heel lift for achilles

[Go Raptors!]

i ruptured my achilles two years ago..... i am reading that
i should get a heel lift for that foot.... if i put a heel
lift in the one show, will my running be unbalanced....
should i put it in both shoes???

thanks for any input!!!

[Topcounsel]

> if i put a heel lift in the one show, will my running be
> unbalanced.... should i put it in both shoes???

Yep. I've never ruptured an achilles, but I've gone through
some periods of aggravation, after either some overuse or
(more often) change-of-use (e.g., speed work, hillwork, new
shoes with less heel). The orthopods and the elite runners
who've been published on the subject always say to put the
lift in both shoes. And it's a good idea to put them in your
walking/street shoes, too, until you're asymptomatic.

[Ozzie Gontang]

In article <20040314103353.29802.00001302@mb-m21.aol.com>, TopCounsel
<topcounsel@aol.com> wrote:

> > if i put a heel lift in the one show, will my running be
> > unbalanced.... should i put it in both shoes???
>
> Yep. I've never ruptured an achilles, but I've gone
> through some periods of aggravation, after either some
> overuse or (more often) change-of-use (e.g., speed work,
> hillwork, new shoes with less heel). The orthopods and the
> elite runners who've been published on the subject always
> say to put the lift in both shoes. And it's a good idea to
> put them in your walking/street shoes, too, until you're
> asymptomatic.

Only issue here in my mind's eye is that if you continue to
use the heel lifts, and don't work on massaging out the
muscle and freeing any adhesions of the fascia, the soleus
and gastrocs will shorten and the fascia will also stay
shortened and tight around those muscles.

I've used a heel lift recently for my right foot to take
some of the pressure off the achilles while continuing to
work on the troubled area in my calf. Like Top Councel said,
I also put it in my walking shoes, dress shoes to relieve
the pull on the Achilles.

In health and on the run,

Ozzie Gontang