I know this is off topic - but I am curious to find out how people have adjusted to custom orthotics.

I developed plantar fasciatis in Sept of 99 and I am STILL afraid to wear shoes! Actually all I am wearing are these sneakers that make me feel good.

I am realizing now that I NEED custom orthotics (I was told I might) if I want to wear anything other than these sneakers (and I do!).

Anyone have any insight? I am just worried they will bother my feet more etc. Am I worrying too much?

Please share your experiences - if you would! It would be very helpful.

Thanks! Tara

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[email protected]

Failure is not falling down, failure is staying down!

Tara, you've come to the right place. Not only am I the proud wearer of custom orthotics, not only did I also have plantar fasciitis, but I'm married to a foot doctor! This is a topic near and dear to my heart.

Are your feet currently bothering you, even when you wear your sneakers? If so, the orthotic may hurt for a bit. In any case, break them in gradually. Just wear the orthotics for an hour or so the first day and build up. Wear them in your sneakers at first. I'm sure your doctor will tell you all this. Also, do you use ice or anti-inflammatories for your PF? That's ultimately what helped me, along with the orthotics.

I wear orthotics *always* now, even in slippers, but I also almost always wear tennis shoes, too. I'm just most comfortable that way.

Finally, be sure to get your orthotics from someone good. Don't just pick a name out of the phone book. Orthotics are only as good as the person who casts you, and the company they use to manufacture them. I had a pair once that were awful, never did get used to them. My current pair took some getting used to, but they're wonderful!

Good luck!

--Lauren

I wore orthodics also. The Dr. got me a perfect fit and it helped sooooo much with my feet. Before I could not walk even to the bathroom without my feet hurting. Like Lauren says, don't just pick a name randomly out of the phone book. Go to a couple of Dr. and see what you think of them.

One other thing. sine I lost 30 lbs, I have not needed to use the inserts as much. I don't know if it is actually the weight loss that may have helped or the combination of the inserts and the weight loss. Just a thought, though.

Hope you feet feel better soon! We don't realize how much our feet actually rule our lives until we can't walk or stand.

Garbanzo

Thanks Ladies!!

Lauren - Oh yeah I remember you saying that about your DH (I used to post on the Turtles thread). My feet do NOT hurt in these sneakers. And to be honest I would wear them forever if I could!! But they are an old version and I have 1 more pair in reserve - and after that I am "on my own" so I know its time!! LOL My feet are feeling good. Not 100% - but good. I am not icing or anything - since my pain is gone. I have a podiatrist that I last saw in April of 2000 (I then went to 10 weeks of PT and it was my SAVIOR!!!!) and she did give me the info on custom orthotics. But to be honest, I didn't like her much. Does that matter? She is NOT doing the casting - I mean the hospital she works at is. What do you think? Its a great hospital (Mass General in Boston - best around). I just know I need these. And oh one more thing - when you do wear shoes - do you wear any kind you want? I mean do the orthotics work in any shoe/sneaker?? I am worried about that. I like slip on flat shoes - but I dont think they will work well. Can I wear any type of sneaker (like keds for example) with the orthotic? I mean they are supposed to make any pair of shoes/sneakers good for my problem - correct? Sorry I am rambling...

Garbanzo - You are right - when I was plagued with PF I was in ****!!! I never thought I could hurt so much! I am happy the worst is over and my feet are alot better - probably 90%. Which is good. And I am hoping that once I lose some weight they will feel even better. That is my plan.

Thanks again!

Tara

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[email protected]

Failure is not falling down, failure is staying down!

Lauren.

I wore my orthodics in all my shoes except in my summer sandals. I could wear them in those, but they would show through the sides, and for some silly reason I didn't want anyone to see them. They were made out of a blue plaster type stuff so people could see them. Like I said in my above post, be careful about who you go to and if you don't get a proper fit keep going back until you get one that feels really, really good and one that you can actually walk and stand in without being in absolute agony. They are very expensive and when you spend that kind of money you want to be comfortable. I think mine (up here in Canada)cost me $210.00. It was money well spent though to be comfortable. Our feet pretty much rule everything we do in life so if you want to be comfortable spend the money.

