[at-l] Heel Spurs?

[cwfrank@xxxxxxxxx (Charles Frank)]

Very identcal to my experience. However my orthotics were not so hard. They
were made of  3 or 4 layers of different kinds of foam, with a leather like
surface that went next to my feet. They lasted all of my thru hike and I
continue to use them 2 years later. They helped so much I will never stop
wearing them. They cost $175.00 and my insurance covered either 50 or 80
percent. I don't remember which it was. Even if I had to pay 500.00 for them
myself they would be worth it. I still have the original casts that they
were made from and if they ever wear out I will have another set made.
 Good Luck, I hope you get to have happy feet again soon.

Bonepile

----- Original Message -----
From: "rick boudrie" <rickboudrie@hotmail.com>
To: <nealb@midlandstech.com>; <kichline@hotmail.com>;
<at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 4:11 PM
Subject: RE: [at-l] Heel Spurs?


> >I'm suspicious that I may be developing heel spurs - the main symptom
> > >being hobbling around like an old man for the first few minutes in the
> > >morning with amazingly painful heels.  Any suggestions and wisdom from
> > >other" folks who use their feet"?
> >
>
> Sound exactly like what I was had a year or two ago.  I went to a
podiatrist
> who told me that I had plantar fascitis.  He asked if I was a runner (I'm
> not) then he intimated that putting on an extra 10 pounds might have been
> triggered it.
>
> He taped up my feet to see if I would get any relief.  The proposition was
> that if I did get relief, orthotics would be indicated.
>
> Anyway, the taping seemed to help a little.  Not sure if it really helped,
> or if I just wanted it to help so much I told myself that it did.  When I
> returned to the podiatrist, he had me step in a box of foam to get the
shape
> of my foot and mailed the box off to a company that makes the orthotics,
> which are nothing more than hard (very hard)plasic insoles glued to a
piece
> of leather.  They cost about $300.  I can only imagine the margins in
their
> business.
>
> My feet recovered over a few weeks, and I only backpacked in the orthotics
> once.  WHile they felt fine on my feet, I did get a blister since my foot
> tended to slide over the leather surface of the orthotic, since the
leather
> was cut for a street shoe, and not my hiking boots with thier wide toe
box.
> Nothing that I wouldn't have been able to deal with had my foot not
improved
> to the point where the orthotics were no longer needed.
>
> Rick B
>
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