Application of wedged foot orthosis effectively reduces pain in runners with pronated foot: a randomized clinical study

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of foot orthosis intervention during a 60-minute running test in pronated-foot runners with overuse knee or foot pain during running. Design: A randomized, controlled design. Setting: Sports gym. Participants: Twenty-four runners with pronated foot who experienced pain over anterior knee or foot region during running were recruited and randomized into the treatment, or the control, group. Interventions: A soft insole with a semi-rigid rearfoot medial wedge was given to the treatment group, and a soft insole without corrective posting was applied to the control group. Outcome measures: The immediate and short-term effects of orthosis application on incidence of pain, pain intensity and onset time were evaluated using the 60-minutes treadmill test. Results: Immediately after wearing the foot orthosis, pain incidence reduced in the treatment group but not in the control group ( P = 0.04). After two weeks, seven (58%) subjects in the treatment group and one (8%) in the control group were free of pain during the test ( P = 0.01). The pain intensity score decreased significantly after orthosis application, from 35.5 to 17.2 (immediate effect, P = 0.014), then to 12.3 (short-term effect, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The rearfoot medially-wedged insole was a useful intervention for preventing or reducing painful knee or foot symptoms during running in runners with pronated foot.