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This page has been put together for those people who suffer from heel problems who are interested in finding out a little more about what is causing the discomfort in their lives and what they can do about it.
As our ultracushion insoles help most foot related problems we have also added in little sections relating to our fantastic product, explaining exactly how it helps and why you should buy some insoles as soon as possible.
You can either go straight to the section you are most interested in or you can just scroll down through the document to read it in your own time.
Heel pain is a common condition in which weight bearing on the heel causes extreme discomfort.
Cause
There are two different categories of heel pain. The first is caused by over-use repetitive stress which refers to a soreness resulting from too much impact on a specific area of the foot. This condition, often referred to as "heel pain syndrome," can be caused by shoes with heels that are too low, a thinned out fat pad in the heel area, or from a sudden increase in activity.
Plantar fasciitis, a very common diagnosis of heel pain, is usually caused from a biomechancial problem, such as over-pronation (flat feet). Over-pronation can cause the plantar fascia, a broad band of fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom surface of the foot, to be excessively stretched and inflamed. This inflamation of the plantar fascia results in pain in the heel and arch areas of the foot. Often the pain will be most intense first thing in the morning or after a prolonged period of rest. The pain will gradually subside as the day progresses.
Treatment and Prevention
To properly treat heel pain, you must absorb shock, provide cushioning and elevate the heel to transfer pressure. Ultracushion self moulding orthotic insoles achieve all of this by:
- Raising the heel to transfer pressure away from the heel and plantar fascia.
- Providing comfort and shock absorbency for the heel with the use of the 11mm thick ultra-cushioned heel area of the insole.
- Countering any over-pronation by providing good arch support and allowing your weight to be evenly distributed throughout the foot, taking pressure off the plantar fascia.
Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation due to the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia, a broad band of fibrous tissue which runs along the bottom surface of the foot. When the plantar fascia is excessively stretched you get plantar fasciitis, which can also lead to heel pain, arch pain, and heel spurs.
Cause:
Plantar Fasciitis often leads to heel pain, heel spurs, and/or arch pain. The excessive stretching of the plantar fascia that leads to the inflammation and discomfort can be caused by the following:
- Over-pronation (flat feet) which results in the arch collapsing under the pressure of weight bearing.
- A foot with an unusually high arch.
- A sudden increase in physical activity.
- Excessive weight on the foot, usually attributed to obesity or pregnancy.
- Improperly fitting footwear
Over-pronation (flat feet) is the leading cause of plantar fasciitis. Over-pronation occurs in the walking process, when a person's arch collapses when bearing weight, causing the plantar fascia to be stretched away from the heel bone.
With Plantar Fasciitis, the bottom of your foot usually hurts near the inside of the foot where the heel and arch meet. The pain is often acute either first thing in the morning or after a long rest, because while resting the plantar fascia contracts back to its original shape. As the day progresses and the plantar fascia continues to be stretched, the pain often subsides.
Treatment and Prevention:
The key for the proper treatment of plantar fasciitis is determining what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia.
Those with flat feet should consider an orthotic with good cushioning in the heel and sufficient arch support to reduce the amount of pronation.
People with plantar facsiitis caused by high arches also require extra cushion for the heel to absorb shock and comfort the foot.
Ultracushion self-moulding insoles provide both of these, moulding to the contours of the foot to re-align the walking stride to a more natural position, elevating the heel to prevent stretch, and also providing extra shock-absorption for the heel area.
Other common treatments include stretching exercises and the use plantar fasciitis night splints.
You can also reduce the strain and stress on the plantar fascia by avoiding running on hard or uneven ground and losing excess weight.
A heel spur develops as an abnormal growth of the heel bone made up of calcium deposits formed when the plantar fascia, a broad band of fibrous tissue located along the bottom surface of the foot, pulls away from the heel area. The result is a bony protrusion, or heel spur that can cause extreme pain in the rearfoot, especially while standing or walking.
Cause
The heel bone is the largest bone in the foot and absorbs the most amount of shock and pressure. Heel spurs develop as an abnormal growth in the heel bone due to calcium deposits that form when the plantar fascia pulls away from the heel. This stretching of the plantar fascia is usually the result of over-pronation (flat feet), but people with unusually high arches (pes cavus) can also develop heel spurs. Women have a significantly higher incidence of heel spurs due to the types of footwear often worn on a regular basis.
Treatment and Prevention
The key for the proper treatment of Heel Spurs is determining what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia.
Those with flat feet should consider an orthotic with good cushioning in the heel and sufficient arch support to reduce the amount of pronation.
People with heel spurs caused by high arches also require extra cushion for the heel to absorb shock and comfort the foot.
Ultracushion self-moulding insoles provide both of these, moulding to the contours of the foot to re-align the walking stride to a more natural position, elevating the heel to prevent stretch, and also providing extra shock-absorption for the heel area.
Other common treatments include stretching exercises and plantar fasciitis night splints.
You can also reduce the strain and stress on the plantar fascia by avoiding running on hard or uneven ground and losing excess weight. | 
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