New Orthotics

Can anyone help please?? I have had achilles tendinitis for nearly a year and eventually (?!!) went to a podiatrist, who made up a pair of orthotics. This pair was fine and the injury was well on the mend. I went back after 3 months to have a check up and he has changed my orthotics. These press under the arch of my foot and was sceptical about them helping.

You see, if anything presses under my foot, I get cramp. The same happens if I tie my laces too tight! It feels like a scrunched up sock under my foot or a rock!

Anyway, off I goes for a run and immediately, my left foot hurts and goes into cramp. I loosen my shoes and retie them. The cramp goes off but then get a blister under my arch (near my big toe) and toes hurt like hell with banging on shoes.

Can anyone tell me if I just need to persevere using usual tactics of compeed and different lacing or has the podiatrist done something wrong?

For obvious reasons (no arches whatsoever) I also had orthotics fitted about a year ago. It took several attemtps to get it right but having only managed to run 3 miles without getting injured I'm now up to 7 miles, injury-free for the last year (hope this doesn't tempt fate)and contemplating the FLM.

It took several trips to fine tune them and then I was advised not to go out straight away and run as normal because they needed some breaking in (i.e. wearing them in the house for increasing lengths of time). Perhaps you should try and get used to the new adjustments gradually before you run with them? Hope this helps.

I didn't start to break them in as I wasn't told to and my first pair didn't give me any bother. I'm doing the Clowne Half marathon so I will have to decide whether to wear them and do damage limitation or not run in them at all. I think you are right though, it will take time to get used to them.

Roz - I'm so glad you started this thread because I've just had orthotics made and at first, they really hurt. After a few runs in them I felt I was running on bruises. My podiatrist has now shaved away some of the arch support, which was too high, so I'll see how they work out now. He's advised me to walk in them before running, as Flatfeet has suggested. And he'll fine tune them again if neccessary. He also pointed out that with the orthotics inside them, my running shoes are now a size too small, which I guess was part of what made the orthotics so uncomfortable. I do hope you get used to them...