Orthotic Insoles

[Rachel1985]

Hi Sandra,

It's good to hear that you're gradually getting less problems with them after about two weeks. I am trying to gradually wear them, they said start at 30 mins and build up. I think I over did it a bit the first day & wore tham for about two hours & now, like you said, my ankles and feet are quite sore!!

It'll be interesting to hear how you find exercising with them on - I can't imagine it either as they feel so firm. I might just try them in my trainers when I do weights or something first rather than cardio.
Rach

[Bones]

Hi Rach,

You definitely overdid to start with, I hope you feel the benefits soon. I have been back to my podiatrist this evening and he is pleased with the results, although i can feel a ridge digging in my right foot, so he going to adjust it for me. As i have had to pay privately (£200). I am going to make sure they are right. He says I should wait another 4 weeks before I exercise. I will keep you posted.......watch this space.

sandra

[Clarabel]

A wee resurrection of an old thread... I have been through a few orthotics and they really help with my back and stuff, but I find them too hard - where can you get softer ones? The NHS won't touch this as I have no "functional restriction" i.e. I can walk without them, it's just painful!! The other big thing is when I start wearing the orthotics I right away start turning my ankles over on the side, like several times a day. Are the orthotics wrong, or is it because when my arches are supported it shows up the weakness of my ankles? I have just ended up not wearing them but then I am not getting any benefit. I could get used to wearing them in boots and then move up to shoes when I get a bit more exercise in the ankles - what boots are nice and deep to accommodate an orthotic in the base? I already have feet like a 2-car garage, so they would have to be really wide AND really deep, but not too dear since I am already paying out for interim boots for my DD. She at least qualifies for NHS support as she has a "functional restriction" in not being able to walk at all yet (19.5 months) but the wait is going to drag on forever.

[Retro]

Hi Clarabel,

I'm amazed that the NHS won't provide you with orthotics I've always had orthotics supplied by my local Orthotics department. First for a Morton's Neuroma and now for that and flat feet. The wonderful orthotics lady looked at my son's flat feet when he came with me for my fitting and did say that they don't like giving kids orthotics and that they would probably make his ankle instability worse but just to keep an eye on him and see what happens.

I did find that I went over on the outside of my ankles for a few days when I first got mine but noticed a massive difference in my knees wonder if I'm needing new ones coz my knees have been awful recently.

As for boots, I've got a pair of Doc Martin shoes that are fantastic (boys ones). I have really wide feet, my left foot is even worse than it was because the surgeon cut the ligament holding my toes together while removing the neuroma so I'd guess Doc Martin boots would be good for wide feet too. I have worn good quality leather trainers since I was about 10 and am currently sporting Nike Air Max trainers which are nice and wide and my insoles fit in too (and the extra height the give me is a bonus ). I find kids shoes, especially boys ones tend to be wider. Luckily my feet are size 5

Lindsey

[lil_miffy]

iv just been told my insoles arent working to support my feet. im probably gonna have to move to more supportive ones which cost 50quid. i have to go to the chiropodist on tuesday to have a look.

[sarahh]

Hi hun sorry to hear about the insoles not supporting your feet. Yikes £50 can they not do them on the nhs at all? Hope your appointment goes well next week and that they can help.

Sarah x

[Clarabel]

Does anyone know if there is a chance of getting whole shoes prescribed by NHS orthotics for adults? I went to see a good quality podiatrist and found out why I have such ridiculous difficulties buying and maintaining shoes. I have always been confused why my foot pronates (sags in at the ankle) but the shoe is also worn at the front outside edge. After a bit of a closer look it is all much clearer. I don't need an orthotic, in fact it's a big non-no for my feet, but I do need straight last shoes. That's why I have always felt pressure on the outside of the foot, why the foot is twisted in shoes and I am so amazingly desperate to get home and get into ballet shoes (straight last), why the outside edge is worn (the feet hang over the edge of the sole), why they feel too wide for all my shoes but measure up as a standard size with a tape measure and why the outside seam always splits away from the sole. I have a straight foot! So then they send me away with a list of places I can get straight shoes... for £100+! I am living on a student loan here, so it's not exactly an option to buy £100 shoes. I could easily get by with one pair for 2 years which I understand to be the NHS guideline for adults, and I would happily pay the cost of a normal pair of shoes towards them, but I don't have £100. Good news and bad news, though, as I have been offered my choice of graduation present and now I want a pair of shoes!

Also, is there anywhere on the planet I can go to try on a pair of straight shoes? I would be really interested to know how effective they would likely be before sending away for some. They don't tend to refund straight last shoes if they don't fit.

[sarahh]

Hi Clarabel erm pass I am not sure, I know they make shoes for people who have problems with their feet and cannot wear normal shoes but for orthotics you would need to ask hun. I know what you mean Orthotics will not fit into ordinary shoes, mine only used to fit in my boots but then they ended up doing more harm than good so I gave up.