I hope you start feeling better soon!

Garbanzo

Another one here that knows about heel pain. First heel pain many years ago and after much treatment I had out patient surgery to cut the cord. My doctor made me orthotics but I didn't wear them. Then about 12 years ago the heel pain came back in the other foot. The weight piled on because like G B it was so painful to walk, I didn't. I looked like a 90 year old walking in the house because it hurt so bad. I did start wearing the old orthotics in my Easy Spirit sneakers. How can a hard piece of metal help when you heel hurts like h---? My newer doctor reccommended another Poditrist (sp). He looked at my orthotic and made a slight ajustment with a pad under the arch area and sent me home. I was plently discussed with him. I still wore the orthotic and lo and behold in about 2 - 3 months I suddenly noticed the pain was gone. I wear my Easy Spirits about 99% of the time. It is so hard to find shoes that the orthotic will stay in for dress. It has to be a shoe with a closed heel or the orthotic will just slide right out the back when you walk. My pair have a raised heel so I have to wear a shoe that is high in the back of the heel. I did find a Mary Jane type of shoe with a strap over the instep that I can wear them in. I do wear a sandel with out them but not if I'm going to do much walking.

If you get can get your molds made at Mass General you can't do much better than that. We live in So. Ca. and while traveling my husband was having minor chest pains. Ended up have a stint insterted at Brigham and Womens.

Just a couple of weeks ago at a humoungous swap meet type of afair in AZ. at least 5 of our friends were getting orthotics at an RV Tent Show. They were about $300.00 each. I wanted to shake them up but they wouldn't have listened. They didn't even have molds made. Some people have too much money I guess. These weren't uneducated people either.

My mother should have had orthotics years ago. She is now 89 years old and walks very knock kneed. Don't be embarrassed to wear them. You'll probably find out many of your friends already have them or were recommended to get them.

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Ann P

Tara, I thought you looked familiar!

I can wear my orthotics in shoes with a wider foot bed, like athletic shoes and Birkenstock shoes (not the sandals). The orthotic itself is wider than my foot, because I needed extra stability to keep my foot from rolling in. You can get "dress" orthotics, depending on your foot condition; these are smaller and narrower and will fit into pumps and dress flats. They won't work very well for me; it depends on your foot type.

Also, I really need to wear shoes that lace up or buckle. Slip ons just don't work for me anymore. That could change as I lose weight and put less stress on the foot; I might be able to get away with a dress orthotic then.

As for who should cast you for the orthotics ... can you ask around and see who your friends/family like? That's usually the best way to find someone. If not, see if your doc has a money-back guarantee, or a policy where she'll keep trying until she gets it right. Personally, if I don't like a doctor, I don't go back if I can avoid it. (Unless they're really good but just have a personality problem.)

Good luck,

Lauren

I suffered from plantar fasciitus for a very long time and my family doctor tried everything she could then sent me to a podiatrist who tried some different things. He then recommended custom orthotics. Before I did that, I read about Birkenstock Arizona shoes helping with the terrible foot problem so I invested $90 in a pair. Bought 2 more pairs in different colors a few months later after my pain disappeared. I had to wear my Birks ALL the time, all day and even in my house at night until bedtime. It wasn't an overnight cure, but after limping at work all day and unable to cook and do housework at home (just wanted to stay off my feet to avoid the pain!), after only 3 or 4 weeks of wearing these sandals nonstop, the pain began to subside and after about 6 weeks I was pain free. I got slack and started walking barefoot in my house and the pain returned. So I wore these at all waking hours for over a year before I ventured to start wearing my walking shoes and exercising again. Started out slowly with walking, only about a quarter mile daily. I walk 2-4 miles daily now. After a couple of years wearing the Birks, I can now wear my walking shoes all day on outings, and this past Christmas I went on vacation and wore walking shoes (Ryka) the entire 10 days. I also wear my Birks to work with my dresses and suits. Once in a while I wear a different dress shoe, and I can wear heels to church now. I could probably wear them to work but ouch! I am spoiled now and would rather wear my comfortable Birks. My family doctor recommends a pair of Birk Arizonas to her plantar fasc. patients now when all else fails. After my remarkable results she thinks it is worth trying. I hope whatever you choose for your foot problem brings you great results! Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Tato (edited 02-12-2001).]

