Orthodics

[MLE]

My feet and legs have always hurt after standing for long periods of time, but now that I have a retail job (25 hours a week), I had to go get it all checked out. Apparently I have Triple-E width feet, high arches/insteps, weak ankles, hyperextensive knees, and I pronate when I walk (land on the outside of the foot and roll inwards). I had to order orthodics which were hella expensive, and I just got them in yesterday.

They told me to break them in slowly, but the discomfort of breaking them in fast is much preferrable to the pain of not using them. Is there something drastic I should know about breaking in orthodics too quickly, or is this alright? ;<

[Terra]

I have a degenerative bone issue from chemo. I tend to roll inward when I walk. At the end of the day (I stand for ten-twelve hours a day and do lots of climbing -long story there) I can hardly move around once I've gotten out of the chair.

I have had shoes similar to this from three years ago. Your best bet is to really follow your instructions. Too much breaking in at first will weaken the ligatures. I feel that you might want to slowly build up to it.

It's the shits to be sure. What sort of retail job do you have that you have to constantly stand? Is there any way you can break it up?

[MLE]

I'm a keyholder at my job (Godiva chocolatier). No way I can sit other than my carefully apportioned breaks. I'm getting some small pains from under one arch, but it was already swollen before I used the orthodics. It's nowhere near the pain of not using them.

[Terra]

My suggestion is to break it in real easy. Your going to go through two/three weeks of extreme discomfort but it will pay off in the long run.

My problem was always with my knees. I didn't go through the normal wearing in time with my shoes and ended up blowing out a knee cap. Lovely.

I think the problem is that wearing the shoes more than your supposed to will end up in a collasped arch once you suddenly take your shoes off at the end of the shift. It's not that you'll break a bone Miss Emily but that you'll do tons of dammage to the ligaments. Ligament recovery can take a year to a year and a half (don't ask me how I klnow this).

[Terra]

The extreme discomfort I speak of is the taking off of your shoe and getting back into your old ones.