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 July 10, 2002 Heel Pain -- An Inexpensive Cure Got heel pain? An inexpensive, soft heel pad will ease it just as well -- if not better -- than an expensive, hard-plastic customized insert. A two-month study of 240 people with heel pain who visited 10 foot and ankle centers shows that $15-40 over-the-counter heel pads or cushions heal heel pain better than $300-400 custom-made orthotic devices. Only 68% of those who used rigid orthotics gained relief compared to 95% who used a silicone heel cushion, 88% who used a rubber heel cup, and 81% who used a felt heel pad. Two million Americans, 10% of them runners, will be diagnosed with heel pain this year. It is the most common foot problem seen by doctors, says Carol C. Frey, MD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Orthotics work well to support flat feet or to correct for malaligned feet, says Dr. Frey. "Most people could eliminate using orthotics by wearing proper sport-specific shoes and discarding worn out ones," she says. |
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