Orthotic Insoles

[dawn barlow]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone knows roughly how long insoles last for. Jordan was given some in November, which really have been helping with the pain in his feet and ankles until last few weeks.

When we were seen in November by Orthotics the man we seen said that he wanted to see Jordan again in May to see how he was getting on. I rang the hospital at the beginning of April to book an appointment and they said they would send one. I recieved a letter saying that we had been put back on waiting list. He has started to get really bad pain again, missed school one day and could not do PE, i rang hospital and said he should have been seen in May but not yet had appointment even though it is now July, and they said that he has got to wait another 8 weeks to be seen. I explained about how he is in real bad pain again and that is to long to wait, to be told that his insoles are probably wore out now and they just need to give him new ones. However he still has to wait 8 weeks.

What was the point in being told to go back in May when there was no chance.

Sorry for waffling on i'm just so angry about this. They really are not interested.

Dawn

[Alison C]

How frustrating.

Ideas:

- inserts can be changed when sometimes you have moved 2 shoe sizes eg 10 to 12 - however it all depends on the inserts as they all differ!

- pain is a sign all is not OK - perhaps with the inserts or the footwear - so you were correct to ask for help asap. Can you speak to the orthotist or his/her secretary - ie go direct? If this is not possible, ask your physio to intervene and see if he/she can do something to speed the appointment. Physio may also need to check his ankles. Is your son going thro a growth spurt by any chance? GP could also try to get an earlier appointment. If you could take a cancellation appt at short notice, do let them know too.

Good luck!
Alison

[Alison C]

Another thought - if your son has been wearing sandals in this hot weather, perhaps they are making his ankles painful as sandals do not offer so much support as shoes however they are lovely in the heat!

Alison

[Rosie]

Hi

I have orthotic insoles and when I was given them I was told they should last 9 months to a year. After about 8 months I started getting pain in my feet, ankles and knees again. I saw the orthotist again, and he said they needed replacing. I am expecting to need them changing again once 9 months is up.



Rosie

[nonyanomemory]

Hi I wonder if there any guidleines with regard to children and growing feet - as adults ours is wear and tear. Growth spurts and things can change. I wonder if anyone who sees a physio /ot etc at GOSH would be able to give a ring to ask for recommended procedure. In this instance given the lack of communication amongst the health professionals I would go to my GP and kick **s. Children's feet grow = not rocket science and I completely understand your frustration, An ill fitting orthotic could cause more harm than good.

Surely, this fact is recognised and the appointment should have been made at the time of fitting to recognise the situation. I don't often express despair at the system but this makes me cross. I was born with a club foot and if it hadn't of been for the regular appointments I had with a professional - mmm need I say more. I understand that it may be summer etc. but a recent appointment with a physio for my sixteen year old proved that ankle/foot problems can contribute to severe ongoing hip.lower back.knee. and spine problems.

What is the point of paying good money on decent supportive shoes if the system lets the child down.

I never say this on the site but am now - my suggestion is go to your gp, show him these posts and ask for an urgent referral. Failing that ring the secretary up and if you haven't been discharged make an appointment for the earliest possible date. It may be that because I was born with a club foot this topic is close to my heart but for goodness sake this is a child. Do the right thing for once NHS.

nonya

[dawn barlow]

Thank you for the replies.
He has gone up a shoe size but they allowed for that with the other insoles.
I will have to go to my GP, as we don't see a physiotherapist now. If we get no where he's got his app. with Prof Grahame next month, so he might be able to hurry them up.

Dawn x

[Retro]

The whole orthotics situation for kids is appalling. My Jordan has special boots with insoles but he only gets 1 pair a year. He's 12 now and just starting puberty. Being severely Autistic and spending half of his time on his knees he wrecks his boots, the pair he has at the moment are right thru to the fabric lining at the toes. He also wears them out because if he's not on his knees then he's on his feet and still he get's one pair a year. If he grows out of them, tough.

Hmmm....I feel another email to my MP coming on!

