Ankle problems

[AJC1957]

My left ankle is twisting in more as I walk- its my worse side and has pins from fractures.

I am wondering if anyone can suggest a stabilising orthotic I can buy.

I am trying to delay the surgery route for another few years yet! I am 56

[DawnD]

Hi. I'm sorry but I don't know where to buy orthotics, but I have my shoes made for me (I cannot buy them in a shop) through the Surgical Appliance Clinic at my local cottage hospital. Could you not get a referral from your GP for this, as they would be able to advise you, or even make them for you? (They do take a while though!)

[AJC1957 in reply to DawnD]

When I had orthotics made by the NHS they tried to normalise my walking and I walked with severe pain for 4 years until a surgeon advised me to stop wearing them.

I need to know the local NHS can provide competent care before I trust my feet to them ever again

[IainY in reply to AJC1957]

I would agree that NHS footwear can be painful but I am very fortunately to be working with an orthotics department who have made new footwear and insoles when I have complained of pain and also as my foot has changed shape.

[IainY]

I have similar problems which were assisted by the orthotics department making special insole which helped corrected the angle of my foot. Unfortunately the second stage was for them to have hand made foot ware made to my foot shape and angle. My current situation is one hand made boot and an aircast walkers boot on the other foot because my charchots is still active.

I would see a consultant asap so you don't do any more damage to your foot, operations are the very last option they will take but not wishing to sound like a doom and gloom merchant if Charchots is not controlled in the early stages the very worst cases do not bare to think about. If you Google it you will find some very horrifying pictures. Please get help now.

[Morllyn]

AJC1957 My husband's ankles turned over (when he was very young) so that he would walk on the outer side of each foot. He told me that he used to wear the outer side of his shoes off from walking on them, the bottoms never touched the ground. Now they have special inserts for each shoe and they cut the bottoms of his shoes off and put wedges in the soles them glue or heat them so they stick back together. The wedges roll his ankles/feet back the other way. He said to go to a podiatrist or am MDA clinic and they can write the prescriptions needed to get this and have insurance pay. He has Medicare and they pay 80%. He says that if wedges in the soles is what is decided, then make sure that they put them in the soles and not in an insert because that does not work nearly as well. His inserts are just for extra padding. His shoes have "extra depth", special orthopedic shoes of course. They have a lot of fashionable orthopedic shoes now.

We live in the USA but I hope this helps some.