Orthotic Insoles

[Rosie]

Hiya Sue

That is really good news, great to find an orthopod who listens. Orthopods not my favourites today, see my thread to see what I mean. I often thin that a boot would help me, I will have to do somthing about it when I get a moment.
Hope orthotics don't take too long.



Rosie

[Sue New]

Hi Guys,

I went to see the Orthotist last Tuesday, and she was considering what was the best thing for my situation. At the moment, my right ankle is so lax that i walk on the side of my foot - despite my current ankle brace and special soles designed to push my foot into a better position. She was mulling over whether to make some orthopaedic boots like the ortho suggested, but as my big toe currently stays upright when I walk, she was saying she would have to make the shoes very deep to accomodate this. The trouble is, when I put my foot in the correct anatomical position, my leg buckels inwards at the knee and I get a lot of pain in my knee and going up the inner thigh. She can't decide at the moment if i need something that allows my leg and foot to go into it's confort position, or if I should have something that tries to correct the malalignment

I was brave enough to mention that someone I knew with the same condition wears Richie braces with good results (thanks Adele ) and she is going to do some research into them to see if they would be appropriate for my situation. In the meantime, I have an appointment on Oct 28th for my legs and feet to be casted.

Hopefully the Richie braces will be appropriate, if not, I think they will make something for me in their own labs.

Thanks again for the recommendation Adele

Sue.

[cuddles]

sue
i dont know if this would help or not ,but i have a floating wedge on the heal of my shoe to help keep the leg straighter etc .
all it is is a wider heal ,which doesnt really notice that much ,its still the same size at the top of the heal ,but taipers out at the bottom

cuddles xxxxx

[Sue New]

Hi Cuddles,

Thanks for the info. i already have my shoes adapted by the Orthotics department. They add on something called a "flayed wedge" which is aimed and training my leg to go back to it's proper position. Even with this and the aircast ankle brace, my foot still flops out to the side.

Sue.

[Sue New]

Hi Guys,

I had me casting session at the Orthotics department today for my new brace. I am pleased to say the Orthotist had done her homework about the Richie brace and thought it would be ideal for my situation. She thanked me for bringing it to her attention as she was not aware of them before. The actual casting process was quite painful as I had to keep my foot and leg in the correct position for a long time as they applied the plaster of paris, and leg didn't like it. Luckily it only took about 20 mins altogether. The orthotist was training someone up, and getting her to do the plaster cast. When the cast was finished, she kept looking at it funny as if it had been done wrong. Also when the cast was stood up like a shoe, it kept falling over, I think that because my leg kept trying to go back to it's normal floppy position. i wonder if I will have to have it done again . Anway, they are going to post the cast off to Ireland (the nearset place the braces are made) and it should be ready in a couple of weeks.

Hoorah

Thanks again Adele for telling me about your braces and showing me them at the Residential

Sue.

[hannah]

Oooh, sounds hopeful Sue I hope youdon't need a re-cast, and that they work fabulously!

[Cath]

Hi all, I hope I can get some reassurance that what I am experiencing is 'normal'.
I had orthotic insoles made and fitted a few weeks ago by the podiatrist, he said to take it slowly with wearing them which I have done, the problem I am having is that after I take them off, I get really bad burning in my feet, I feel like my feet aren't my own too, which is a really weird feeling, I also feel like all the joints in my feet are in the wrong place. I also am getting more pains in my knees and hips, they feel like they don't fit properly is the best way I can describe it. Anyone have similar problems to this or any advice to help please?

[Retro]

Sorry, no advice but, it is normal to have some pain when breaking in new insoles, mainly because what you are feeling as wonky is more likely to be where everything should be Burning sounds like nerve pain. Are you due to have the orthotics checked at any point? If not, make an appointment just to get them checked.

Lindsey

[barkingmad]

Hi ya,

It probably is normal, my eldest had insoles made by orthotics and for a few months, they increased pains in his feet,ankles, knees and hips. Apparently it was because he was using the muscles/ligaments and tendons he is supposed to use correctly, so they were all being stretched etc. As Lindsey says the burning sounds like nerve pain and I would do what Lindsey says and make an appt to go back as there is the possibility that the insoles are not fitted properly now. I know that sounds weird but my feet change shape so often, one day I can wear one pair of shoes with insoles and the next time I cant wear the insoles...funny things feet. It used to kill me to wear flat shoes..now wearing high heels I wouldnt be able to get out the door!

It does take time to get used to them anyway. But best to get it checked

[Cath]

Thanks for the replies, I'm going to back to see the podiatrist (who said my feet were mad cos they move so much!!) so I will talk to him about it, he's very good and has offered for me to attend their joint podiatry/physio clinic, which I will be taking him up on, hopefully it will be of some benefit.