Lindsey

[Sandy L]

There is a brand of OTC supports in the US called Spenco(R) that permit you to heat them in hot water, then mold them to the shape you need. They have a hard plastic layer with a foam pad on top. If you can find something like that, shape them so that they fit smoothly in the arch with a slight gap at the ball and heel. That way, when you step down they will deform elastically and push up in the middle. They should be more than a litle uncomfortable at first but no so painful that you can't wear them. If you have it balanced right, the discomfort will abate in about three days. Once you have them right, I have found that it helps to use glue sticks in a gun to fill in the space with hot glue. That will hold the shape over time. If there is an area with too much pressure, heat a putty knife over the stove, melt glue in the high spot, and scrape it to a low area. If there is too litle support, you can add glue. Those will last years, until the foam wears out.

There is a flat band of connective tissue, the plantar fascia, that extends from the front of the heel to the ball of the foot. Each time you step down, it will stretch like a bow string. It often pulls away from the heel bone. When it heals, there is often calcium deposition (bone formation). That builds a ledge that looks like a spike extending forward from the heel on a lateral view X-ray--a heel spur. The arch support prevents the recurring stretching that leads to plantar fasciitis.

[Guest]

i tried alot of different insoles when trying to ease ankle, knee, and hip pain. i use a regular pharmacy-bought pair, at about €20 a pair, and i just replace them whenever i walk them flat. i'm pretty sure they help. i haven't been forced to stop wearing my (rather heavy) steel-toe ////-kickers anyway, though that day is coming.

i recently invested in a pair of MBT shoes too. i guess alot of people have heard of them. the booklet insisted that they were not shoes, but a 'medical training device'. i haven't spoken to a physio or anyone about wearing them yet, but they definitely make coming down the hills a lot easier. and, as promised, they do seem to be working the right muscles, including core stability.
€200 is (in my opinion) alot of money for a pair of shoes though, so i'll have to wait a while to see if they're worth it.

anyone else tried them out yet?

Mod edit - PM sent to author

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

Havent posted for a long time now, been very busy and now my joints have decided to misbehave again!!

I have orthotics to stablise my ankle joints which were causing terrific pain and damage to my knees, had these for 2 years and just took glucosamine and chondrotin, all was great til a month ago and my right hip is killing me.

When i walk downstairs i get a "popping sound" in my hip and terrific achey pains going thru it, when i walk on a flat ground my hip hurts but no popping, i got my orthotics re-adjusted to try and stablise my hip and they have put little blocks around the toe area of these insoles, does anyone here wear orthortics?

I need advice on further pain management, will ask my doctor to see if i can be referred onto a specialist in stanmore as i live in that area, any advice will be very much appreciated xx

Regards

Vicky xx

[Retro]

Hi Vicky,

Have you tried searching for "orthotic" as I know there are many posts about them.

Lindsey

[Guest]

Hi Lindsey,

I see a podiatrist who specialises in Orthotics, he uses a company called Langer UK.

They are custom made and have helped my joints but the pain is still a factor.

I havent checked the other posts yet, is it in this section or do i need to hunt in the other areas?

Love

Vicky x

[Retro]

Hi Vicky,

Try the search facility, it will bring up all the threads that mention orthotics.

Lindsey

[dawn barlow]

I finally got an appointment today with Orthotics for Jordan, I was told we would be seen in August but until today hadn't heard a thing. I rang them this afternoon and they said it would now be November before he is seen.

I then told them about when we saw Prof.Grahame 2 weeks ago and told him about the wait how he was not very happy with this and told me to start getting onto them a bit more, as if he is in pain it should not be left. Straight away she said we may have a cancellation, oh yes we do for next week.

It just shows that when they know your not going to mess about they can find appoinments, at least we won't be waiting another 2 months now. I'm glad i phoned.

Dawn

[earthmother]

Dawn - the waiting list in Leicester is awful - I've just discovered the same problem after seeing my eldests (5 years) consultant last week.

Rang to get an appointment for new insoles as she said they needed changing sooner than expected, to be told it was a 6 month wait.

I talk to people on other boards whose PCTs have drop in clinics for kids orthotics - so why they can't/won't do it here is anybodys guess.

We did wonder whether it was possible to go private for the insoles to speed the process up - has anyone done that or know what sort of cost would we be looking at?