Orthopedic insoles are often used to correct abnormalities in the normal position of the feet in hallux valgus and to prevent this problem. These medical products not only relieve the load from various parts of the leg, but also eliminate the pain syndrome that often occurs in pathology. Today, there are many companies on the medical goods market that offer orthopedic insoles to potential consumers. How to choose the right product and save money at the same time? When is it necessary to purchase a product? What are the types of orthopedic insoles for hallux valgus? What are the reviews and opinions of people using this product? The reader will find answers to these and other questions in the materials of our article.
What is this?
Valgus deformity of the lower limb - the process of changing the shape of the foot and, as a result,violation of the normal position of the leg. This disease is a specific and very common pathology. To correct the manifestations of the disease, special medical products are used - orthopedic arch support insoles, valgus splints, etc. The use of one or another module depends on the affected area of the lower extremities. Pathology can affect the area from the first toe to the neck of the femur.
Valgus deformity of the big toe is a disease in which the position of the metatarsophalangeal joint is disturbed, as a result of which the big toe is displaced. This violation leads to a change in the position of the remaining toes.
Plano-valgus deformity of the foot is colloquially called flat feet and manifests itself in a change in the direction of the axis of the foot. This disease develops even in childhood, but both congenital pathologies and acquired pathologies can become the cause of the violations - injuries during fractures or rupture of ligaments; excess weight, leading to increased stress on the joints; paralytic conditions caused by complication of osteomyelitis, etc.
Injury to the leg, ankle joint, femoral neck
Valgus deformity of the legs develops from infancy and may be the result of the fact that the child began to stand up early or the parents allowed the baby to stand for a long time. In infancy, the muscles and ligaments are not strong enough, and an increased load on them subsequently leads to a deviation of the correctposition of the axis of the legs. As a result, the distance between the knees is reduced, the lower leg is shifted inward, and the legs become x-shaped.
The initial changes affect the knee joints. The child may be capricious and ask for hands, complain of fatigue and pain in the legs. If you do not take measures to correct the situation, a neglected pathology can lead to a curvature of the child's spine. Valgus deformity of the ankle is a displacement of the heel outward and the collapse of the foot inward.
With valgus deformity of the femoral neck, an increase in the cervical-diaphyseal angle occurs. Pathology in most cases is congenital and can occur against the background of hip dysplasia or hip injury, and also be a consequence of disorders of the nervous system. Valgus deformity of the femoral neck is often combined with deformity of the lower leg or foot.
Degrees of violations
As noted earlier, hallux valgus is a pathology of the position of the foot, which leads to the fact that the height of the foot decreases, and its central axis is bent. The toes on the foot, together with the heel, twist outwards. A sign of pathology is not only a cosmetic defect, which is very noticeable, but also serious disorders in the body, for example, chronic bursitis, deforming arthrosis, etc. An auxiliary corrective agent for this pathology is often shoes with an orthopedic insole.
Bursitis is a disease of the joints, in which the mucous bags in the joints become inflamed. Deforming arthrosis is a pathology due to which the cartilage is destroyed.joint tissue.
There are three degrees of hallux valgus in accordance with the angle between the first finger and the connecting or metatarsal bone. In the first degree, patients experience subluxation of the foot. The second degree of hallux valgus leads to displacement of the tendons on the thumb. The third degree of pathology is due to the fact that the bone tissue in the affected area cannot cope with the functional load.
Why does the disease occur and what to do?
There are a number of factors that lead to pathological changes in the body, among them are:
- excess weight, which creates additional stress on the joints;
- genetic factor - weak tendons;
- hormonal disorders (such as menopause or under/overactive thyroid);
- valgus deformity may be preceded by gout, which leads to the accumulation of uric acid s alts in the joints, provoking the development of curvature;
- uncomfortable, too tight or the wrong length shoes;
- permanent use of high-heeled shoes;
- pregnancy resulting in increased stress on the joints.
It is difficult to completely cure hallux valgus, but the pathology can be corrected by minimizing the manifestations of the disease. There are surgical and conservative methods of therapy. The first is surgery, whichsolves the problem of crooked joints. It is used in more severe cases when the disease is advanced.
To eliminate mild manifestations of pathology, as well as to prevent the disease, conservative methods of treatment are used. Among them are daily leg gymnastics with the help of special sports equipment (balls), as well as the use of orthopedic products in everyday life.
Plano-valgus insoles
Orthopedic insoles, the price of which depends on the material used in their production, are used for the prevention and treatment of various types of plano-valgus foot deformity. Often, longitudinal flat feet are aggravated by the incorrect position of the foot, falling inwards. As a rule, orthopedic products are made in two versions - from leather or from hygienic cloth.
Patients who used orthopedic insoles for hallux valgus left mostly positive reviews. These are leather goods. They are durable, easier to care for, as dirt is removed from the surface with some alcohol-containing substance. Leather insoles are more rigid, but they are more expensive than hygienic cloth insoles. Rag insoles are more accessible, they are softer and can be used to correct violations in children.
