Sports massage and podiatry

[Smarty Pants]

Hi guys and girls
Inproviding orthotics should it be the case that the majority of foot problems be treated manually before persciption ?
Your veiws opinions appreciated.
Regards steve

 

[LindaLoo]

Hi Stephen,
I am not a big fan of orthotics as previously stated on this forum, I agree that a short term benefit may be gained when combined with remedial massage treatment, but to change long term the biomechanics of a runner for example who previously had no problems before injury occurred seems too aggressive. I would always try to use my skills as a therpist to sort things out and only if no improvement, would refer on.
Regards
Gaz

 

[rwmjqrdp]

Hello... I agree with Gaz... I'm not a big fan of orthotics, as I feel they treat the symptom, not the cause... in fact, with the Bowen technique (I know that's a different forum, but I do bothBowen & Sports -and the advice works for both) as part of the after care, we instruct our clients to remove any orthotics they have. This is because for example, if the client's got one leg virtually longerthan the other, causing problems at the feet,andwe've done work to level the pelvis, the orthotics are going to push the raised leg up again, preventing the pelvis from straightening itself. Same with the knees, the spine, shoulders andeven the jaw... problems at the feet could be caused by an imbalance at pretty much any of the joints above... so better to correct that cause than treat the feet...

Hope I'm not over-simplifying and "teaching you to suck eggs!"

 

[beamer]

I would certainly agree that manual assessment and therapy should be tried before prescribing orthotics. And I would also suggest that people who are used to walking barefoot as children are less likely to develop the type of biomechanical abnormality that may make orthotics advisable.

To quote from [link=http://www.feetforlife.org/foot_health/sports.html]http://www.feetforlife.org/foot_health/sports.html[/link] :



Nevertheless my experience is that there are some runners whose biomechanics are such that they need orthotics in order to continue in their sport. (I have read somewhere that even Seb Coe, whose biomechanics were far better than the average runner, used orthotics in the closing years of his running career.) To quote from ‘Running Injuries’ by Tim Noakes:



Alan