I've had a similar problem. I've been wearing custom made orthotics for about 3 years now to correct overpronation and an 8mm leg length difference. Recently my shins flared up again and I've noticed that running in my custom made orthotics actually make them feel worse. My leg length difference also seems to have disappeared. I know it's difficult to judge for yourself but it was quite noticeable 3 years ago if I sat against a wall with my legs stretched out in front of me. Currently running in a cheap-ish pair of off the shelf orthotics with neutral shoes. I guess my gait must have changed quite a bit in the 3 years. I think I might try a pair of support shoes next in my desperation to find a long term solution....
They have definitely made a big difference for me but one of the first things that Peter Taylor at Atlas told me was that they're not a miracle cure, I had to do a lot of stretching and strengthening exercises. I still have to do a lot of stretching. I'm now running approx 40-45 miles a week which I could have only dreamed about before. My problem was/is overpronation and a slight leg length discrepancy. My main issue was a shin injury but I used to get a lot of aches and pains particularly from running or just standing up for a few hours. I hardly get any now and if I do have problems now it's usually because my running shoes are wearing out or I've been neglecting my stretching or I've overtrained.
The orthotics did take a bit of getting used to though and the custom ones are expensive. Mine have got to the stage now where they need refurbing which is going to cost another £20-£30!
Well yeah. They did a pretty good job for me I think but then it's the only one I've ever been to so I can't really compare them with anywhere else. I saw a chap there called Peter Taylor who was a good runner himself I believe. I'm not an expert in this field or anything, just a runner with biomechanical issues. I ended up with custom orthotics but they didn't try to push them on me, just explained pretty clearly my issues and my options.
There's a place called Atlas Pain Relief in the Mids who have a running injury clinic. They do biomechanical assessment, Gait analysis etc. They also do custom orthotics or recommend suitable off the shelf orthotics. There's one in Tamworth and I went to the one near Birmingham... think the area is classed as Hall Green. I got custom orthotics from there 2 or 3 years back but I didn't find them particularly pushy or anything like that.
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