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Evidence summaries

Custom-Made Foot Orthoses for Plantar Fasciitis

Custom-made foot orthoses appear to be not more effective than sham orthoses, non-custom orthoses, night splints or different physical therapy modes for reducing foot pain in patients with plantar fasciitis. They may, however, increase the effectiveness of night splints. Level of evidence: "B"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 11 studies with a total of 1332 subjects. Five of the trials evaluated custom-made foot orthoses for plantar fasciitis (691 participants). Custom-made foot orthoses were more effective than sham orthoses for improving function, but not for reducing foot pain, after three and 12 months. They were not more effective than night splints but did increase the effectiveness of a standard intervention of night splints for reducing foot pain or improving function, after six weeks or three months. Custom-made foot orthoses were not more effective than non-custom orthoses for reducing foot pain or improving function, after two to three months or 12 months. They did not increase the effectiveness of a standard intervention of Achilles' tendon and plantar fascia stretching or night splints for reducing foot pain, after six to eight weeks, and were less effective than a combined treatment of manipulation/mobilisation/stretching for reducing foot pain after two weeks.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes and variability in results across studies).

    References

    • Hawke F, Burns J, Radford JA et al. Custom-made foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;(3):CD006801. [PubMed].

Primary/Secondary Keywords