The Efficacy of Foot Orthosis in Relieving Foot Pain Caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often have foot involvement. Foot pain is one of the most common manifestations of foot involvement. Orthosis can change the mechanical distribution and structure of the foot so as to relieve or improve the symptoms of foot pain, reduce foot disability, and improve the quality of life of patients. It is one of the most common methods for treating foot pain. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of foot orthosis in relieving pain, improving motor function, and improving quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on arthritis published from 2018 to 2024 were conducted. We conducted searches in Web Science, PubMed, Scopus, and IEEE. The grid terms and domains used were foot, ankle, joint, RA, foot, orthosis, insole, and foot orthosis. Result: A total of 120 literatures were included, and 5 literatures were finally included. These five studies included a total of 203 participants who were followed for 1–6 months. Our meta-analysis showed that orthosis was associated with significant relief of foot pain and some improvement in motor function and quality of life over 6 months, but no significant effect on disability and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Conclusion: Foot orthosis can relieve the pain of patients, but it does not improve their disability and enhance their ability to engage in moderate or high-intensity activities. It can improve the quality of life of patients to a certain extent.