Custom Fit Home Reasons Ordering Information
Have you experienced or have any of the following?
tired, aching, burning feet
fallen arches, high arches, flat foot
plantar fasciitis, painful heels, heel spurs
corns, callouses, bunions, hammer toes
dropped metatarsals (metatarsalgia or Morton's Neuroma)
sore ankles, knees, lower back
Then Custom Fit Orthotics my be what you need!
Plantar
fasciitis: (pronounced PLAN-tar fashee-EYE-tiss) is an inflammation
of the plantar fascia ("plantar" means the bottom of the foot,
"fascia" is a type of connective tissue, and "itis"
means "inflammation"). The plantar fascia encapsulates muscles in
the bottom of the foot, but it also supports the arch of the foot by acting
as a bowstring that connects the ball of the foot to the heel. It endures
tension that is approximately 2 times body weight during walking at the
moment when the heel of the trailing leg begins to lift off the ground.
This moment of maximum tension is increased and "sharpened" (it
increases suddenly) if there is lack of flexibility in the calf muscles. A
percentage increase in body weight causes the same percentage increase in
tension in the fascia. Due to the repetitive nature of walking, plantar
fasciitis may be a repetitive stress disorder (RSD) not unlike carpal tunnel
syndrome and tennis elbow. All three conditions benefit greatly from rest,
ice, and periodic stretching, but may also be treated with non-steroidal
anti-inflammation pills (NSAIDs), mechanical splints or straps, and
injections (except for carpal tunnel) before considering surgery (which is a
last resort).
The classic sign of plantar fasciitis (which is often confused with or
considered the same as a heel spur) is heel pain with the first few steps in
the morning (84% of our visitors). If this symptom is not present then the
diagnosis of plantar fasciitis has to be checked more carefully.
The pain is usually in the front and bottom of the heel, but the definition
of "plantar fasciitis" indicates it can be over any portion of the
bottom of the foot where the fascia is located. Patients often report
that the pain "moves around" to different areas of the bottom of
the foot. The pain can be mild or debilitating. It can last a few months,
become permanent, or come and go with every other full moon. The heel may
hurt or the condition may become worse from the heel striking the ground,
but plantar fasciitis is not caused by the heel striking the ground.
Every year, about 1% of the population seeks medical help for this condition
(one company claims it's 2.5%).
Causes: The condition is usually caused by a change or increase in activities, no arch support in the shoe, lack of flexibility in the calf muscles, being overweight, a sudden injury, using shoes with little cushion on hard floors or ground, using shoes that do not easily bend under the ball of the foot, or spending too much time on the feet. The cause is often unknown and mysterious. It has often been said that those with flat feet or high arches are more likely to get plantar fasciitis (heel spurs), but I do not know if that is the case. 30% of our visitors indicated they have high arches and 20% indicated they have flat feet. It may run in the family. Arthritis, heel bone damage ("stress fracture"), loss of natural tissue for cushioning under the heel ("fat pad atrophy"), tarsal tunnel syndrome (the foot's version of carpal tunnel syndrome), and other conditions can cause similar foot and heel pain. Many of the ideas presented here can be helpful in dealing with these other conditions.
Heel Spurs: Calcium deposits on the heel caused by a partially detached plantar fascia or by bruised and inflamed plantar fascia.
Metatarsalgia: is a general term used to denote a painful foot condition in the metatarsal region of the foot (the area just before the toes, more commonly referred to as the ball-of-the-foot). This is a common foot disorder that can affect the bones and joints at the ball-of-the-foot. Metatarsalgia (ball-of-foot-pain) is often located under the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal heads, or more isolated at the first metatarsal head (near the big toe).
Causes: With this common foot condition, one or more of the metatarsal heads become painful and/or inflamed, usually due to excessive pressure over a long period of time. It is common to experience acute, recurrent, or chronic pain with metatarsalgia. Ball-of-foot pain is often caused from improper fitting footwear, most frequently by women’s dress shoes and other restrictive footwear. Footwear with a narrow toe box (toe area) forces the ball-of-foot area to be forced into a minimal amount of space. This can inhibit the walking process and lead to extreme discomfort in the forefoot.
Other factors can cause excessive pressure in the ball-of-foot area that can result in metatarsalgia. These include shoes with heels that are too high or participating in high impact activities without proper footwear and/or orthotics. Also as we get older, the fat pad in our foot tends to thin out, making us much more susceptible to pain in the ball-of-the-foot.