For comparison: the cost of a prophylactic insole made of hygienic cloth starts from 8 USD. e., a leather product costs twice as much - 15 c.u. e. and above. Therapeutic and treatment-and-prophylacticorthopedic insoles, the price of which starts from 15 USD. i.e., only available in leather version.
It is important to remember that flat-valgus insoles are used in conjunction with everyday shoes, in other words, the product is embedded inside the boot, so the insoles are selected for shoes with a high and fairly hard back. It is possible to adjust the insole to a specific shoe - the product can be trimmed, but only along the upper and inner edge. The outer cut of the insole must not be touched.
Classification by degree of hardness
Conventionally, insoles for correcting foot deformity can be divided into three groups:
- prophylactic;
- treatment and prevention;
- healing.
For the prevention of disease, the best orthopedic insoles are products with a low and soft arch support, which is a soft pad that can quickly change its shape and compress under pressure. Such insoles can be used in almost any closed shoes, because they slightly increase the fullness of the internal space of the boot.
Therapeutic and prophylactic insoles - products with an average height of an instep that compresses slightly and practically does not change shape when pressed. Such insoles are made both from raw leather and from a hygienic cloth. This type of product is used in shoes with a closed raised back and with a clasp that fixes the leg well.
Therapeutic insoles are products in which arch supports are high, resemblingin the form of an arch. This type of orthopedic modules is used only in shoes suitable for treatment.
Orthopedic insoles: how to choose
Today, a potential consumer has a choice - to purchase a ready-made insole with specified parameters or to make a custom-made product with parameters that most accurately satisfy the physiological characteristics of the foot. There are also customizable insoles - orthopedic products that lend themselves to a small but useful change in their physical parameters.
The main characteristic by which the insole is selected is the length of the foot. The product can be purchased based on the metric parameter or using the traditional shoe size, which completely matches the existing sizes of orthopedic insoles.
Since the material of the arch support can be different in density, when choosing an insole, you should focus on your own feelings - try several types of products and choose the most comfortable for yourself.
An orthopedic insole should always fulfill its tasks - one type is suitable for active loads and sports, another for everyday life. Therefore, lovers of calm walking and people whose work is associated with long standing on their feet should pay attention to insoles with a frame. These pieces are thin enough to fit almost any casual shoe.
However, if a person periodically experiences pain in the foot, a soft insole is suitable for him - it is comfortable and convenient, but a little thicker than usual. For sports shoes, it is recommended to choose insoleswithout a frame. They are single-layer and double-layer and, accordingly, differ in thickness. Two-layer products are often used for rheumatoid arthritis. Such an instep support helps to evenly distribute the load on the foot and relieve pressure on the "bones".
What to look out for
You need to understand that orthopedic insoles are medical products, and if we are talking not about preventive measures, but about therapeutic ones, they should be chosen only in accordance with the diagnosis.
Orthopedic insoles are divided into two more types - children's and adults. Products for the smallest need to be chosen carefully and only after consultation with an orthopedist. Children often have longitudinal flat feet, and insoles for them are often equipped with additional modules designed to support the longitudinal arch of the foot. Insoles with three points of support are used to support the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot. These products help reduce heel stress.
Orthopedic insoles for adults are very diverse and, depending on the function performed, are divided into:
- semi-insoles, or orthopedic arch insoles for women who wear shoes with heels;
- longitudinal;
- transverse;
- longitudinally transverse;
- heel spur treatment insoles;
- semi-insoles-arch supports for the prevention of foot deformity;
- frame insoles that are used only in closed shoes.
Helpful tips
You should always remember that the physiology of the foot changes slightly over time, but changes, so it is recommended to change the insoles every two years, while consulting an orthopedic doctor.
The product care instructions contain recommendations that are important to follow, no matter what material the insole is made of. In addition, factory-made insoles have indications for use, including, for example, a feeling of fatigue in the legs, pain in the feet against the background of various types of flat feet, different lengths of the lower limbs, etc.
The effectiveness of the insole is checked by our own observations - the reasons why the product was purchased should, if not disappear, then at least not be so obvious.
Compared to custom-made products, ready-made orthopedic insoles are still considered more technologically advanced. With hallux valgus, reviews about their effectiveness are different, but most people note that the operation of this product improves the quality of life - pain in the legs becomes less, the load on the feet is reduced, walking is more comfortable.
In addition to orthopedic insoles, a valgus splint is used to correct crooked joints and reduce pain in the big toes - this is a kind of bandage that corrects the wrong position of the joint over time.
In addition to using orthotic products to correct pathological changes, it is useful to strengthen the muscles and arch of the foot through special exercises and massage.
Summarizing all of the above, it can be noted that hallux valgus is a disease that often develops from childhood. To avoid the occurrence of severe pathological conditions, it is important to start therapeutic measures as early as possible. The use of orthopedic modules in therapy leads to good results.
Valgus insoles can be made from various materials, as well as in bulk or to order, on which, in fact, their cost depends. To achieve a positive therapeutic effect, orthopedic insoles for hallux valgus should be selected according to the standard shoe size and invested in shoes with a hard back. Reviews of people using this medical device indicate that a good effect has been achieved, but only with a well-chosen module and its constant operation.
