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"Orthotics are a scam"

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by NewsBot, Jun 2, 2006.

  1. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1

    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    From BackpackingLight.com:
     
  2. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

  3. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    Newsbot,
    I notice your last two quoted posts were anonymous............ :cool:
     
  4. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1
    David --- that anon fellow has a lot to answer for. I see he posts at TFS often as well :) ... sure does get around.

    I see some sense has prevailed in that Backpacking thread. None other than the estemed Barry Block from PM News has responded:
     
  5. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    and now Kevin Kirby has also --- good response :cool:
     
  6. rickybobby911

    rickybobby911 Welcome New Poster

    I couldn't agree more about the orthotic business being a bit exploited. I paid a lot of money for my orthotics only to have them not fit, went back for adjustments, at an extra cost, and then they just hurt my feet. After much research, I tried <deleted product> and these insoles look a lot like my orthotics but they do not hurt me. They provide great support, have a great warranty, have nano silver in the top sheet for bacteria, re-heat 5 times so as I change my footwear, I can customize each pair and they cost $37.95. If that is not enough, I can wear them for 4 months, if I am not happy with them, <product deleted> will give me my money back. I then happened to be in another POD clinic, and I saw <product deleted> there. The POD was actually selling them. A little more than I paid for them on the website, but he had them. I begin to wonder if the industry is changing it point of view on the full ridgid custom orthotics, or are people just becomming more educated? I think it is most likely the later as more and more people are researching for themselves when these doctors can't seem to fix our problems. That is just my opinion, but <product deleted> will save me time and money in the future. Way to go <product deleted>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 9, 2006
  7. RickyBobby:

    I'm glad to hear that you had some good results with your heat moldable insoles. Certainly it seems that you, in your experiment of one, have had good results with these insoles.

    Like you, I also did well going it on my own by buying a $20 pair of reading glasses at the corner drugstore so I could read the fine print in the newspaper. However, these were not quite as nice and effective as the $350 pair of eyeglasses that I later purchased and that my optometrist measured and prescribed for me.

    Suffice it to say that not all people do as well with over-the-counter arch supports as you have. As mechanical problems in the foot and lower extremity become more significant, the foot deformity worsens, and/or foot asymmetry increases, there is less chance that the "Archmolds" insoles that you purchased would help the patient heal from their injury, and may even make them worse. So to assume that all people would do well with "Archmolds" as you have would not be a proper assumption to make.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 9, 2006
  8. PodAus

    PodAus Active Member

    Gee, That's a great ad for archmoulds(!?) - I'd better get some... ;)

    The practitioner whom prescribed and cared for rickybobby may have named 'Fred' (not a real name). Better watch out that now, because all Practitioners called 'Fred' must be scammers - nice and logical.... :confused:

    Same concerns of orthotics being 'the treatment', not just a clinical tool.
     
  9. Fred's

    Fred's Welcome New Poster

    Orthotics

    <ADMIN EDIT: Promotion of product with no useful information deleted. Given that the IP address of the poster was from the same city that the orthotic being promoted is based, self promotion is suspected, so guess what? ... next time that happens you get banned.>
    See Forum Rules
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 10, 2006
  10. DaVinci

    DaVinci Well-Known Member

    Hey Admin. Those spammers sure have been keeping you busy lately. Do you sleep?
     
  11. Foot fan

    Foot fan Active Member

    As far as orthotics being a scam? - Tell that to the millions of people who have been given some relief with these little plastic pieces.

    How often do we tell people to wear better shoes and back off on the training? Daily.

    As far as I was aware, you don't prescribe orthotics to people who don't have the right shoes to put them in. In fact I would go so far as to say try better shoes first and see if that fixes your problem!

    At the end of the day, anyone who stereotypes an entire profession like that has not done their research
     
  12. EdGlaser

    EdGlaser Active Member

    Well said Footfan

    There are many articles equating prefabs to customs (Pfeffer etc.). Problem is that prefabs "work" only if you consider working to be the masking of symptoms. Many "customs" work the same. Pronation is a progressive deformity. The last one degree of pronation yields symptoms. Orthoses that block the last one degree of pronation, both custom and prefab, can easily mask symptoms without making a significant positive effect on the gait cycle. We need to shift our paradigm.

    Ed
     
  13. dmd31842

    dmd31842 Member

    I was just quoted in the New York Times that most patients do NOT require orthotics in order to resolve their foot problems. With that said, orthotics do, in fact, improve one's biomechanics and therfore DO resolve many foot and ankle, knee, hip, low back complaints. A proper orthotic, fabricated by a podiatrist, clearly has positive effects. There is a multitude of research out there that proves the efficacy of orthtoics-properly made (which does NOT refer to those fabricated by shoe stores, chirpractors, physical therapists, etc)
     
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