Orthotics; Have they helped you?

pARTner81

Hello all. This morning I had a gait analysis and to cut a longer story shorter, I was told a t the round up that I would need custom orthotics if I wanted to run any kind of big distances, which I really want to be doing. The orthotics cost €300 and my scan is to be sent away to a company in Canada.

So have any of you had orthotics made, did they help, and where did you go to get them?

Thanks

tang1

pARTner81 wrote: »

Hello all. This morning I had a gait analysis and to cut a longer story shorter, I was told a t the round up that I would need custom orthotics if I wanted to run any kind of big distances, which I really want to be doing. The orthotics cost €300 and my scan is to be sent away to a company in Canada.

So have any of you had orthotics made, did they help, and where did you go to get them?

Thanks

Where you get your gait analysis done?

average_runner

pARTner81 wrote: »

Hello all. This morning I had a gait analysis and to cut a longer story shorter, I was told a t the round up that I would need custom orthotics if I wanted to run any kind of big distances, which I really want to be doing. The orthotics cost €300 and my scan is to be sent away to a company in Canada.

So have any of you had orthotics made, did they help, and where did you go to get them?

Thanks

Orthotics have worked wonders me i have to say. But i did have falling arches as a child and i lean over alot on my left inwards to my right!

pARTner81

tang1 wrote: »

Where you get your gait analysis done?

Hi, I got it done in Doc Morris' pharmacy, the Forde clinic are there offering free gait analysis on wednesdays.

tang1

pARTner81 wrote: »

Hi, I got it done in Doc Morris' pharmacy, the Forde clinic are there offering free gait analysis on wednesdays.

I'd go to the likes of Amphibian King in Bray or Base2Race in Ballymount to get fitted for shoes before shelling out €300 on orthotics. Maybe something simple that a correctly fitted running shoe could solve.

Bigus

I got custom ones made a few year ago for big money but I find the boots generic ones at 20 euro just as good, and this was for severe recurring injuries to knees ankles etc, depends on problem but for 20 euro they are worth trying out and won't do damage.

doc Morris idea sounds interesting depending on how much they are.

Limerick Rebel

Be very carefull with this one. Many high street chains offering orthotics have nobody medically trained to properly access your foot. They simply ask you to stand or walk across a pressure sensitive pad, take a print our of their findings and send the results off to the orthotic insole manufacturer to be accessed and manufactured. This accessment does not tell the full story regarding any possible problem you may have with your foot. I went down this route and paid the €300 only to be told afterwards by a podiatrist that they were not suitable for my condition. My advice is to consult a Podiatrist before spendin €300.

theparish

I had bad plantar fascitis a few years ago(flat feet with bad pain in heel:D).
Long story short I shelled out bones of 300 euro to podiatrist and another 300
for inserts made byCanadian company with no improvement.Went in to local chemist and paid 30euro for orthahell inserts and never looked back.I prefer the full length ones as they dont move around and can be bought for sports,work ar casual footwear.

username123

Whats the reasoning behind you needing them?

There is no way Id just agree with this. Go to a good podiatrist to be assessed.

I also agree with getting a gait analysis done in the likes of Base to Race over a pharmacy.

Dont forget that orthotics can cause problems if they are not the correct thing for you.

I was actually at a podiatrist last week for a small issue and we got talking about orthotics and his opinion was that they are a method of last resort because interfering with someones gait is not something you do lightly because it can cause injury elsewhere in the body so easily.

Tombo2001

Ok......

I've had two sets of orthotics made over the past ten years......with both sets, if I show them to a physio who didnt make them I can be pretty much guaranteed that the physio will say "they are not right for you, they dont give enough support, how did they make them, no they shouldnt have made them that way"......

I've been wearing them everyday for the past 6 years. I did have long term recurring injuries.....they went way about a year after I got the first orthotic......I ran for about 3 years on that pair. Got another injury, 6 months in I was advised by (the only) physio I trust that I need to get a new orthotic. Did so... Injury healed......ran for another year, got another injury again....

I cant say whether they helped or didnt help, but I can say that they are expensive, and that (many) physios (seem to) salivate at the thought of them.
One annoying point about them....both my pairs have a leather sole that seems to get frayed after maybe 18 months or two years, and then you have to send them away for a few weeks to get 'refitted'....this costs another €150 or so. So its not a like an upfront cost and thats that.....

RayCun

pARTner81 wrote: »

Hello all. This morning I had a gait analysis and to cut a longer story shorter, I was told a t the round up that I would need custom orthotics if I wanted to run any kind of big distances, which I really want to be doing. The orthotics cost €300 and my scan is to be sent away to a company in Canada.

Why did you have gait analysis done? Do you have a serious problem with your running? Any reason to think you need such an expensive fix?

tunguska

pARTner81 wrote: »

Hello all. This morning I had a gait analysis and to cut a longer story shorter, I was told a t the round up that I would need custom orthotics if I wanted to run any kind of big distances, which I really want to be doing. The orthotics cost €300 and my scan is to be sent away to a company in Canada.

