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From: andrea@hp-sdd.HP.COM (Andrea K. Frankel)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: foot pain and orthotics
Message-ID: <593@hp-sdd.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 19-Nov-86 22:45:05 EST
Article-I.D.: hp-sdd.593
Posted: Wed Nov 19 22:45:05 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 20-Nov-86 08:26:45 EST
References: <773@chinet.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Distribution: na
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division
Lines: 50
Keywords: help help
Summary: do you really want to risk yer bod?

In article <773@chinet.UUCP> rissa@chinet.UUCP (Garret and Trish) writes:
>
>Has anybody tried or does anybody have any information on "otc"
>foot orthotic impression kits?  The ones offered through catalogs --
>as opposed to the kind (maybe there's no difference?) your doctor
>might use.  
>
...
>Trisha (my doctor wants to charge me $400 for what looks to be the 
>same exact thing that's in this catalog) O Tuama

I've seen writeups of people who have had experience with them, and it
appears that if you really need orthotics, you're better off without
than with the wrong ones.  It doesn't take much of a mistake to throw
off your stance or heel strike pattern enough to cause ankle pain,
knee pain, back pain, and all kinds of secondary stresses in the body.

The doctor I went to for orthotics (a podiatrist) did more than the
foot impression kit - that's just to know how to fit the orthotic to
your foot, it tells them nothing about what to correct or how.  He
taped about a dozen electrodes to my feet and had me walk up and down
the hallway; the multitrace readout shows exactly what hits when,
so that an incorrect strike pattern can be corrected.  He also
videotaped me running on a treadmill, and watched it several times
in slow motion and stop-frame, to identify what was going on.  Only
then could he define the orthotic that would help me.

The results were impressive:  not only did I have no more ankle, arch,
or knee pain while wearing them (for walking, aerobics, or
anything), but my entire back is more relaxed and less painful
when I wear them for several days straight.  (and the kneebone's
connected to the thighbone, and the thighbone's connected to the...)

The above custom orthotics, including the office visit to figure out
what to get, cost $300 a few years ago, so the $400 your doctor wants
probably isn't out of line.  I'd suggest you talk to him about (a) what
he does to determine the orthotic correction, and (b) what it can do for
you (what you'll get out of it).  If you don't have significant problems
with your back/legs/feet, you'd probably be better off just getting a
decent pair of shoes than using the catalog-order orthotics!


Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
 "every time that wheel goes round, bound to cover just a little more ground"
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