As we approach this special time of the year, we tend to do everything to excess: we buy presents that people don’t need, eat more food in one day that we normally would in a week (Turkey with ALL the trimmings, not just some of them), drink a little more than is actually good for us (hic), and spend time with people we wouldn’t normally spend time with, and all in the spirit of Christmas. The truth of the matter, is that we often spend a great deal of time, effort and money, on everybody other than ourselves. It is important at Christmas time, to remember that all this extra dancing (in shoes that are pretty but which hurt like hell), standing around Carol singing, and loitering around one buffet or another, takes its toll upon us and our bodies.
Not taking care of ourselves is not something extraordinary though, as so many people are living their lives in pain, or not being able to see as well as they know they could with the right spectacles, or hear what people are saying to them. All of these things are potentially ‘fixable’, but we tend to put them on an ‘I’ll do that later’ list, that we somehow never get around to. This is one reason why we at the Quays Orthotic Practice in our Lincoln, Kent and Wells-next-the-Sea clinics in the UK, offer a FREE initial consultation to everyone. Getting checked out shouldn’t cost anything in our opinion, and do you know what, we might refer you on to a different clinician – a physiotherapist for example – or maybe suggest a trip back to see your GP, and in which case, it will have cost nothing to start your journey into a life with less pain, increased mobility and stability, and often a return to once-loved activities that have gone by the wayside due to physical inability.
We sound a bit too good to be true right? Wrong!! We can do so much for people, BUT sadly, and despite our best efforts, we can’t perform miracles. In the very same way that a trip to an opticians doesn’t improve your eyesight, unless you wear the prescribed spectacles, a trip to see an Orthotist won’t suddenly be life changing, without first accepting their prescription. Putting an orthotic insole into your shoe for the very first time, is a very strange experience, and one that can bring about discomfort in the early stages. Your insoles should be fitted by a professional, and if so will come with a set of wear instructions, which clearly state how the devices should be introduced gradually over a period of time, in order to minimise the impact of this biomechanical intervention upon the rest of your body. The closest analogy I can use, is if you have ever worn dental braces. These are painful for pretty much the entire period of wear, as they are actually manipulating your teeth into different positions from where they’d naturally grow. This analogy is flawed however, as dental braces eventually serve their purpose, and then can be removed; the same is not true of an orthotic insole necessarily. Orthotics, like spectacles or an hearing aid, only work while being worn, and if left in a cupboard, or a different pair of shoes, will certainly not help with either pain or mobility. in fact, a failure to wear orthotic insoles frequently, can be counter-productive and can set treatment back considerably.
So, we’ve established that we can’t do miracles, not even at Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t help you to live a more mobile and stable life, with less pain. We may also be able to assist you in your return to sport or physical exercise that you may have thought you’d waved goodbye to forever. So, if you only treat yourself to one thing this Christmas, book your FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION with us, and let us do the best we can for you, even if it’s not a miracle!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2020 FROM ALL THE TEAM AT THE QUAYS ORTHOTIC PRACTICE.
Quays Orthotic Practice 