So have any of you had orthotics made, did they help, and where did you go to get them?

Thanks

I had a bad case of plantar faciitis 4 years ago so I went and got an analysis then subsequently, orthotics. They did the job has to be said. But in hindsight I could've solved the Plantar faciitis another, more natural way. I regret getting them because I know now that through strength training and proprioception that I could've improved my form without orthotics. It involves more effort than just slipping a pair of insoles into your shoes but long term I think its the best way to go. I used orthotics for a few years and they're clunky, awkward yokes that inhibit speed.
I think whoever told you that you needed them if you wanted to run big distances doesnt know what they're talking about. Its up to you of course, but my advice would be to work on your form via strength training and being consciously aware of how you're running while you're running. I know that sounds simplistic but I've improved my own running form massively this year just by being awake and making corrections while I run.

Tombo2001

tunguska wrote: »

I had a bad case of plantar faciitis 4 years ago so I went and got an analysis then subsequently, orthotics. They did the job has to be said. But in hindsight I could've solved the Plantar faciitis another, more natural way. I regret getting them because I know now that through strength training and proprioception that I could've improved my form without orthotics. It involves more effort than just slipping a pair of insoles into your shoes but long term I think its the best way to go. I used orthotics for a few years and they're clunky, awkward yokes that inhibit speed.
I think whoever told you that you needed them if you wanted to run big distances doesnt know what they're talking about. Its up to you of course, but my advice would be to work on your form via strength training and being consciously aware of how you're running while you're running. I know that sounds simplistic but I've improved my own running form massively this year just by being awake and making corrections while I run.

Just on that point......I think easier said than done. A number of times I;ve gone on strengthening programmes and 7/8/9 weeks into it, just get fed up.......these things can take up half an hour or more of your day. it mightnt sound like much but if you have kids, if you work a long day, it can be (forgive the pun) a bit of a stretch.....particularly if you are not seeing any results from it.

pARTner81

username123 wrote: »

Whats the reasoning behind you needing them?

There is no way Id just agree with this. Go to a good podiatrist to be assessed.

I also agree with getting a gait analysis done in the likes of Base to Race over a pharmacy.

Dont forget that orthotics can cause problems if they are not the correct thing for you.

I was actually at a podiatrist last week for a small issue and we got talking about orthotics and his opinion was that they are a method of last resort because interfering with someones gait is not something you do lightly because it can cause injury elsewhere in the body so easily.

Well I was told that I needed them for running longer distances or I would have a lot of trouble with injury. The guy has a BSc in Physical Therapy(not to be confused with Physio.), he seemed to know what he was talking about, but my skepticism pushed me to ask here about orthotics. The information out there is incredible, and can be very confusing and COSTLY! to try and get something right.

I have since changed how I land when I run, I land midfoot now, where I used to heal strike, but then I've heard heel strike can work fine for some...

Anyway, I think maybe a trip to a good podiatrist would help.

Oh, and I 've just purchased a pair of NB Minimus shoes, so here's hoping!

tunguska

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Just on that point......I think easier said than done. A number of times I;ve gone on strengthening programmes and 7/8/9 weeks into it, just get fed up.......these things can take up half an hour or more of your day. it mightnt sound like much but if you have kids, if you work a long day, it can be (forgive the pun) a bit of a stretch.....particularly if you are not seeing any results from it.

Absolutley it is time consuming. You gotta decide how much you want to improve your form though. If you dont have the time to give to it then you gotta accept that you're making a trade.

username123

pARTner81 wrote: »

Well I was told that I needed them for running longer distances or I would have a lot of trouble with injury.

The bit in bold says it all. Ask him for the lotto numbers will you? Someone who can predict the future!!

Seriously, why dont you wait and see how you get on and if you start getting injuries then get some investigation done?

pARTner81

RayCun wrote: »

Why did you have gait analysis done? Do you have a serious problem with your running? Any reason to think you need such an expensive fix?

The gait analysis was free, which is always good. But I'm worried about recurring injuries. I had 3 in quick succession last year, which the physio worked out for me and gave me strength exercises and such. So I'm currently not in any need for them and have now injuries per se, just a few niggles, but that fear of being injured AGAIN and out for 6 weeks scares the be jaysus out of me. There must be great money made from people like me afraid of what might happen if I dont buy the right product...

Evenstevens

I wouldn't go near Orthotics. My advice, go and do the Chi Running workshop with Catherina McKieranan, learn how to run properly and reduce the impact on your joints and muscles. I found it brilliant and it's such an efficient and stress free way of running.

pARTner81

username123 wrote: »

The bit in bold says it all. Ask him for the lotto numbers will you? Someone who can predict the future!!

Seriously, why dont you wait and see how you get on and if you start getting injuries then get some investigation done?

