Immediate Effects of Custom Foot Orthoses on Postural Balance and Pain in Obese Middle-Aged Women With Plantar Fasciitis

Given the prevalence of plantar fasciitis (PF) among middle-aged women, we investigated the immediate impact of custom foot orthoses (CFO) on pain and static and dynamic postural balance, addressing a critical gap in understanding the potential benefits of CFO in managing PF-related pain and postural instability. Nine middle-aged women with PF and obesity were evaluated for pain levels and center of pressure (CoP) values in bipedal, unipedal with a non-affected foot, and unipedal with an affected foot on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, while they were barefoot, wearing standard insoles (SI), and wearing CFO. We found that CFO significantly and immediately reduced pain (<i>p</i> < .01) improved CoP values (<i>p</i> < .01) in the unipedal stance with the affected foot, and enhanced TUG test scores (<i>p</i> < .001). The results demonstrated a significant (<i>p</i> < .01) improvement in CoP_area values and TUG test scores with CFO, compared to SI. These findings underscore the immediate benefits of CFO in alleviating pain and improving postural balance in obese middle-aged women with PF, highlighting their potential as a valuable intervention.