This page has been put together for those people who suffer from arthritis or tendonitis related problems in their feet. If you are interested in finding out a little more about what is causing your discomfort you can find a brief outline of the most common ailments below. 

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.

Achilles tendonitis causes inflammation and degeneration of the achilles tendon, a large tendon located in the back of the leg that inserts into the heel. The pain caused by achilles tendonitis can develop gradually without a history of trauma. The pain can be a shooting pain, burning pain, or even an extremely piercing pain.

Individuals who suffer from achilles tendonitis often complain that their first steps out of bed in the morning are extremely painful. Another common complaint is pain after steps are taken after long periods of sitting. This pain often lessens with activity.

Cause

There are several factors that can cause achilles tendonitis.

The most common cause is over-pronation. Over-pronation occurs in the walking process, when the arch collapses upon weight bearing, adding stress on the achilles tendon.

Achilles Tendonitis can also be aggravated by activities that repeatedly stress the tendon, causing inflammation. In some cases even prolonged periods of standing can cause symptoms. It is a common problem often experienced by athletes, particularly distance runners. Achilles Tendonitis is a difficult injury to treat in athletes due to their high level of activity and reluctance to stop or slow down their training.

Other factors that lead to achilles tendonitis are improper footwear, inadequate stretching prior to engaging in athletics, a short achilles tendon, direct trauma (injury) to the tendon, and heel bone deformity.

Treatment and Prevention

Athletes, particularly runners, should incorporate a thorough stretching program to properly warm-up the muscles. They should decrease the distance of their walk or run, apply ice after the activity and avoid any uphill climbs. Athletes should also use an orthotic device, such as Ultracushion Orthotic Insoles.

Ultracushion can help to treat and relieve Achilles tendonitis by:

1. Raising the heel to reduce stress and pressure on the Achilles tendon
2. Providing extra heel cushion acts as a shock absorber from the foot through the rest of the body’s structure.
3. Controlling over-pronation by ensuring weight is evenly distributed throughout the foot thus supporting the arches and reducing stress on the Achilles tendon.

Post-Tib Tendonitis is a strain placed on the posterior tibial tendon, a tendon that runs along the inside of the ankle and the foot. When there is post-tibial tendon disfunction, the tendon does not function to hold up the arch, resulting in flat feet. This can lead to heel pain, arch pain, plantar fasciitis and/or heel spurs. With post-tib tendonitis, pain will be more severe upon weight bearing, especially while walking or running.

Cause

Post-Tib Tendonitis occurs when the muscle is overused and the tendon (soft tissue) that connects the muscle to your bone is strained. Years of over-pronation (flat feet) can also lead to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. If you keep overusing the muscle, damage to the tendon builds up and tendonitis develops. At first the pain or swelling may come and go quickly, but eventually the problem may become more permanent.

Treatment and Prevention

To treat post-tib tendonitis, you can reduce symptoms by limiting your activity to control the pain and swelling. Stay off your feet a few days, then slowly increase your activity. Rest allows the tissues in your foot to heal.

You can also treat this problem by wearing a good foot orthotic to support your arches and reduce the strain on your tibial tendon.

Ultracushion self moulding orthotics are ideal for this as they can reduce symptoms and even avoid the need for surgery by being able to:

1. Mould to the feet providing customized comfort and naturally providing the arch support that you need.
2. Have the facility to customize your insoles by adding extra support where you need it (e.g. arches) using the extra padding strips that come with the insoles.
3. Provide shock absorbency to take the strain off your tendon.
4. Evenly distribute your weight on the foot to reduce pressure off the areas previously under most strain.
5. Raise the heel of your foot to reduce the amount of stretch on the tendons.

You can also help treat the condition by carefully selecting comfortable shoes to aid the effects of your insoles, as well as varying exercise routines to ensure that one set of muscles is NOT under continous stress.

Arthritis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the body’s joints. Inflammation causes redness, warmth, pain and swelling. The primary targets for arthritis are people over the age of 50, and it can be a major cause of foot pain because each foot has 33 joints that can become affected by the disease.

Arthritis comes in many forms:

Osteoarthritis

This is the most common form of Arthritis. Osteoarthritis causes excessive strain and the wearing away of cartilage in the joints of the foot. Movement becomes very difficult and painful. The pain and swelling worsens while standing or walking, and stiffness usually occurs after periods of rest.

Gout

Gout is another form of arthritis that also leads to foot complications. Excess uric acid crystals collect in and around the joints of the big toe. The big toe joint is commonly the focal point due to the stress and pressure it experiences during walking and other weight bearing activities. This often leads to severe pain in the big toe. Men are more likely to develop gouty arthritis than women.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Another type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. It can develop at any age and there is no known cause for this condition. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most crippling form of the disease that can affect people of all ages. It can cause severe deformities of the joints with associated fatigue of the entire body. People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis often develop severe forefoot problems such as bunions, hammer toes, claw toes, and others.

Cause

There are many causes of arthritis. Heredity plays a major role. However, arthritic symptoms can develop due to many other factors. Some of these include bacterial and viral infections, prescription and illegal drugs, traumatic injuries, and bowel disorders such as ileitis and colitis.

Forefoot problems such as hammer toes, claw toes, mallet toes, and bunions often develop as a result of arthritis, particularly Rheumatoid arthritis. Problems can also develop in the heel and ankle area due to the erosion of the involved joints.

Treatment and Prevention

Conservative treatment (non-surgical treatment) of the arthritic foot includes proper footwear, orthotics, and/or forefoot supports.

Arthritic footwear should be able to accommodate swelling of the foot and the use of orthotics designed to provide comfort, support and extra cushioning are also recommended.

Ultracushion self moulding orthotics are ideal for this as they:

1. Mould to the feet providing customized comfort
2. Provide shock absorbency to take the strain off the foot and ankle.
3. Evenly distribute your weight on the foot to reduce pressure and provide a comfortable and healthy environment for the foot.

Forefoot supports such as gel toe caps, gel toe shields, gel toe straighteners and others can often provide relief.