RESEARCH - RA patients' experiences of wearing therapeutic footwear - a qualitative investigation

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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2007, 8:104doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-104

Research article

Rheumatoid arthritis patients' experiences of wearing therapeutic

footwear - A qualitative investigation

Anita E 1,2 , J Nester2 and I Ravey3

1Directorate of Podiatry, University of Salford, Frederick Road, Salford, UK

2Centre for Rehabilitation and Human Performance Research,

Blatchford Building, University of Salford, Salford, UK

3School of Nursing, Allerton Building, University of Salford,

Frederick Road, Salford, UK

Background

Specialist 'therapeutic' footwear is recommended for patients with

diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a beneficial

intervention for reducing foot pain, improving foot health, and

increasing general mobility. However, many patients choose not to wear

this footwear. Recommendations from previous studies have been

implemented but have had little impact in improving this situation.

The aim of this study was to explore RA patients' experiences of this

footwear to ascertain the factors which influence their choice to wear

it or not.

Method

Ten females and three males with RA and experience of wearing

specialist footwear were recruited from four National Health Service

orthotic services. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in the

participants own homes. A hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of the

transcripts was carried out to identify themes.

Results

The analysis revealed two main themes from both the female and male

groups. These were the participants' feelings about their footwear and

their experiences of the practitioner/s involved in providing the

footwear. In addition, further themes were revealed from the female

participants. These were feelings about their feet, behaviour

associated with the footwear, and their feelings about what would have

improved their experience.

Conclusion

Unlike any other intervention specialist therapeutic footwear replaces

something that is normally worn and is part of an individual's body

image. It has much more of a negative impact on the female patients'

emotions and activities than previously acknowledged and this

influences their behaviour with it. The patients' consultations with

the referring and dispensing practitioners are pivotal moments within

the patient/practitioner relationship that have the potential to

influence whether patients choose to wear the footwear or not

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