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Hi all.
Just wonderign what your opinions are on the following orhtotic:
A company called Somas form the Netherlands has produced an orthotic for use in patients with TA problems. It consists of a foot plate which fits in to the patients shoe (met length) and form the rear of this plate a strong elastic strap (aprox 3cm width) runs up the rear of the leg to 'fixing strap' on the top of the calf. The elastic strap can be adjusted as necessary in terms of tightness. My first impressions were that it might be a useful aid for eccentric strengthening of the gastrocnemius and concentric strengthening of soleus - during gait.
However, some of my collegues (one orthotpod and one physio) have suggested it may weaken this muscle complex.

What say you?

Gafin

I wouldn't listen to your physio or orthopod.

99.9% of medical practitioners regurgitate dogma about braces, and say they weaken and increase reliance etc.

What these people ignore is that pain is a huge muscle inhibitor.

The key is to break the pain cycle.


Don't walk with a herd that are walking in circles.

Get courageous, use common-sense and be guided by pain reduction.



I have had a gut-ful of clinicians telling injured patients to 'walk more' and 'get more active' when it exacerbates the pain.

We need 'more brain and less brawn' rather than 'no pain no gain'.

I am not familiar with this device, but do have a copy of a paper that will soon be published that show foot orthoses increase plantarflexion strength in those with achilles tendonopathy.

__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

Related threads:
Achilles tendon strap
Anderson "prescription" for achilles tendinopathy
Genetic component to achilles tendon pathology
Aprotinin for Achilles tendinopathy?
Ibuprofin injection in Achilles tendinopathy
Eccentric loading vs shockwave for achilles tendonitis

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Thanks Atlas and Craig,

I look forward to the paper on achilles tendonopathy and orthoses.

I am generally and advocate of the MEAT method of treatment and do therefore encourage patients to mobilise - BUT, only minimally and in a controlled way. I think this particular brace works well within the meat paradigm. Unfortunately the Somas website does not mention the device yet as it is very new. There has been some significant research conducted on it in the Netherlands however.

Cheers
Gafin :)

Do foot orthoses strengthen the deep flexors or the gastroc/soleous complex or both? With respect to Achilles tendinopathy, what does this mean? You can strengthen the ankle plantarflexors by doing concentric exercises but it has little effect on the pain from Achilles tendinopathy (or more specifically tendinosis). Do we know if foot function causes or is even correlated to Achilles tendinopathy?

Cheers,
Kent

The paper I alluded to above has now been published - posted here.

__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________
God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University
This is where I am, where are you?

Never heard of the MEAT method. Can anyone elaborate further??