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Rocker sole / Toning shoes for plantar fasciitis

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by NewsBot, Sep 8, 2012.

  1. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1

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    Evaluation of combined prescription of rocker sole shoes and custom-made foot orthoses for the treatment of plantar fasciitis.
    Fong DT, Pang KY, Chung MM, Hung AS, Chan KM.
    Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2012 Sep 3
     
  2. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

  3. 7Pod7

    7Pod7 Active Member

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    I think this is all about decreased pressure/forces on the foot. Orthotic with rocker shoe place less pressure on the Heel and less worry about functioning windlass mechanism due to rocking motion instead. Makes sense that it works.
    Good for recovery of patient with pain but you will need to dispense with rocker shoe eventually to re establish the normal gait pattern else other joints and soft tissue structures will eventually weaken.
     
  4. benm

    benm Welcome New Poster

    We sometime recommend and fit the Stretch walker by Xsensible for plantar faciitis patients, with on the whole good results, sometime with and without FO's. We often try shoes first, then review outcome - usually do quite well in shoe only. The Stretch walker is a "soft" rocker shoe and we are always wary of recomending this shoe if there are significant amounts of pronation-supination or ballance issues that are of concern.
    I have seen a few patients with other brands of "soft" rockers that are completely collapsing and deforming the shoe - mostly medial border.
    Patients we still want to fit with rocker soles but have pronation/supination concerns are better fitted in "stable" rockers - we use the FinnComfort Finnamic in this instance.
    There is a good article on soft vs stable rockers here - probably been posted before.
    http://comfortshoereport.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/outlook-for-rocker-sole-shoes-in-2012.html
     
  5. VernWalther

    VernWalther Member

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    Does anyone have access to the full study .pdf and wouldn't mind sharing/posting?

    I'm curious to know what the VAS scores were for the other two conditions:

    VAS Score (scale is 0mm to 100)
    1) _________ Unshod
    2) _________ Baseline shoes (no orthotics)
    3) 29.5mm Baseline shoes w/orthotics
    4) 30.9mm Rocker sole shoes (no orthotics)
    5) 9.7mm Combination: Rocker sole shoes w/orthotics

    Does the study specify what brand of rocker sole shoes were used?

    Thank you!
     
  6. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    "No specific brand of rocker shoe was used".
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Peter1234

    Peter1234 Active Member

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    I would be hesitant to issue rocker sole shoes to plantar fasciitis patients, as I often find trigger points at the myotendinous junction of the gastrocnemius. From what I have understood about rocker shoes is, they create instability of the ankle- thereby increasing work for the posterior muscle groups of the leg and thigh.
    These shoes are also very expensive, and most patients cant afford them. Adding to this, as was mentioned, there are issues with balance.
     
  8. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    I just came back to this thread and re-read the intro in the abstract:
    Since when has it been: "It is a routine practice to prescribe a combination of rocker shoes and custom-made foot orthoses for patients with plantar fasciitis. " I have never seen or heard of it being used at all, yet alone "routine"!

    I have also seen no debate anywhere on:"there has been a debate on this practice, and studies have shown that the individual prescription of rocker shoes or custom-made foot orthoses is effective in treating plantar fasciitis". I searched Google for this "debate" and found zilch!
     
  9. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    It's a junk study - I looked as far as n= , then lost interest.
     
  10. efuller

    efuller MVP

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    I would disagree with the assertion that rocker sole shoes, with rocker point just proximal to the metatarsal heads, cause ankle instability. Instability is such a loose term. Usually ankle instability refers to inversion motion of the foot relative to the leg. This motion is more STJ than ankle.

    Also rocker shoes, with the break just proximal to the met heads, will decrease resistance to plantar flexion of the ankle by shortening the lever arm of ground reaction force. This should decrease the work load of the gastroc and soleus muscles.

    Eric
     
  11. markjohconley

    markjohconley Well-Known Member

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    Goodaye Eric, wouldn't there be an increase in the magnitude of the GRF at the thickest sole depth? which would counteract? / make up for the shortened lever arm?
     
  12. efuller

    efuller MVP

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    Possibly if the shoe was very flexible. However, if the topside of midsole functions as a rigid plate there won't be a high pressure area under the forefoot. Peter cavanaugh has published some papers that show in a rigid rocker shoe the length of time of pressure on the heel is increased. The rigid rocker shoe effectively transfers force from the forefoot to the rear foot. (The rocker point needs to be just behind the met heads.)

    Eric
     
  13. drsha

    drsha Banned

    Re: Rocker sole shoes for plantar fasciitis

    Unfortunately, your predictions, hypotheses and what your believe should happen remain personal speculations backed up with little to no EBM. Thats not what happens in reality here and in the existing EBM.

    Can you relate any of your theoreticals to SERM? (oh wait, wrong thread)

    Dennis
     
  14. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Biomechanical effects of rocker shoes on the plantar fascia in healthy adults and patients with plantar fasciitis
    C Greve et al
    Gait & Posture Volume 65, Supplement 1, September 2018
     
  15. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    Biomechanical effects of rocker shoes on plantar aponeurosis strain in patients with plantar fasciitis and healthy controls.
    Greve C et al
    PLoSOne. 2019 Oct 10;14(10):e0222388.
     
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