Thanks for the laugh. I don't think I'll be going out to spend 300 on orthotics, I'll continue with my strength training, core work, keep rolling out the muscles and use dynamic stretching before I run and a good static routine after.

pARTner81

Evenstevens wrote: »

I wouldn't go near Orthotics. My advice, go and do the Chi Running workshop with Catherina McKieranan, learn how to run properly and reduce the impact on your joints and muscles. I found it brilliant and it's such an efficient and stress free way of running.

Yeah I emailed her over the summer. I think I might try that sometime, It looks very interesting. could you say a bit more about it? did you go because you were having problems to begin with.

Ballyv24

Anyone have an opinion on the insoles that you can get made up in Elverys? They are heated and molded to your foot. The brand is Footbalance. I think they cost €50

M cebee

i was messing about with them for ages after physio did gait analysis
putting them in and taking them out
-i didnt need them at all
good physio eventually solved my problems with a stretching routine

so i'd be very cautious

Evenstevens

pARTner81 wrote: »

Yeah I emailed her over the summer. I think I might try that sometime, It looks very interesting. could you say a bit more about it? did you go because you were having problems to begin with.

Yeah I did. I had ITB problems. I ended up hobbling home in agony after being out running one day which resulted in me having to get a steroid injection into my knee. It was after that that I did the workshop and haven't had any knee problems etc since. I even ran the Dublin marathon with no side effects apart from extremely stiff legs after it! It's only my opinion but I just found it great. You have to retrain yourself how to run but it's only subtle things to do with your posture and how you land when you run.

sconhome

Ballyv24 wrote: »

Anyone have an opinion on the insoles that .... are heated and molded to your foot.

I do.

Nothing to do with the brand or shop selling them, hence the editing of your post.

If you should ever need orthotics get them done by a podiatrist or physio who understands the reasons why they should be fitted. Not from someone who is not a specialist.

As someone earlier posted, orthotics should be considered as a last resort. If you have done all your strengthening exercises, stretched properly, exercised in barefeet (skipping is a great foot strengthener) you should have no problem with the muscles in your feet.

Far too many people start running, get a little soreness in their feet and turn to orthotics to answer their problems. Orthotics work by limiting the natural movement of your feet, reducing your body's natural ability to deal with running impacts and dispersal of impact energy. That energy has to go somewhere and usually results in injury further up the kinetic chain.

Get two or three opinions & consider them before you commit.

plodder

I had plantar fasciitis and use off the shelf orthotics since, mostly for comfort as it just feels better with the arch support. If going the off-the-shelf route, be careful and shop around. There are some out there, made from materials with not much give, and/or poor shape So, try them all on and don't buy unless they actually enhance comfort (same advice probably applies to custom orthotics).

mithril

Yes, they help some people at least based on my own experience. I have custom made ones costing around Eur350 which is pricey, but I have a high level of confidence that I would have had to give up running without them.

Your first port of call should be to find a physio with a good reputation amongst other runners and who you can trust.

Some physios will prescribe orthotics routinely for any injury (and make a nice profit from the order) and you need to be very wary of who you take advice from.

Assuming they think you have an issue with your running which orthotics will correct, then its worthwhile checking them out.

I would not bother with them unless I got specific physio advice to wear them; they add noticeably to the weight of the shoe and I noticed I am more likely to pick up blisters when wearing them.

Then run for a bit with them and then for a spell without them and see what difference they make. My experience is that I pick up an injury within about 2 months of running without them, while I have had a long injury free spell ever since I started wearing them all the time.

Clearlier

I saw a lot of similarities in Tunguska's experience to my own. I had trouble with shin splints and blisters to the point that I couldn't manage a 30 min run once a week consistently. I got orthotics and over a few years got up to 50mpw.

However I don't think that the problem was caused by any congenital defect (although one physio told me it was) but a muscle imbalance which should have been addressed/pointed out by any one of the 5 or 6 physios I saw. The orthotics took away the need for me to use the muscles in my back as much as before so they have gotten a lot smaller and I no longer use them when running. This causes a different injury because although I don't use the muscles much I still need them a little bit.

If I had seen a really good physio then I think that I wouldn't have needed the orthotics but if I hadn't got the orthotics I never would have started running properly again and eventually met a physio who was able to identify my problem (fixing it is not exactly straightforward though). I'm also not at the end of the journey although I've more belief in the solution now than I have had for a long time.

If you are to go down the route of orthotics then as others have said get a professional to do it for you - this is not a physio. Physios can definitely tell you that you need them but they should not be providing them to you. Run away as fast as you can from letting them give you some. Instead they should be referring you to an orthotist/podiatrist who are actually trained to cast them.

P.S. It should be needless to say this but the specialist companies that turn up at trade shows/running expos offering orthotics should be held away with the largest barge pole you can find.

P.P.S. Some have mentioned picking something up off the shelf and their problem being solved. Of course you can get lucky and it work for you but you're at least as likely to cause yourself an injury. If you value your body do not take something off the shelf.