Thanks again ladies!

I really appreciate all the info.

Tara

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Failure is not falling down, failure is staying down!

Hi Tara,
I had custom orthotics made years ago for my sneakers....because of a heel spur they can't fix. It saved my sanity (I thought I had a piece of glass lodged in my foot!). My current orthopedist says I should have them updated, but they work fine...and I use off-the-shelf-ones, to tuck in my short-boots.

The key for me, according to the doctor, is to NEVER wear flats...always an inch heel, to lift my body weight off the heel...

And I LOVE Rockport Prowalkers...I buy men's, they look terrific (sneakers) and are wide enough to fit in the orthos!

I have worn orthotics for PF since 1986. The first pair I got worked just OK and I was bothered by the beginnings of pain continually. Eventually in 1988, I saw a new doctor who specializes in sports medicine and he said I needed a different , more rigid, pair of orthotics. I have worn this pair of orthotics without problems or pain since then. For the first year I only wore shoes that I could wear the orthotics in (sneaker type, lace up with a removable footbed). This allowed my feet to heal and re-adjust. But for the 10+ years since I only wear the orthotics for sports or when I am wearing that type of shoe anyway. I do not need them in my dress shoes anymore. I work in a business casual office and generally wear loafer type shoes there.

But I relgiously wear them for any sport I do - I simply transfer them from sneakers, to roller blades, to hiking boots, to ski boots, to ice skates. The only annoyance I have with mine is that my heel tends to form a callous where the back of the orthotic meets the back of the shoe. So I simply pumice it off every few weeks.

So find yourself a doctor you like who listens to you and be patient. It does take a few weeks - months for the pain to com-pletely disappear.

I have to either wear my orthotics, or I wear Birkenstocks. I LOVE birks! They're actually more comfortable for me than the custom orthotics (and I've had 3 different kinds of orthotics). I don't have much trouble with plantar fasciitis anymore, but I do stretches that help, and never wear any shoes without SERIOUS arch support (I have completely flat feet).

I have more information on plantar fasciitis on my web site: http://bugsbest.com/plantar.htm

And you can find information about Birkenstocks (I must own at least 10 pairs !) here: http://bugsbest.com/birks.htm

Hope that helps!

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Jenni
257.5/229.5/132 (-28)

http://www.bugsbest.com

I too had Planter Fascitis and was in lots of pain. I started wearing Birkenstock sandles and then pain got better. When it acted up again I went and had orthodics made. I only wear them in my walking shoes ie tennis shoes. I don't think they would fit in a regular dress shoe. You have to put them in a shoe that is deep enought to fit them in there. Try the birkenstocks. The Boston style is good for the winter with socks, I have about 15 pair in different colors. They are worth it, it's all I wear except tennis shoes. No more pain.

My dad is a podiatrist and I am supposed to wear orthotics. However I hate wearing the type of shoes you need for orthotics so they came up with a solution this year for my birthday...birkenstocks! Yes, dad took molds of my feet over the holidays (they live out of state) and ordered me birkenstocks made to fit my feet. So now I wear them all the time and my parents are happy that I have orthotics

P.S. My 8 and 11 year old children both wear orthotics...bright blue and hot pink and do just fine with them.

-Heather