The Strassburg sock is one of the best socks for plantar fasciitis, though it is actually designed to work like a night splint functions. For those that are looking to get rid of morning heel pain, this sock has the functionality to help reduce that pain. It works by flexing the foot and creating a mild stretch to the plantar fascia during the night, or after worn for a prolonged period.
It’s made from 80% nylon and 20% Lycra material, which is pretty durable overall. It also comes in 3 different sizes, including Pediatric, Medium and Large. So it covers a pretty wide variety of foot and calf shapes.
General Information
The Strassburg is carefully designed to help deal with the pain that comes from plantar fasciitis. And night splints, through several studies, have proven to aid in alleviating heel pain that is linked to plantar fasciitis. Worn while sleeping, this sock uses the windlass mechanism to stretch the plantar fascia so that it doesn’t shorten or tighten while sleeping.
As many people already know, when the fascia is tightened over night it can cause intense pain as you wake up in the morning. The Strassburg sock treatment, therefore, uses a mild stressing to address this abnormal pronation, which places the damaged fascia in a more anatomically correct position.
When removing the Strassburg sock in the morning, you should experience reduced pain in the arches, and you should be mobile and ready to go without limping around for a while. Much the same way arch support shoes keep your fascia stretched all day, this sock aims to perform similar results while you sleep.
The design also combines a calf compression that promotes blood and oxygen circulation which helps with repair and recovery. With gentle foot tension, the sock allows the fascia to heal in a stretched out position rather than in a relaxed position.
Unlike other traditional night splints that are made of hard plastic, the Strassburg sock is crafted from soft material to ensure the utmost comfort. The fabric is also light enough in order to ensure adequate foot movement.
The Strassburg sock features adjustable straps that are responsible for holding the ankle and forefoot joints in the dorsiflexion position. This ensures a tissue-specific stretch to the fascia and prevents the plantar flexion position so as to reduce pain in the morning.
There’s not much ankle and heel support, however, as the pressure is geared to support the arches in the foot primarily. The material is tight and feels as though there is a bit of compression, but not enough to offer any support in this area.
Overall Feel
The Strassburg sock is packaged in a simple and comfortable design. The stretchy material feels pretty thick and compresses fairly well along the foot, all the way up the calf, until the O-Ring at the top (which secures the stretch from the toes). It feels mildly comfortable as far as the stretch is concerned. Attaching the straps any tighter through the ring and you would likely not get more plantar flexion, instead you’d probably feel your toes curling up more. So, there remains a point where the stretch is nice and beneficial. But anything more than that would not be helpful, and might even make this uncomfortable.
As far as the nylong/lycra material, it’s got a noticeably durable feel. So it’s likely not going to get ripped or damaged while you sleep. But the downside is that you may get a little warm in this sock as it goes all the way up your calf. Of course, it’s definitely more comfortable than a boot splint, and getting in and out of bed walking around is easy as can be. You don’t even need to re-secure the strap until you get back in bed, which you should do just to make sure you get the proper stretch again.
Use
The Strassburg Sock is a fairly popular night splint for those who are suffering from plantar fasciitis. As most are uncomfortable with the boot-type splint, this offers most a more comfortable alternative for sleeping.
It helps align the damaged tissues in anatomic length during the healing period in order to alleviate pain, swelling, and muscular contracture. Additionally, the Strassburg sock is also potentially suitable for children suffering from cerebral palsy and ankle equinus, as per the company.
They also recommend it be worn for 6 hours every night in order to get optimal results, which should be reduction of pain in the morning. But, since it is made of lightweight materials, it can also be used when resting, watching tv and other activities that require little movement.
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Online User Review Overall Experience
- Delivers good nighttime support in the plantar fascia
Many people who are prone to plantar fasciitis have noted a reduction of pain in the mornings after using the Strassburg Sock for a period of time, which may help to justify the studies on their product. While not everyone gets the same results, most reviews did find this to be beneficial to them to some extent.
- Good sizing for most
The Strassburg sock is available in two adult sizes that you can choose from, and many reviewers find that it fits them just fine, including us in our test. However, with a good amount of compression, some have found them to be too tight for their calves. For narrow calves, this should offer a good fit. For wide calves, you may want to stick with a boot splint or something with a better fit.
- More comfortable than Boot Night Splint
As mentioned earlier, the Strassburg sock is likely more comfortable than the boot splint. Without all that bulk, most people are able to actually get some sleep. You will also be able to move around more comfortably under the covers, as well as get around in the middle of the night without taking it on and off. For many reviewers, this is definitely the most comfortable option for wearing night splints.
- Calf compression
According to a few reviewers, the sock offers pretty good calf compression during the night, which could help promote blood flow. On the other hand, some thought that they are just too tight and didn’t see this as a benefit. Getting the right size is important to achieve comfortability, of course.
Pros:
- Patented and FDA registered. Also proven effective by an independent research study, as per the company.
- Helps to relieve morning pain for many
- More comfortable than plastic night splints
- Easy to get on and off
- Can move around easily at night, getting in and out of bed
Cons:
- Some complaints of toe numbness after wearing too long
- May get too warm for some to use
- Can take some time to get used to wearing night splint
- Some complaints about being too tight