Well, its that time of year again, where I, illustrious poster of blogisms, ask you, illustrious reader of posted breakfast snacks, to contribute your knowledge to the clubby universe! As always, nobody gets paid - least of all moi - but everybody gets rich!! All you have to do is contribute a few items of wisdom, such as:
>Shoes - where do you get yours? Are they custom made? How do you like them? How much do they cost? How reliable and consistent is the facility where you get them?
>Orthotics - where do you get yours? How well have they worked for you? How much did they cost? How many times did you need adjustments made until they were comfortable?
>Doctors - who do you see, and what are their specialties? Do they always try non-surgical options with you first? What options do they offer?
>Other - Where do you live - country, city? How far, on average, do you have to go to get the help you need? What groups do you belong to - locally, and on the Web? Do you get the support that you need?
So, there you go - we aren't asking for your money, your passwords, your waist size, or your inner-most secrets - and we don't really want them, well, maybe the money - ;-) All we want is to build up the available resources for other clubbies. Hey - nobody else is making clubby life any easier, so us clubbies will have to do it for ourselves.
Starting, of course, with you!!
>Shoes - where do you get yours? Are they custom made? How do you like them? How much do they cost? How reliable and consistent is the facility where you get them?
>Orthotics - where do you get yours? How well have they worked for you? How much did they cost? How many times did you need adjustments made until they were comfortable?
>Doctors - who do you see, and what are their specialties? Do they always try non-surgical options with you first? What options do they offer?
>Other - Where do you live - country, city? How far, on average, do you have to go to get the help you need? What groups do you belong to - locally, and on the Web? Do you get the support that you need?
So, there you go - we aren't asking for your money, your passwords, your waist size, or your inner-most secrets - and we don't really want them, well, maybe the money - ;-) All we want is to build up the available resources for other clubbies. Hey - nobody else is making clubby life any easier, so us clubbies will have to do it for ourselves.
Starting, of course, with you!!
Nordstroms sells mismates at no extra charge - a great help in my "footlife".
ReplyDeleteDr. Schols "work" line are the best I've found. Not very expensive either.
DeleteThanks for the blog, here is some information.
ReplyDeleteI was born with bilateral with confirmed genetic history (my aunt was born with clubfoot as well). One was corrected with casting and the other required surgery. My right foot, which is the one that required surgery, is my worst and I have pain in that foot on an almost daily basis.
Shoes - I just buy the best shoes that my orthotics will fit in but still stabilize my ankles, high-top converse are my shoes of choice, great ankle support and my inserts fight great.
Orthotics - I got my first ones when I was 12, it was just for the right at first, then I got them for both. It took a few years to get it right, but the ones I have now were made by Paul Valentine in Richmond, Va, I just get them re-covered every few years for about $75, the original casting and everything was around $350 I think.
Doctors - my original surgeon and doctor was Dr. Sheldon St Clair of Norfolk, Va and CHKD (Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters), he is still consulted from time to time by my podiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Frost in Richmond, Va.
Other - I live in Goochland, Va, I see my podiatrist as needed and he is about 40 miles from my house but much easier to get to from my work. I belong to a few facebook groups but my main support comes from my parents, boyfriend, service dog, and friends. Most of my family has no idea how much my clubfoot affects me. I have just started to open up about the issues I have with my clubfoot problems thanks to the motivation from my boyfriend and my service dog. My service dog is a great icebreaker when I am out, instead of getting funny looks when I do the clubby shuffle (trying to limp with both feet), people seem to be supportive when I have one foot (usually my right) propped up on my dog's back.
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteI was born with bilateral clubfoot. I live in Denver Colorado and just turned 40. over the last 9 months I've got in the best shape of my life and am almost pain free.
I went from hardly walking without pain to running for the first time in 10 years.
Ive done through awesome nutrition, structural integration, yoga and working out and getting new shoes more often.
When i started in January I had a friend get me on a nutriton program that made me feel brand new in two weeks. i had new found energy and slept better than i had in years. the first six weeks i lost 15 pounds. Then I found a long lost friend on facebook who is a trainer. he got me back in the gym. currently ive gained muscle and got fit and im down 33 pounds from when I started.
Structural Integration or "Rolfing" is a holistic approach to changing posture and body shape cretated by Dr. Ida Rolf. It is a series of ten one hour sessions. i was lucky enough to live near the Rolf Institute where it started( practitioners are everywhere now). I first did it when i was 4 and the results were so amazing that Dr. Rolf used me as a model for her students. I had a sway back and couldnt stand up straight with my feet together. after the ten series i had no more sway back and could balance myself standing straight up. I recently had it done again and after the first two sessions my ankles felt sooooo much better. you can get more info at rolf.org
after about two months of stretching my calves at the gym everyday i am now able to do toes raises and my legs have definatly felt better than ever. ive also started doing yoga which is great for stretching out and exercise.
As far as shoes go. MBT's are a good shoe to get the stabalizer muscles in shape. dont wear them more than a couple hours at a time when you start wearing them. Im on my feet at work anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a day. I'm a bartender and manager and have been in the industry for years and have spent big bucks on shoes. ive had good experience with Rockports, and Ecco's but the best and by far the least expensive are Dr. Schols "work" line. after the first week of wearing them I went back to the store and got a second pair. Ive also learned to throw away shoes immediately when my feet start hurting. now matter how much they used to be comfortable.
i recently watched a segment on barefoot runners and changed from walking from heel to toe and reversing it to toe toe heel. Its hard at first but it takes the stress away from joints.
If anyone has any questions let me know i would love to share.
I couldnt imagine feeling as good as i do now 9 months ago when i started