So, today, as I slogged up some stairs in my super stiff running shoes and orthotics, I was thinking about how my right knee was hurting, and my left IT band was twinging. Then, my mind began to wonder, as it does, to the idea of how does a doctor actually “know” what orthotic adjustment my foot actually needs?
In case you have never gotten orthotics, let me fill you in on the process. There are two ways for a doctor to get the shape of your foot:
1. plaster molds. In this version, the doctor holds your foot at what they call “neutral” (this varies by doctor and person – it is incredibly subjective in my opinion). The doctor then tells you to keep your foot in this position while he/she places the plaster laden strips of material on your foot. They then take the plaster mold and send it to a company with a “prescription” for your foot. In about two weeks your orthotics show up at the doctor’s office. Voila!
2. computer imaging. This is a new version that I recently had done for my new orthotics. Once again, the doctor holds your foot at “neutral” and a machine scans the bottom. I think this way certainly does cut out some of the middle man in that the patient does not have to “hold” their foot in “neutral” while the plaster is being added. However, is the doctor actually in “neutral” for your foot?
I am writing my questions here, not to disrupt major medical processes, but because I think they are interesting. How does a doctor know what is “neutral” for my foot? Is neutral for my foot different from what is neutral on my husband? Also, how does the prescription work? It is such a black box to me, this process, that is. Then, when I get my orthotic, does it really do what it is supposed to do? And if not, how can I, a lay person, convey what is going on or how I think it might need to be adjusted to my doctor? It can be a very frustrating experience.
So, in my trip up the stairs today, I wondered if my orthotics are indeed a good match for my malformed feet. I do not have an answer. My answer is that I really want to get barefoot more than ever. However, patience is the virtue that I must hold onto.
Thus, back to the stationary bike I go….
Tags: orthotics