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Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
A former athlete who struggles to walk has issued a stark warning to runners training for the marathon – beware of using orthotic insoles.
Dr Daryl Bendel, 44, from Basildon Close, Watford, has competed in a number of marathons and Ironman triathlete competitions over the years.
While training for a 35-mile run in December 2008, he injured a ligament in his right foot and was prescribed the use of orthotic insoles, a foot supporting device that controls joint motion.
South African-born Dr Bendel, who works in the biopharmaceutical industry, said: “I was prescribed the use of orthotic insoles and despite complaining of pain and saying that they were awful and uncomfortable from the outset, I was told to keep on using them.
“You expect the odd aches and pains after a run, but I thought I’d take care of myself by seeing an osteopath.
"I stressed to the practitioner that I didn’t want my training programme modified and that I hoped there would be no risks involved.
“I now find it hard to walk to the train station and have had to stop doing what I love – running.”
Dr Bendel said that since wearing the insoles, he has suffered from thigh pain, knee problems and an inflamed left ankle - diagnosed as tendonitis, where the tendon becomes inflamed, and tenosynovitis, the inflammation of the sheath (synovium) that surrounds the tendon.
He said: “In the lead up to the marathon, I want to get across how important it is runners know the dangers of using orthotic insoles.
“I’ve had to seek physiotherapy, wear an air boot and a number of my professional advisors are not confident that I will ever be able to return to my chosen sport.”
Hector Wells, member of the British Osteopathic Association, said: "Orthotic insoles are often recommended for people who have lower back pain as a result of internal rotation of their legs when they walk - usually because they have flat arches.
“However, if a patient is also experiencing pain or stiffness elsewhere the use of orthotic insoles could exacerbate the problem because the body can't easily adapt to the new posture the orthotics demand.
“It is important for experts to conduct a full health and mobility assessment and for patients to disclose any old injuries and all problem areas before recommending any possible solution, such as the use of orthotics to change their posture by improving their foot arches."
Re: Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
"I was prescribed the use of orthotic insoles and despite complaining of pain and saying that they were awful and uncomfortable from the outset, I was told to keep on using them."
Re: Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
"Hector Wells, member of the British Osteopathic Association, said: "Orthotic insoles are often recommended for people who have lower back pain as a result of internal rotation of their legs when they walk - usually because they have flat arches."
Want to talk about "dumb" advice - see above comment from so called Health Professional!
Interesting "so called research" single series case design presented as an advertorial for Osteopathy.
Re: Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
Oh, for goodness sake - it should have been made clear in the article that there are many types of orthotic, and ways of applying them. Just because this particular one is wrong for one person, doesn't make all orthotics wrong for everybody.
BP rising again......Deep breath in.....1....2.....3....4.....
Re: Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
Since the focus within the media now is on negative, sensational news, rather than balanced and objective reporting, we should all be prepared for articles such as this popping up from time to time. Sensational headlines and stories sell, objective stories are much more boring and less likely to be published.
Ever seen an article about one of the thousands of families that went to the beach and had a good time. No. However, if a shark scrapes the leg of one of the children of these families, it could be on the 6 o'clock news!
Most intelligent people now take these articles with a grain of salt, and they are long forgotten within a month of their being published. If, however, you feel strongly about these types of negative stories about foot orthoses, you should write a letter to the editor or volunteer to write an article to the publication on the great potential benefits of orthoses for individuals. In this way, your words won't have been wasted.....and maybe you will feel better about the whole situation by doing so.
__________________
Sincerely,
Kevin
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Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College
Watford marathon man warns runners to be wary of orthotic insoles
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