Sarah x

[cuddles]

clarabel
i would contact an orthotist department / podiatrist etc to see if the NHS supply whole shoes etc .
as for east kent health authority ,i do believe ,but however dont quote me ,for certain foot problems you can have shoes made etc on the NHS ,although you would need a referal from a GP or specialist .
it would take a bit of time for them to be made etc ,and if its anything like my caliper they would probably half make them and send them down for a trial fitting ,and if everything is ok ,then they will finish them off

so basically ,i would contact the above departments

love
me
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[lil_miffy]

shes added posting to them to add an angle to turn my foot the oposite way to where its twisitgn. they not making much difference and she wrtin a letter to give to rheumy when i get there asking for me to be referefd to podiatry for biaomecahnical foot assesment and foot mouldings.

she could have just kept me going, spending money i dont have but shes said she dosnt want me seeing her anymore because i really need to see a speicialst. i think thats really good of her.

[naama]

My first pair of orthotics made at UCH were fairly useless. They had a slippery upper layer on them which had split within four weeks. I took them back because they were also sliding around under my feet. On this appointment the guy watched me walk up and down the room a few times in my bare feet and decided that the left one needs to be made differently to the right one because my left big toe basically waves in the air when I am walking. As for fitting in shoes, I have the opposite problem to some here - I have feet like barges - size 8AA. I do spend money on shoes that fit my feet properly but the first guy at UCH basically said it's not the NHS's job to make orthotics to fit into specific shoes - just to make ones that correct your feet. As my ankles are not that bad and only turn over if I wear heels, I don't want to go back to Doc Martens as they will weaken my ankles again. It seems that most people don't bother to buy shoes that are the correct width unless they have extremely wide or narrow feet, so I am supposed to buy normal shoes which will be more likely to make my ankles roll over but will take my orthotics.
Rant over

[Rachel1985]

I've gradually been wearing my orthotics for a while now & over the last couple of weeks started to wear them for most of the day. I've noticed though that when just standing & weight bearing i'm getting almost like a cramp type sensaton & a deep aching in my arches of my feet, which I didn't notice before (oringally it just felt like I was walking on pebbles!). I've also noticed when i'm wearing them I get a sharp pain on the outter part of my foot, just below the ankle bone. It;s also feels a bit like my feets are titling too much to the outter edges, although i'm not sure if this is because I usually over pronate so maybe this is what it feels like to stand straight after years of wonky walking?!

In the last week or so my knees hav gradually become worse & worse, increasingly painful, originally just when using them in one way or another, but now even on resting. So i'm not sure if the orthotics are suddenly causing this (when they were fine when I was exercising before), or whether it's due to my new gym programme & combined flare up? My hip flexors are also increasingly tight as are my calf muscles & achiles tendon (though I think the latter two are due to my new gym programme).I've been doing lots of one legged stuff like chect presses with low weights on the cable & a foot on a small medicine ball to challange core stability.

The orthotics were made from casts of my feet at UCLH, so it's not really convenient for me to pop up there. Should I try & get my local physio to reassess them? Is that even possible or do they just redo the casts & remake a pair?

Thanks,
Rach

[sarahh]

Hi Rachel I would get someone definatly to look at your orthotics maybe try your local dept first they may have a look at them not really sure. Mine started causing pain in my arches and it got worse they had to be altered but they still didn't help so I gave up. They may remake the pair or alter them but they will more than likely have to be sent away for this. It could be a coincidencce not really sure but get them checked out.

[Tally]

Hi Clarabel,

Sorry, didn't notice this thread before. My dad had specially made shoes on the NHS for years and he never had any problems with them. In fact I think they made sure he had two pairs at any one time.

Definitely worth asking about.

Tally

[Sue New]

Hi Guys,

I posted a little about this in the rant room, but yesterday I finally got my appointment to see my local NHS podiatrist to have a review of my orthotics (well at least that is why I thought I was there). I have had orthotics made by my sis-in-law up in Manchester but this was a number of years ago, and the physios at Stanmore thought I could do with a review to see if any alterations were needed. It took ages for my appointment to come through (but that's another story ). Anyway, the podiatrist took one look at my long list of health problems and did a quick assessment of my leg and foot, and declared that I am "beyond the scope of their facility" and I need to be re-referred (via my GP) back to the orthtics department at the hospital. She thinks I may need a whole ankle/foot orthotic (AFO) or foot cradle?

Has anyone else ever had one of these? I guess it makes sense to have something that combines support for the foot and the ankle all in one . It't just so frustrating as this is going to cause yet more delays while I am waiting for the new appointment and meanwhile, every step I take on my right foot is really painful .

Sue.