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How do I tell if I need Orthotics
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 2007-10-17 12:04 PM |
Expert  1024 |  Subject: How do I tell if I need OrthoticsAnother thread had a sentence that "all runners need orthotics", which is most likely an exaggeration. How do I figure out if I need them or not and how would I go about getting them if I did? Do I go to my normal doctor, podiatrist, orthopedic surgeon?
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| 2007-10-17 12:34 PM in reply to: #1012101 |
Elite 2915    New City, New York | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics I'd say only if you experience some kind of pain. I never used them. But, as I started running more this summer I got what I thought was the beginning of plantar faciaitis (sp?). So I got a pair at EMS, (www.superfeet.com). The pain went away. I imagine I'll continue to put them in all future sneakers. Cuz ya know spending $120 a pair just isn't enough.  |
| 2007-10-17 1:08 PM in reply to: #1012101 |
New user 28 | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics Before I got mine, it hurt everywhere when I ran. Ankles hurt, knees hurt, back hurt. A had mine made by a podiatrist. Cost me $350 back in 2003 and was worth every penny (insurance covered the 1st pair, had to pay for the 2nd). Dr had to make a mold of my feet then sent the molds to the lab. When I got them I had to "break-them-in". Thought it was jiberish so I wore them a little long the 1st day. Bad Idea, cause it felt like a train hit me the next morning. But now I wear them all the time. Also, mine are hard 3/4 inserts and it is difficult to find shoes that they fit into... But again, a life saver for me. |
| 2007-10-17 1:12 PM in reply to: #1012101 |
Runner | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics Orthopaedist or PT would probably be the one to talk to. All runners need orthotics? Sure. Just like we all need Newtons, metronomes, and HRMs. |
| 2007-10-17 1:21 PM in reply to: #1012263 |
Champion 6285 Beautiful Sonoma County | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics Lowjack98 - 2007-10-17 11:08 AM Before I got mine, it hurt everywhere when I ran. Ankles hurt, knees hurt, back hurt. A had mine made by a podiatrist. Cost me $350 back in 2003 and was worth every penny (insurance covered the 1st pair, had to pay for the 2nd). Dr had to make a mold of my feet then sent the molds to the lab. When I got them I had to "break-them-in". Thought it was jiberish so I wore them a little long the 1st day. Bad Idea, cause it felt like a train hit me the next morning. But now I wear them all the time. Also, mine are hard 3/4 inserts and it is difficult to find shoes that they fit into... But again, a life saver for me. Same here. Exactly. I have very very flat feet. When my guy made mine, he had me stand over the blanks, and he adjusted the orthotics under my feet using shims so that my knees and hips were properly aligned. Once everything was in place, he glued everything together and they were done. I have to say that the only hip/knee pain I've had since then has come from either over-training, or from old shoes. No where near like what I had before. |
| 2007-10-17 1:34 PM in reply to: #1012101 |
Champion 10668 Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics I was the one that mentioned the "all runners need orthotics" phrase, but let me set that in context... I'd had an injury to my foot which was the result of stepping on a rock (twice), which caused my foot to hyper-flex and bend over the rock. The pain persisted for a couple weeks, even after not running for a week, so I went in to have it checked. The podiatrist started with aggressive therapy -- immobilization for a week. When I came back after that week, she said to continue the immobilization for another week. Okay, so I wear the "boot" for the second week. When I came back again, she said I could start swimming and riding, but no running for another two weeks, and that we should be talking about orthodics. I was dumbfounded. I said "Why are we even discussing orthotics -- this was a traumatic injury, not an overuse injury." She was taken aback (probably because she wasn't used to any one questioning her statements), looked shocked, took another look at my file, then started saying a bunch of cr@p about how I'll be more susceptible to this kind of injury in the future, yada yada... And in amonst all this, she interjects "and I think all runners should have orthotics." So the real point of all that was that her mind was made up that I needed orthotics BEFORE SHE EVEN SAW ME. Actually, she's lucky I don't slather her name all over the local tri and running forums... I never went back for any more follow-ups, and I haven't had any problems since. |
| 2007-10-17 1:40 PM in reply to: #1012339 |
Runner | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics OK, with context, I can see that it's not someone here actually posting that agenda. Still, people like that.....irk me. |
| 2007-10-17 2:08 PM in reply to: #1012101 |
Elite 2423 | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics I had the same issue as some here, super flat feet(almost absolutely flat), and when I started running 6 years ago after not running for 2-3, my knees began to bother me. Then they began to hurt during runs, and the pain became worse and worse. Went in to see the doctor, he sent me to an orthopedic surgeon that typically works with prosthetics. I would be the only person in the office that had all 4 limbs. We started with some cork orthotics that they would make in office for me. I went through 3 pairs ( since my feet were so flat and I ran, I would flatten the cork over time), in some period over a year. The doctor then decided that I needed something more permanent, and we took casts of my feet and they had 2 pairs of carbon fiber orthotics made. Insurance paid for the first pair, I had to pay for the 2nd (well worth it), I still have more pairs and use them on a daily basis. Without them if I walk around for half a day or so I will feel knee pain and fatigue in my knees. With them I can do just about anything, no real issues finding shoes that I fit. I have weight lifted in them (before I got into endurance training), squatting 300lbs, they are great and if you experience knee pain I would have it checked out sooner than later, especially if you have flat feet. |
| 2007-10-18 1:49 AM in reply to: #1012101 |
Champion 5781 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: How do I tell if I need Orthotics I have full-length prescription orthotics...I'm on my second podiatrist, second prescription since I first got them in 2000. I have virtually no left arch and was in almost constant discomfort-to-pain from chronic tendonitis (post tibial, not PF). Best decision I ever made...not just because I can now run when I thought then I'd eventually not walk without a cane to relieve the pain, but for general quality-of-life. I don't think everyone needs them...but if you have ongoing/repeated issues (esp. PF, which prompted my wife to see a podiatrist and get orthotics last year), it's worth the exam. Superfeet are okay, but they are _not_ on a par with custom-fitted prescription orthotics. If you have chronic pain issues, they might or might not really do the trick (true of any one-size-fits-all off-the-rack arch support devices...and I tried a lot of them before breaking down and seeing the podiatrist back when). I use the green Superfeet in my bike shoes, however, to save me getting another pair of custom orthotics (or swapping them from bike shoe to running shoe in T2) and they are okay for sprint/oly distances on the bike. (ETA: When I first started riding, I went without orthotics in my bike shoes and, believe it or not, it caused my tendonitis to recur. So no riding without arch support for me.) Edited by tcovert 2007-10-18 1:53 AM |
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