Source of Online Shoe Lifts for Short Leg

My patient Emily has nerve pain in her foot. It took awhile, but we came to realize since she had a short leg, the tilt at the base of her spine could be causing some of her pain. Emily first had xrays to document a 19mm short leg. Then she had insoles placed gradually into the short side up to 10 mm or 3/8th inch. She could really begin to feel a difference in her nerve pain. So she found this online source to place lifts in, and had 10 mm placed into the midsole. Once she had this done, and after a period of adjusting, I began to again add lifts to her short side within the shoe. This whole process has taken us several months. There is no magic rule that we have to correct for the entire 19 mm. She feels the best, and in my gait evaluation, looks the best at 13 mm. She is also doing Lidoderm patches on her foot where the most nerve pain exists, and will be adding Neuro Eze three times per day. 

www.orthopedicshoelift.com

Short Leg Syndrome: Online Service for Shoe Lifts

Hi Dr. Blake,

 

Here is that website I was telling you about that I used for my shoe lift.

http://www.orthopedicshoelift.com/

One of my patients just had 10 mm or 3/8 ths of an inch placed into her shoe by this online service. They did excellent work, so I thought I would pass it along. Dr Rich Blake

How to make your own lifts for a Short Leg

Hi, I contacted you earlier about hip height and leg length. I am using a heel lift, but I was wondering where I could get foot lifts for the height I need. If there are easy to purchase local supplies I would make them, but I don't have access to a grinder so maybe that wouldn't work. I need them to be non-compressible because I'd like to run again. The hip height difference is 9mm. I don't assume you sell them?



Thanks again,

Jody
 
Good to hear from you again Jody. Sorry I don't sell them, but you can purchase the same material I use from JMS Plastics (1 sheet of 1/8th inch rubber cork will do) and have a local shoe repair guy bevel the front part. See the links below to help. 3 of these will be your 9mm. Good luck and happy running. Also try the Walk/Run program since you have not run for awhile.
 

 
 
http://www.jmsplastics.com/posting_cork/rubbercork.php
 
http://www.drblakeshealingsole.com/2010/03/walkrun-program-for-injury.html

Short Leg Treatment: Shoe Lifts

Most patients have a short leg, either structurally or functionally. A structural short leg is true length difference of the bones, where a functional short leg may be caused by many factors including one arch lower than the other side. As long as one arch collapses more than the other side, the short leg syndrome exists.

Most people have one foot longer than the other, but the long foot may or may not be on the long leg. Remember you are taught to buy shoes always for the longer side (longer foot). If you wear out one shoe more than the other, either by observing the heel of the outersole or the footbed within the shoe, you can tell that one leg may be shorter. Orthopedists normally do not recommend treatment unless over 1/2". Podiatrists have observed that as little as 1/8" difference in leg lengths can cause symptoms. By treating these small differences, and having patients report positive outcomes, leg length discrepancies are a vital part of care.

Treatment of leg length discrepancies is with various types of lifts under the short leg. The photo above shows a shoe with a full length external or outersole lift of 3/8". Due to the swelling in his foot, this patient could not tolerate any lifts within the shoe. Full length lifts, whether within the shoe or on the outer sole, are normally so much more stable than just heel lifts. Heel lifts alone can create a high heel effect with more instability. Also, a heel lift alone can be compensated for with mere bending of the knee negating the desired lift height. So, I love full length lifts and try to always start with these in my treatment. A future post will explore this treatment in detail.

Most athletic shoes can accommodate up to 3/8" lifts. All patients should have a trial of lift therapy with shoe inserts with positive results before external shoe lifts are utilized. Most shoe repair shops can put on external lifts, but there may be one in your area that specializes. Ask around for referrals from local orthopedic or podiatry offices. The external lift must be tapered at the toes, and somewhat flexible at the ball of the foot, to allow the patient to walk smoothly from heel to toe.

The Golden Rule of Foot with lift therapy: Start Low, Go Slow. Normally, if the difference is 3/8" total, 1/8" lift is given for 2weeks, then another 1/8" lift for 2 more weeks, then finally the full 3/8". As you go up in lift therapy, blame any new symptoms on the added lift, take out the additional lift until the new symptoms subside, then try again. Some patients are stuck for one reason or another at one level of lift. Their bodies will reject the higher amounts.

There seems to be more stress on the body when the exact same lift is placed on the outersole as was originally used as an insert. It probably weighs slightly more, or effects the motion around heel strike more. To lessen this change, which may cause symptoms itself, place 1/2 of the overall lift in the opposite shoe as an insert initially. Two weeks later, take 1/2 of that away, then finally 2 weeks later take it all away so you are left with just the desired outersole lift. This eases the process dramatically, allowing the body to relax more in making this big change. Good luck!!