Insoles

[RachelM]

hm.. now I don't think I would 'advise extreme caution' with insoles. I might say that about surgery (!) but not insoles. I think I would just say be open minded about them. View them as a modality of treatment - one that could be used in conjunction with others. Don't see them as the sole (haha) answer to your injury. For orthotics to work, you 1.Have to need them in the first place (so many don't!) and 2. Have them do the job you need them for i.e. someone running 1.5 miles twice a week may need an effective arch support if they are flatfooted (spring doesn't work) and overweight, but the exact profile of it will be less critical than someone who is running 75 miles per week and experiencing Achilles pain because of the orientation of the joints in the ankle.

Only a 3D gait analysis will really tell if you'll benefit from them or not. A podiatrist or physio who just looks at how you stand wont do. You can't understand anything about dynamic motion by just looking at the legs and feet.

Helen, if the insoles initially felt comfortable, it is unlikely that the insole, after one run caused a stress fracture to the metatarsal (an overuse injury to the bone). Come to the lab, we'll explore some ideas! WOO!

[helen]

Rachel - I'd been wearing them a lot in normal shoes for a while before hand, and in trainers, but just not in terrain. I'm not sure, it was never x-rayed but its what several medical people suggested. Either way, the treatment was the same, rest until no pain, and don't use the insoles again! In the end I couldn't bend my foot really, or walk without cushioned shoes/slippers for about 3 weeks. Cleared up pretty quickly after that.

Arch problem is mostly sorted now - I have a great pair of trainers now for the roads with enough support but not too much, and I found some nifty gel inserts at the O-Ringen last year which are alright in O shoes.

[HOCOLITE]

Rachel my son has minor club foot no surgery was performed, as a child he had special boots to wear and exercises to attempt to straighten it. He goes through o shoes rapidly his feet emerge from the side. Earlier this year he persuaded Dad to buy a pair of the lighter weight shoes and following that he had foot pain in the lower foot, doctor said tissue damage and rest. He does not use any insoles or supports We have visited a Podiatrist ref pronation but nothing was recommended unless he had pain.

[RachelM]

Hocolite (!) - There is so much controversy about the best treatment for clubfoot. Mainly because what causes it is still not fully understood. Some orthopods suggest early surgery so that the bones are more likely to grow in their corrected position, and others suggest waiting until the bones have stopped growing because sometimes early surgery can limit growth. Not knowing how old your son is, or knowing much about treatment history, or the severity of his clubfoot makes it difficult to know what to say...

Manipulation and the exercises he already does to loosen the tight ligaments and joints is definitely a good idea, especially after a run. He may benefit from AFOs (ankle foot orthoses, or splints) to wear while running. I'm not sure how well they fit in o-shoes tho. No way to tell what would be best other than by having a look at him. I would be happy to book a session in the lab for him here. There are two of us here who see patients (sports injuries, cerebral palsy and stroke patients mainly), collect, analyse and interpret the motion data and video data which we then discuss with orthopaedics and therapists at a review meeting. The fact we are a teaching lab means we don't require referals and I can pretend it's part of my study!

Email if you're interested and I'll see what can be done. Probably time to get this thread off Nope!

Rachel

R.Majumdar@salford.ac.uk