Health complaints and disabilities in patients supplied with foot orthoses for degenerative foot disorders.

This exploratory study attempted to estimate the severity of health complaints and disabilities in patients supplied with foot orthoses for degenerative foot disorders in the Netherlands. Information on the severity and the distribution of the complaints in these patients is important to acquire insight in the problems which these patients experience, and moreover is essential for further research, especially for evaluating effects of patients undergoing foot orthosis treatment. Patients with degenerative foot disorders aged 18 years and over were recruited from nine orthopaedic workshops over a period of three months in 2000. One hundred and twenty-two (122) patients were included in the study. Two approaches were used to obtain data. Firstly, shoe technicians and orthotists inspected patients' feet and legs and interviewed them at their initial visit. Data on gender, age, height, weight, existing and prescribed orthotic devices were recorded on a report form. Secondly, patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire assessing type, location, frequency, intensity and duration of health complaints, and disability. Data indicate that females with degenerative foot disorders and foot orthoses are twice as common as men. Patients supplied with foot orthoses are twice as often overweight compared to subjects in the general population. Besides frequent and protracted pain there are also fatigue complaints, particularly in the feet and lower leg. Duration and frequency of the complaints suggest that these patients suffer from a chronic pain syndrome. In addition, the results indicate that the functional level of these patients is below that of the general population, in particular regarding physical activities.