[Sue New]

Hi Everyone

I picked up my custom made Richie Brace for my right ankle/foot today . There was a student in with the orthotist who wanted to take some photos of me wearing the brace in before and after situations for a project she was doing as she nad the Orthotist said this is probably the only time she will see the Richie Brace as it is not commonly used. I had to sign a release for the photos to be taken. I can boast "Foot Model" on my C.V. now

Anyway, the brace is great. They got me to walk up and down with my old brace and my foot went right over to the outside, but as soon as I put the brace on, the foot couldn't go9 over to the side anymore. I think it will take a bit of getting used to, as they is a solid bar right on the bony bit on the inside of my foot, which hurts at the moment, but then it is like wearing a brace on your teeth - it hurts when you first wear it, but eventually you get used to it.

It is weird too, as the brace is hinged so i can move my foot up and down from the ankle, which i couldn't do in my last brace. Also, as it has a built in orthotic, but nothing over the actual foot to hold it in place, unless you wear shoes or slippers, it feels very strange. Again, I think this is jsut something I will need to get used to.

Adele - if you are reading this post - did you have these problems when you first started wearing it?

Anyway, thanks again Adele for bringing this brace to my attention . My orthotist was very grateful too as she had not heard of it before and she thinks it is the perfect solution for my set of problems.

Best wishes to all,

Sue.

[jax]

My son just got his insoles this week - the ones made for him didn't fit (two wide). We were given
some other type that almost look suede-like and fit the contour of the foot. He's loving them and
says they help him run better. I was quite nervous he was going to have discomfort but he hasn't
so far at all - in fact the opposite.

The only hassle really is having to keep changing them into his indoor trainers for school but we'll
get there.

Jax

[hannah]

I'm glad they're helping your son Jax. Have you considered asking for a second, identical pair for his other shoes? It might be worth a try. They already have all the info they need to make another pair.

Um. This is a really stupid question, but are insoles actually supposed to stop your feet sqaushing flatter and thence knees turning inwards? Mine don't. well, I suppose they do reduce it slightly, but not enough to stop my feet going distinctly flatter and getting annoyed. They don't go anywhere near my arch until I stand and squash my feet somewhat. Otrhotist has seen this but says they are fine (not that he actually looks closely, or takes into account certain bendy traits. But he did press them to my bendy foot and say 'see they'll be fine' - um yes, but you've just squashed my foot which is what I was hoping to stop doing ). I'm not convinced - I'm in the process of post knee brace refusal reassessment of everything he has told me. He did get some things right, like agreeing that I needed them, I'm just not sure they do enough and aren't sure how to ask him to improve them given the fiasco with the knee braces.

Any thoughts?

[jax]

I'm not sure if orthotics help with knees going inwards - certainly some hypermobiity at the hips may
cause problems and there's not much my son's orthotist can do about that, he told us.

What they hope to do is straighten his gait - he hyperextends in a major way backwards at the knees.
Also by doing so they hope to stop the feet from rolling and with a view to preventing flat-footedness
from occurring - I'm sure there are no guarantees though - one just has to give these things a try. I
know someone else who ordered his off the net and said they've really made a difference (he had
previously had ankle surgery). Also orthotist says should reduced discomfort in knees.

It's rather worrying your guy does not consider your bendiness - it is part of the picture he's dealing
with! My son's are called talarmade (not sure if I'm allowed to mention that here - sorry if I've made
a boo boo). They definitely follow the curve of his foot and there's no squishing or squashing going
on.

Good idea about asking for a second pair. I didn't want to push my luck cos the guy has been ever
so nice but maybe I'll have a go.

However some changes are being made to my son's special educational needs statement and hoping
he will get some more support or it may be that they're trying to allow him the independence factor
but it's not really working if he's having to rely on peers to sort his shoes out for him! I'm sure
this will be addressed at our upcoming review! Although the mom of these boys is very understanding
I do feel a bit guilty about it and not sure how I'd feel if the boot was on the other foot (get the joke....boot on the other foot - ha ha)
My son doesn't seem bothered by it but he is quite stoic at times so not always easy to guage his true feelings on the situation.
Perhaps if I explain this to the orthotist he may let me have another pair for him!

Also have you tried exercises - see post on knee exercises - not sure if this may help in stabilizing this area.

Good luck with it and let me know how you get on.

Jax

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Hannah,
At an appointment with Prof G for daughter, he mentioned that ill fitting orthotics can do more harm than good! In principle as said above they should help with your general gait, so by default should straighten leg, help with lower back pain and hip problems etc. The knee going inwards sounds as though you may need physio to strengthen the muscles supporting the knee as a multi disciplined approach to your hms, it won't cure obviously but may help. But having to squish your foot in the way described doesn't sound quite right to me. I empathise as given the problems with the knee brace I understand your reluctance to rock the boat but if your overall hms is not being taken into consideration, it doesn't sound very satisfactory to me. I don't really know what to suggest but I do know that my daughter's ankle problems were very much worsened by innapropriate orthotics, along with a completely awful lower limb physiotherapy course that Prof G actually got completely exasperated and said he wished that podiatrists/orthotists etc. make much more of a professional effort to familiarise themselves with the condition before treating the hypermobile patient!!!

Good luck
nonya