has gone away.
Being able to take care of your flat feet has never been so easy! You will probably be amazed at how much more comfortable your feet are now that you have your orthotics in hand. Most people are not aware of the pain that they have been dealing with each day until it is eliminated. This is the power of orthotics in a nutshell and you can access this benefit for your foot pain needs with ease.
The Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis and How Custom Orthotics Can Improve Them
When your feet are properly supported all day long, you will be more comfortable and much less likely to deal with ongoing foot pain. Not everyone fits into general shoe sizes with ease and sometimes flat feet can be tough to support without custom orthotics on your side. If you are a runner or someone who has to stand on their feet all day, custom orthotics can help you to be much more comfortable all day long while also preventing inflammation that can lead to plantar fasciitis pain.
Getting relief from foot pain makes every day much more enjoyable and custom orthotics can be your ticket to pain-free days! If you have been struggling with plantar fasciitis that will not go away, custom orthotics can be the perfect solution for your needs. Get your feet back to being healthy and reduce or eliminate your daily pain with custom orthotics that are made just for you!