Foot Orthotics

[fpr85]

When incorporating met pads into foot orthotics to relieve things like metatarsalgia, stress fx, etc. do you think it's best only to add the pad to the AFFECTED side or make it symmetrical? I've tried both, have had one pt say it felt wierd on just the one side. Think it's better to "overbrace" per se.

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[krabmas]

When incorporating met pads into foot orthotics to relieve things like metatarsalgia, stress fx, etc. do you think it's best only to add the pad to the AFFECTED side or make it symmetrical? I've tried both, have had one pt say it felt wierd on just the one side. Think it's better to "overbrace" per se.

I think this depends on the patient a bit.

if the foot morphology is pretty similar I would put the met pad on both feet. when we do LA pads even if the plantar fascia pain is only on one side we di BL LA pads because otherwise it might create a slight limb length. we tell the patient if the unaffected side is uncomfortable - do not use it on that side.

At the NYCPM foot clinics we usually dispense poron 4000 (disposable orthotic) with modifications before we order the modifications perminantly in a custom FO. and even with the poron 4000's we might just stick the met pad on the device and not glue it down so the patient can take it off the un-affected side if necessary.