I thought that it was time for my second post of the different types of treatment that are available for those with Plantar Fibromas. For simplicity I will try to stick to the same layout as I used last time and will try to cover this in as much detail as I can find. Note that I am not a doctor or a specialist and that everything on here is just my experience with the disease and some information from on-line resources and that you should trust what your doctor tells you. I am not responsible for what you chose to do so please don't make your choice based on what you see here and blame me.
How and why do orthotics help a plantar fibroma / ledderhose disease?:
So the idea behind orthotics is that they help to reduce the amount of pain caused by the plantar fibroma by decreasing the stresses and strain on the fibroma. This is achieved in 2 different ways:
1) Taking the strain away from the plantar fascia in general.
copied from (1) http://www.footankle.com/Plantar_fibroma.htm
The above diagram is present to try to show the location of the fibroma in relation to the plantar fascia. As you can see in many cases the plantar fibroma will be located in the middle of the plantar fascia so that any stretching or stress on the fascia will increase in stress and therefore pain being caused by the fibroma so that taking away this strain should help to decrease pain.
2) Taking direct pressure off of the lump.
I don't know about other people with this but I find that direct pressure on the lump causes me immense pain and any way that I can avoid this is great. So of course on thing is to try to wear trainers that have a gap below that lump so that there is no direct pressure. Annoying I can't find any pictures of exactly what I think that would do but I will try and explain it by basically saying that if you imagine that you have a lump sticking out of the bottom of your foot well the insoles then have a gap in them to accommodate the lump. I honestly don't know if this is right or not perhaps a specialist out there would like to correct me if I am wrong? As Mine don't really have any obvious sign that this is what they do.
1) Taking the strain away from the plantar fascia in general.
copied from (1) http://www.footankle.com/Plantar_fibroma.htm
The above diagram is present to try to show the location of the fibroma in relation to the plantar fascia. As you can see in many cases the plantar fibroma will be located in the middle of the plantar fascia so that any stretching or stress on the fascia will increase in stress and therefore pain being caused by the fibroma so that taking away this strain should help to decrease pain.
2) Taking direct pressure off of the lump.
I don't know about other people with this but I find that direct pressure on the lump causes me immense pain and any way that I can avoid this is great. So of course on thing is to try to wear trainers that have a gap below that lump so that there is no direct pressure. Annoying I can't find any pictures of exactly what I think that would do but I will try and explain it by basically saying that if you imagine that you have a lump sticking out of the bottom of your foot well the insoles then have a gap in them to accommodate the lump. I honestly don't know if this is right or not perhaps a specialist out there would like to correct me if I am wrong? As Mine don't really have any obvious sign that this is what they do.
Results?:
Well to be honest as with most things about this disease there is not a lot of information out there and I have very little to go on. From what I have seen these may be useful early on and can help stop progression of the disease a to point where it is causing lots of serious problems. (2)
Side Effects:
Side Effects:
If the things are fitted properly then there should be no problem at all but the wrong ones can increase the two things that they are trying to eliminate and thereby exacerbate the problem that is trying to be solved.
My Experience:
Orthotics are one of the things that I have tried, well actually I am in the process of trying them now. I only got them last week but I am optimistic that they are going to be able to help decrease the signs of the disease for a little while. What actually happened with me is that I went to the doctors and they referred me to this awesome guy (see here Helpful Orthotics man) who stuck my foot into a box and said I was going to have several different types of support in them to try and help my feet and stop them from twisting and aching and well pretty much try to solve every problem that I have with my feet. Fingers crossed as at the moment I do think that I am in less pain at the end of the day than I was last week when I was not using the orthotics quite so much.
Below I have reposted some pictures of my orthotics (the black ones).
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| Plantar Fibroma Orthotics (the black ones) |
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| Plantar Fibroma Orthotics (the black ones) |
Conclusions:
Although orthotics are a promising approach for some to help manage the disease they are just that a management device as they do not stop the lump from being there and ultimately it is still there and you can't have these insoles stuck to the bottom of your feet all the time so in slipper or bare foot the situation hasn't change. We need a cure that works...
References:
Blog is posted in association with Plantar Fibroma Forum
I have been sleeping with arch support wraps on my feet and it seems to have been a big help. I'm also wearing HOKA running shoes and they have great arch support. I have so many beautiful shoes I cannot wear now it is very discouraging. I have found clear orthotics for a pair of wedge sandals and they work great and are not visible. I will be trying them with other shoes as well to see if I can broaden my shoe selection. Thank you for this blog.
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