Having chronic foot pain is one of those conditions most people will ignore for so long until they can’t anymore.

Whether that’s a nagging dull ache after a day in the office, a stabbing pain in the heel first thing in the morning, or tiredness that gradually develops after running is an endless list of million of people who figure that they just have to put up with it.

What you may not realize is that much of that pain can be avoided.

A practical solution that boasts the backing of clinicians, and that has become popular with everyone from hip specialists and podiatrists to athletes is Formthotics.

This article explains what is Formthotics, how they work, who will benefit from using them, and the expectations you should have when using them.

What Are Formthotics and How They Work

Formthotics are heat moldable insoles, which take the shape of the foot they are being worn in.

They are not the one size fits all solution of over the counter insoles that you buy in a pharmacy, they require nothing more complex than a simple heat mold process – applied by a health professional or yourself in the comfort of your home.

Once molded to the foot shape, for example inside your shoe, the insole provides a support that fits like a glove.

How does the heat mold process work?

The process itself requires the insole to be warmed to the appropriate temperature making the support moldable.

The orthotic is then placed in the shoe, and the wearer will place weight on the foot either by walking or standing on the support.

Once cooled the orthotic will take on the foot shape and provide precise support around the most important structures. This is one of the major reasons the support from Formthotics is so much better than other options.

What are the materials of Formthotics

The support insoles are made from the closed cell foam called Polyolefin. The qualities of this material are:

Light weight, cheap, readily usable, firm and able to keep shape for lengthy periods of time, and free from tissue ingrowth or other contamination.

Number of patients can be provided with appropriate blend of the different types of this material to suit the individual.

Which Conditions Do Formthotics Benefit Most?

The history of use of orthopaedic and sport insoles suggests that a very wide spectrum of people benefit hugely from their use.

Participants in sporting activity that recur to injury, workers who stand for many hours for their job, the elderly with osteoeidritis or other old age related conditions, and even children when their bones are still growing can all be helped by orthotic insoles.

Common indications include they are used to help overuse syndromes such as patulofemoral syndrome, leg and hip pains as well as common overpronation and flat feet, to mention but a few.

How Formthotics Help With Specific Problems

Now we will address how these supports can benefit the specifics problems they are recommended for with:

Plantar fasciitis and heel pain

Plantar fasciitis is common enough without the often long term pain people experience with it.

It involves inflammetion of the layer of tissue running along the bottom of the foot. The inflammation causes pain with take up most often experienced with the first couple of moments of walking and subsequently at the end of the day when long periods on feet have taken their toll.

Formthotics help to offload the heel and support the midfoot, thus redistributing the forces experienced across the bottom of the foot during walking and standing.

While some people a report a difference much sooner than others, they do have to work out over time first.

Active people working with weight-bearing forces

Unfortunately for them, what is essential for any form of physio program, either sport or general health, they benefit too.

Biomechanical inefficiency in the lower limb, as well as contributing to worn out knee joints, and running or walking difficulty, can cause a large number of problems higher up the chain.

Support sales, naturally designed to carry the forces of fast, high impact sports are given more support to survive serious exercise.

Due to their mold ability, the support is designed for the individual.

Explaining how the orthoses work with your shoes

Once you get your pair, or buy your pair, of Formthotics you need to settle down to how you use them.

A number of things are essential for success with a new pair of supports. It’s best to find a comfort zone before wearing for extensive periods in order to get used to using them.

Breaking in Your new insoles (supports)

A general rule of thumb with all Formthotics is that you need to gradually build up wear.

All supports can take time to adapt too, and you should expect a waiting period of a couple of hours into your day on your first day before you will start to notice the difference.

Insoles must be comfortable, and if they are not then you need to stop and seek advice from your support technician. Usually, the time scale is a very short one to get the adjustments right.

What footwear works best with orthotics?

Support insoles work best if used in shoes with a supportive toe box and a removable foot bed.

Deep shoes are best, such as boots, walking shoes, runners or supported sandals, as the orthotic must not be crowded out of the shoe.

Thinner and flatter shoes such as the likes of training shoes or many casual sandals will not work with these types of orthotic support for practical reasons.

Most importantly when choosing footwear always check to see if a foot bed is removable, this will be important when it comes to fitting the orthotic. Accessories and shoes should always provide sufficient support and depth.

If none are available, support insoles probably should not be used with the shoes.

When do they need to be renewed?

The lifespan of your Formothotics support is usually in the region of twelve, eighteen months, the manufacturers would recommend a check of your insoles every twelve months, however this time frame varies according to the use, activity levels and weight of the individual wearer.

When the support feels flat, and shows signs of degradation they should be replaced.

Another reason, used increasingly by practitioners, is changing support insoles every couple of years if the shape of the foot alters due to weight gain, loss or illness.

The moral of the story

With a little knowledge about the use of support insoles, and an understanding that they need the right shoes and to be used in a gradual build up period before they reach maximum effectiveness, means that recovery from the much discussed chronic foot pain is more achievable.

Having a condition or not, if you’re looking to make your feet more comfortable generally, then they’re worth trying out with an experienced health care professional who can select the most appropriate product for you and apply the fitting technique properly.