It's go time!

As a door opens on a new adventure, I reflect on nearly 17 years of treating a massive variety of patients in an NHS setting as being a hugely rewarding and generally positive experience.

Over the last few years there has been a large increase in the number of patients coming into clinic that have tried to source their own insoles online (often due to the increasing waiting times to be seen) - some with success whilst others find them unhelpful.

The issue is always biomechanical and an insole is only one piece of the jigsaw, and when that one piece is not quite right it makes sense that symptoms remain unresolved.

Interestingly I found that just a simple conversation with a few questions about what the patient can and cannot do alongside some observations about foot posture and gait and I was able to determine that the insole prescription was not quite right and prescribe a slightly modified version.

The important part is understanding that supporting the foot with an insole to normalise the biomechanical forces going through the foot won't solve the issue alone. First of all the shoe must be considered and must be supportive enough to allow the insole to control the foot correctly. Secondly there will certainly be tight AND weak muscles within the foot and ankle, so it is essential that these muscles are stretched AND strengthened.

Empowering patients to take control of their pain by complying with insole use alongside a treatment plan is an everyday task in clinic and it sees results and helps people to understand their complex bodies.

I'm so excited to be able to provide this service to the wider public, especially where nhs access may not be so easily gained or not available in a timely manner. I know from experience that when you're experiencing foot pain, the last thing you want to do is wait to diagnose or treat it!

There are obviously chronic conditions and nerve related pain conditions which will not receive as much success from the programme, but a stronger more flexible and stable foot will still create longterm benefits.

Certain complex foot shapes may need more than just an insole support for relief but advice will be given if the treatment package is not suitable and refund offered.

I'd love to create some blogs with customer and potential customers experiences so feel free to share these below or email to Thisismysorefoot@gmail.com

Make your feet happy!