Can Arch Supports Help You Avoid Foot Surgery?

Bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and neuromas. If you suffer from any of these common foot ailments, you want to find relief – and fast! Many patients think that surgery is their only option to correct foot problems and deformities, but that isn’t necessarily true. According to Dr. Steven Rosenberg, most foot ailments can be alleviated with proper-fitting arch supports.

Arch supports help alleviate foot pain by supporting the joints and allowing the foot to function properly. Well-fitted supports prevent abnormal pronation (rolling of the foot) which can lead to structural problems that may eventually require surgery.

The key to finding the right support inserts is making sure they are designed to fit in the arch of the shoe and they offer support in the right places. Inserts that are placed in the arch of the shoe will support the foot joints and slow down the formation of bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis and neuromas (pinched nerves or benign nerve tumors). Proper-fitting supports also create space in the great toe joint to prevent jamming and joint pain and will prevent the arches of the feet from flattening.

In some cases, surgery may be the best form of treatment. However, Rosenberg suggests that this option only be considered when all other conservative treatments have failed. Surgery is always an option you can keep on hold while you explore other treatments, but once surgery is performed, you cannot revert the foot back to its original state. It is always best to start with the least invasive form of treatment and work towards more aggressive therapies until you find relief (Source: Huffington Post).