Q After repeatedly suffering from injuries, I was prescribed some rigid orthoses. The good news is that none of my old injuries has returned, but the bad news is that I can’t run more than 20 miles a week because of a tender heel. It’s worse

, this article should give you a headstart. It’s a guide to shoes for runners with the four most common ‘minority’ biomechanically-based problems (forefoot striking, heel striking, underpronation and orthoses-wearing), as well as runners with the problem of very

shoe for orthoses wearers with a firm midsole, a board in the rearfoot (providing a good platform) and the Rollbar (which functions well with orthoses). In short New Balance is known for its workhorse shoes – especially the 850s. Still, it chose

to erode the cartilage in his knee. The runner was given a pair of tailor-made orthoses and instructed not to run for a week. Over a month the runner returned gradually to his usual mileage. He no longer suffers pain, and considers his orthoses just

try to compensate for it by wearing highly stable running shoes or even custom-made orthoses. But if we looked at the cause, we’d often find that strengthening and flexibility exercises could have an equally profound effect. A corrective programme

, but the orthoses they prescribed don’t seem to help. Will I need surgery to straighten my toe if I’m to run without pain? A The chances of your needing surgery to straighten the toe are very low indeed. Most of these problems can be solved non-surgically by a

and stress fractures.Self-treatment Rest is probably the most important element of RICE, as ice itself sometimes causes more pain. Make sure you have appropriate shoes, which will almost certainly include some sort of orthoses to limit your pronation

’s still smooth, cushioned and durable – and now its 27g lighter. It’s a great shoe for orthoses-wearers, and now it’s even better for runners with wide feet.Try it on if you liked Asics Gel Nimbus 2 (£70); Brooks Hyperion 2 (£80); Mizuno Wave Rider (£75)

is by no means uncommon, and usually responds well to prescription orthoses, so consider having a podiatrist carry out a full biomechanical assessment.—David Holland, consulting podiatrist

appropriate running shoes by visiting a specialist retailer. You could also try shoe inserts, best recommended by a podiatrist or physiotherapist. There are some good non-prescription orthoses available – try calling Medisport for advice on AOL orthotics (0161