Insoles Use : The Effect on Pain and Daily Activities and the relation between Satisfaction an use

Abstract: Introduction: Pain in the lower extremities decreases individual’s ability to perform daily activities. Shoe insoles are recommended in some cases to reduce the pain. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of insoles on pain and daily activities, and to investigate the relationship between individual’s’ satisfaction with the insoles and actual use of them. Methods: This was a pre- and post-intervention study, with a four-week follow-up period. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Orthotics and Prosthetics Users’ Survey (OPUS) Lower Extremities Functional Status (LEFS) module were used as outcome measures. A modified OPUS Client Satisfaction with Device (CSD) module was used in the follow-up. The datasets were analyzed separately according to sex, pain cause, and insole fitting history. Results: Totally, 89 participants provided data in the study (74% women). Women reported a significant reduction in pain intensity and pain interference with daily activities and mood (pain severity: p = 0.001; pain interference: p = 0.006). Men reported a significant reduction in pain severity (p = 0.045). There were no significant changes in daily activities as measured by IPAQ and LEFS (IPAQ Walking: p = 0.912; IPAQ Total PA: p = 0.947; LEFS: p = 0.853). There was a weak but statistically significant relation between CSD and duration of insole use (R Sq = 0.069, p = 0.017). Conclusion: Insoles reduce pain severity and pain interference with daily activities and mood in most clients. Satisfaction with the insoles is not a strong predictor of actual insoles use. The effect of insoles on activity performance needs to be studied further with larger samples and longer follow-up period.