A properly sized footbed that touches your arch ensures the correct alignment of the ankle, knees, hips, and spine. When fitting the foot to an appropriate arch, the medial arch should be the highest priority. Footwear with good arch support can help protect against, as well as help to recover, from such injuries.įootwear intended to stabilize your feet provides support for the three primary arches – medial, lateral, and metatarsal. When any of the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles or tendons are over-stressed, pain or injury often occur. The arches are maintained by the bones and joints as well as by ligaments, muscles, and tendons. The arches of the foot provide this function, creating both shock absorption and stability.

The foot must bear the weight of the body and provide the mechanism for propulsion, as well as require a high degree of stability and flexibility. Footwear that properly supports the Medial Arch can reduce and prevent heel pain. Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs, and Plantar Fasciitis are all ailments related to inflammation of tendons or ligaments which attach to the Calcaneum. The Talus forms the connection between the Tibia and Fibula (lower leg) and the foot. The Talus and Calcaneus form the heel area of the foot and bear a large portion of the body’s weight. Footwear with good Medial Arch support can help stabilize these structures and prevent pain or injury. The Cuneiform, Cuboid, and Navicular bones are large and perform a weight-bearing function. Narrow, pointed footwear can cause painful deformities of the toes, such as bunions and hammer toes. You're likely to change your walk to try to avoid plantar fasciitis pain, which might lead to foot, knee, hip or back problems.The Phalanges (toe bones) provide balance, weight-bearing, and thrust while standing, walking, or running. Ignoring plantar fasciitis can result in chronic heel pain that hinders your regular activities. Factory workers, teachers and others who spend most of their work hours walking or standing on hard surfaces can be at increased risk of plantar fasciitis.

Occupations that keep you on your feet.

Excess pounds put extra stress on your plantar fascia. Flat feet, a high arch or even an atypical pattern of walking can affect the way weight is distributed when you're standing and can put added stress on the plantar fascia.

Activities that place a lot of stress on your heel and attached tissue - such as long-distance running, ballet dancing and aerobic dance - can contribute to the onset of plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is most common in people between the ages of 40 and 60. Risk factorsĮven though plantar fasciitis can develop without an obvious cause, some factors can increase your risk of developing this condition. Repeated stretching and tearing of the facia can irritate or inflame it, although the cause remains unclear in many cases of plantar fasciitis. Tension and stress on the fascia can cause small tears. It supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shock when walking.

The plantar fascia is a band of tissue, called fascia, that connects your heel bone to the base of your toes.

Outer arch pain