Orthotics- worth the money?

Running Shoes/Running Gear Shoes

11 years ago 07/17/2013 9:04am EDT

I've been running for four years and was injury-free until a few months back. I picked up a calf injury after a long run which made it painful to walk, never mind run for about a month. I saw two PTs who both said it was most likely caused by overpronating due to being bowlegged and having fairly flat, inflexible feet. They stressed that it is very likely to reoccur and that I should get custom-made orthotics if I still hope to be running in 10 years time.

The injury resolved itself completely after a month and I've had no problems since. My shoes are pretty worn-out now so I'm going to change them soon, however, I'm not convinced that paying all that money for custom-made orthotics is necessary at this stage? Should I try some over the counter ones instead or just opt for a more supportive shoe and see how that goes?

11 years ago 07/17/2013 9:16am EDT

re: SJ25

Do not get the super expensive ones. You can get a just as good pair from somewhere else for so much cheaper. I recommend sole custom footbeds.

I've been running in a pair for a while (softec ultra) and it has really helped my injured foot. And because I supinate it helps that as well. You should really consider getting a pair

11 years ago 07/17/2013 10:04am EDT

re: SJ25

If you buy into the analogy that orthotics are to your feet what glasses are for your eyes, then OTC orthotics are like reading glasses you can get without a prescription. They might solve your problem to some degree, but if you have severe biomechanical deficiencies you might want to seriously consider a custom orthotic. See a podiatrist and check with your insurance company. Depending on the type of coverage you have you might find your out of pocket cost is lower with a custom orthotic.

11 years ago 07/17/2013 12:16pm EDT

re: Another Option

podiatrists are absolutely the biggest quacks out there. they make BANK on custom orthotics, so of course they dole them out like bubble gum as the cure-all for everything. if you've been running injury free this long and had a single calf injury during that time, orthotics probably aren't for you and may cause more problems down the road than they fix, and they're hard to wean off of if that ends up being the case. maybe look into ART or deep tissue massage for your calf and see if there's something amiss in there. but if i were you i'd say hell no to orthotics, those things work for a few people, but can seriously open up a whole other can of worms for others.

11 years ago 07/17/2013 2:37pm EDT

re: SJ25

Perhaps some more supportive shoes would do the trick?

11 years ago 07/21/2013 4:21am EDT

re: SJ25

As someone who thought that $450 orthotics would cure everything in life, I had some made for me, ran for a couple years with them thinking it was the orthotic that was keeping me healthy.

Was sick of using them, so I ditched them a year ago... and have not noticed a difference... I'd say unless you have a huge issue that really requires them, forget about it.

Getting injured here and there is part of this lifestyle we choose.

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