Who Can Benefit from a Shoe Insert?
When it comes to simply walking, running, or standing, your feet are an essential part of balance and coordination for your body. Sadly, foot problems are all too common, with 75% of Americans dealing with one or more foot problems in their lifetime, 20% dealing with high arches, and 25% dealing with flat feet. Your feet are complex tools, having 52 bones total (26 bones per foot, which is about a quarter of the bones in your whole body), with 30 joints and 100 muscles for each foot, almost 8,000 nerves, and 250,000 sweat glands, and not taking care of them can affect your overall health.
One way of dealing with numerous foot problems is with orthotics or shoe inserts that help with issues with foot, leg, and back pain. To better understand whether or not you can benefit from getting a shoe insert, let’s examine the types of podiatric problems you can suffer from, how shoe inserts help, and what types are available.
Residents of Dallas, Texas, looking for relief from foot problems can get help from Dr. Francine Rhinehart and her skilled medical team. We are dedicated to offering compassion and quality foot care, with various medical and cosmetic treatments to get you back on your feet and feeling better.
Types of podiatric problems
Because of the everyday stress we put on our feet on a regular basis, routine wear and tear and other factors can contribute to suffering from:
- Arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can cause pain and discomfort
- Bunions: painful bumps developed on the base of the big toe that can cause foot deformities
- Bursitis: fluid-filled sacs that build in the heels and toes can cause the inflammation associated with bursitis
- Back problems: bad positioning of your arches, flat feet, and lack of cushioning on your feet can cause back pain
- Diabetic neuropathy: diabetics can suffer from a condition where nerve damage leads to a lack of sensation in their feet
- Hammertoes: often the result of a bunion on your big toe that can lead to deformities there and pain in your second toe
- Heel spurs: excess bone growth on the back of or the bottom of your heels
- High arches: this can cause stress on your foot muscles and lead to conditions like shin splints, knee pain, and plantar fasciitis
- Injuries: foot trauma can lead to various pains, depending on the location and severity of the injury
- Plantar fasciitis: a common cause of heel pain that stems from inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your feet
How shoe inserts help
Shoe inserts are one of several methods of treating foot problems and can be used in conjunction with therapeutic solutions for foot relief. They are an often effective method of stabilizing the foot to alleviate pain and support you while walking, standing, or running. The extra cushion provided by shoe inserts can also help correct issues with flat feet or help to prevent feet from rolling.
Types of shoe inserts available
Many shoe inserts are available in stores, but they may not offer the relief you need depending on your specific issues and its severity. We can customize inserts using various materials, such as carbon fiber or plastic (depending on whether you need something rigid or more flexible). They can be the size of the whole foot or just be large enough to target the area that requires treatment. We would take a mold of your foot and create something that works perfectly for your needs.
Since we use our feet every day, you can find yourself dealing with various problems with them over time. When your feet are hurting, and you need relief, make an appointment with Dr. Rhinehart and see what shoe inserts can do for you.