Treating Forefoot Arthritis with a Carbon Fiber Spring Plate

Carbon fiber spring plates are a lightweight, rigid addition to shoes that are used to treat midfoot and forefoot problems. This article explores the use of carbon fiber spring plates to treat forefoot pain.

 How do carbon fiber spring plates treat forefoot pain?

Our Medically Guided Shopping team gets a lot of great questions from our customers.  And that's the fun of our jobs - we help our customers find value and comfort.  Common questions that the Medically Guided Shopping team receives include:

• The right foot and ankle diagnosis - which problem do I have?
• The right product - which product is best to treat my particular foot problem?
• How to use this product?

A customer contacted us this week to ask what they might do to remain active in spite of forefoot arthritis pain.  Our customer described herself as a 65 y/o female who was active playing golf and tennis.  She described mild forefoot arthritis that would get a bit worse with increased activity.  She wanted to know the best way to improve her forefoot pain.  Our Medically Guided Shopping Team forwarded this question up to me to get my opinion as medical advisor.

I recommended a Spring Plate for this customer to treat her forefoot arthritis.  The beauty of the Spring Plate is two-fold:

• The Spring Plate is very thin and will fit into virtually any shoe.
• The Spring Plate has a bend in the plate that creates a rocker effect at the toe-off phase of gait.

The use of a forefoot rocker is exactly what this customer needed to stay active; splint the forefoot arthritis and keep in the game.

A forefoot rocker is a very simple yet eloquent shoe modification.  A forefoot rocker can be placed on the outside of a shoe, can be built as the sole of the shoe or placed on the inside of the shoe (like a Spring Plate).  To describe a forefoot rocker, think of a pair of clogs.  As the maximal load is applied to the forefoot at the toe-off phase of gait, the forefoot rocker decreases the load to the ball of the foot.  The forefoot rocker is very simple yet very effective in decreasing forefoot load.

Our customer wrote us back and thanked us for helping her find a solution.  She said,

"I'm much more comfortable playing tennis.  The Spring Plate easily fit into my shoe

and actually helped improve my golf score."

That's the beauty of Medically Guided Shopping - helping our customers find the right diagnosis and the right product, the right way.

Jeff

Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM

Medical Advisor
Myfootshop.com

Updated 4/23/2021

Helpful Products

XLT Carbon Fiber Spring Plate Graphite Insole

Stronger than steel and light as a feather, the XLT Carbon Fiber Spring Plate Graphite Insole stiffens existing shoe insoles, limiting range-of-motion in the forefoot and mid-foot, while treating many foot conditions including forefoot pain, metatarsal fractures, hallux limitus and turf toe. See sizing information below. Sold individually right or left, not as a pair. By Myfootshop.com.

As low as $67.95!

XTC Carbon Fiber Graphite Turf Toe Relief Insole

XTC Carbon Fiber Graphite Turf Toe Relief Insole (formerly named The Turf Toe Plate - Carbon Graphite - Flat) is thin enough to fit into most shoes and stiff enough to limit the range of motion of the great toe joint. Two sizes, sold singly. Universal right or left. By Myfootshop.com. 1/pkg.

As low as $50.96!

XAT Carbon Fiber Spring Plate Graphite Insoles

The XAT Carbon Fiber Spring Plate Graphite Insoles (formerly named Carbon Fiber Contour Foot Plates) add rigid support to any shoe. The contoured toe spring enables ease of walking and support for mid-foot and forefoot problems. This spring plate orthotic is a great full-length hallux rigidus and turf toe insert. See sizing information below. Sold as a pair. By Myfootshop.com. 1 pair/pkg.

As low as $93.45!