Question:
I have hindfoot varus which resulted in ankle surgery for a torn peroneal brevis tendon. My surgeon recommended orthotics to help prevent future problems. Would you recommend the premium heel wedge or the lateral sole insert?
Answer:
Think of rearfoot varus being broken down into two categories. We describe these categories as compensated (flexible) or uncompensated (rigid). Although part of your rearfoot varus can be at the level of the ankle, there's a joint just below the ankle called the subtalar joint that is the primary spot where inversion (rearfoot varus) and eversion (rearfoot valgus) takes place. Over time, as your injury matures, you're going to progress from compensated varus at the subtalar joint to a more rigid (uncompensated) subtalar joint.
In the early injury, with a compensated subtalar joint, devices like the red rubber heel wedges and the lateral sole wedges will work really well. As the injury matures and the subtalar joint becomes uncompensated, you'll see them become less effective. You eventually get to the point where you need to anchor the foot to the leg with a brace like an AFO.
So will the red rubber heel wedges or lateral sole wedges work? Probably. Just depends upon where you are in the progression of the rearfoot varus.
Hope this helps.
Jeff
Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM
Medical Director
Myfootshop.com
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Question:
This heel lift is too hard for me. Do you have something softer?
Answer:
Take a peek at our Heel Wedges PPT. They are firm with a little bit of "cushy" to them.
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Question:
I am looking for a lift for my flat feet per my doctor. I pronate in. My therapist said I need to take the stress off my ligaments? Would this be a good lift for me?
Answer:
The Premium Heel Wedges align the position of your heel in shoes, and help with both pronation and supination. These are a markfor medial aspect of the heel but you can reverse them if the problem is more lateral.
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Question:
My feet pronate and I think I would like to try your product but don't people's degree of pronation vary? How do you allow for this? I fear your heel wedges will either be too much or too little for me.
Answer:
Heel wedges certainly can be used to control pronation. A good example is the use of a Thomas heel (heel with and extended medial wedge) used in the treatment of pediatric flatfeet. A heel wedge isn’t the only way to treat pronation but in some cases it’s an easy way to control the position of the heel. When you control the heel, you control the rest of the foot. However, our Lateral Sole Wedge Insoles control pronation with a built-up wedge along the entire side of the insert. These would provide more control than the Premium Heel Wedges, but do take up more room in your shoe.
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Question: How do the Premium Heel Wedges differ in thickness, at their thickest part, from the Rubber Heel Wedges you also offer?
Answer:
The Premium Heel Wedges have the same measurements as the Rubber Heel Wedges:
Small is 3 inches long, 1/4 inch thick,
Medium is 3 1/2 inches long, 1/4 inch thick,
Large is 4 inches long, 1/4 inch thick.
The only difference is the leather heel piece that holds the wedge in place. This is 1/16" thick.
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Question:
I wear custom orthotics that were prescribed to "relieve lateral column overloading" and help relieve arthritic pain in the outer joints of my foot. I would like an additional pair of orthotics but their high cost is a problem. Could I use the Premium Heel Wedges with OTC orthotics such as PowerStep or Spenco to shift the weight distribution on my foot and obtain a similar reduced lateral column overloading?
Answer:
Heel wedges certainly would help but I would consider them really for shoes in which you cannot fit a more supportive device. Examples might include loafers or Docksiders. What might actually work a little bit better for you would be lateral sole wedges. I’d try them first under just the insert that comes stock with the shoe. Just remove the stock insert from the shoe, slip in the lateral sole wedge and place the original stock insert back in the shoe over the lateral sole wedge. If you find that’s not enough support, you can always try an OTC insert like our Myfootshop Sport Carbon Fiber Orthotics-Full Length.
One of the paradoxes that you’re going to face is that most arch supports will support the arch rolling (supinating) the foot and placing increased load on the lateral column. I’ve seen many a case of rigid orthotics with too high an arch that causes lateral column pain. That’s why I say try just the lateral sole wedge and the stock insert that came with the shoe. Just might be the right solution.
Jeff A. Oster, DPM
Medical Director, Myfootshop.com
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