TKR

Thank you thank you Joan. I’m sorry your dealing with this too

Hi Chico,

if u can remember I have had 2 knee replacement, first 30/1/17, 2nd 25/7/2018, pretty exacting few problems along the way but Straight and pretty good ROM.  My gait for many years was bent legs and favouring to throw feet inwards.  I have now developed pain in my outer heel on the first replacement a year later. Since developing this I have had inserts made to make me walk more on the outside of my foot to stop leg bending again, u seem to advise against this? I am trying gentle stretching as the Podiatrist tells me the painis at the bottom of my Archillis tendon due to shortened calf muscles, don’t know if I’m doing right to doing wrong. Thought after 2 knee replacements all problems would be solved, but seems not to be, bit despondent.

What I recommend against is that people immediately go out ON THEIR OWN and get orthotics without looking into other causes of their gait problem.  Docs LOVE to sell them but the patients may not need them.  I always go for the least expensive, least invasive methods first.  If a chiro says your hips, pelvis and back are completely aligned and you still have a problem, then you look further and find the correct solution.

My wife had a brain aneurysm and two TIA strokes causing nerve damage in her right leg.  This left her with "drop foot" plus her right foot turned inward.  This is something beyond the power of really anyone to fix since the nerves are gone.  Over 7 1/2 years, she would fall frequently, damaging her knees and eventually ripping her rotator cuff in half requiring two ops to fix it. 

So we had her right calf and foot cast in the correct position and had an AFO brace made for her.  (Hers is similar to the one in the picture; she got it in purple and decorated it with 60's art...if you wear it, ya gotta OWN it!!!)  Inserted into her shoe and strapped to the calf, this hinged brace keeps her foot in the absolute correct position when she walks.  No more falling.

So, I'm not against orthotics when they are necessary...sometimes other factors are the cause of people walking "funny" causing pain, frequently sciatica.  Heel pain is something different.  Is it because of your foot turning inward?  Do the investigation required.  Maybe you need a brace too...

thank you so much! I will do that

I’ve always been pen toed , my Dad was and one of my daughters is, family trait I guess. Over the years with knee injury seemed to walk on inside of foot, hence two bent legs which the surgeon dealt with, still throwing feet inward and walking on inside of foot, pain started in heel before insol when I made determined effort to walk more on outside of foot, so not go down the same road although pain free with knees, I’m certainly walk easier with the insoles and it does help with gait, still heel pain though, perhaps give it a bit longer and reassess.

Maybe you need different or better padded insoles.

I had  moulds taken of both feet and made for me . Think I need to wear all the time so new slippers ordered for indoors and possibly new shoes now both knees done, expensive business but after the last year I’m pressing on as u say own it