Adam Rufa - 4/12/2006

Question
Hi, Adam.

I stand all day on concrete floors.  I have foot, leg & knee fatigue/pain at the end of the day.  I have bought some arch supports (I have really high arches) at Wal-Mart and put those in my shoes.  I also work out regularly to try to keep my legs strong.  I also soak my feet and legs regularly.  (Note I did slightly tear my meniscus years ago). I'm fearful that the fatigue/pain I feel at the end of the day will lead to more problems down the road (I'm currently 28 years old).

What would you recommend for support (maybe there's better arch supports than the $8 ones I buy?), exercise, and just general care to try to prevent knee and foot injury so I don't really hurt myself long term.

Thank you!


Answer
Carolyn,
Standing on concrete all day can take a toll on ones body. Orthotics are not always the best option but can be helpful in some cases. What you got at Wal-Mart was most likely not an orthotic and was just a cushion. I do recommend that you see a medical provider to ensure that you don't have any medical problems.

It is always important when working on hard surfaces that you have good footwear. Buy good quality, comfortable footwear and replace them often. Orthotics do help some people and may be a option for you. There are two ways you can go. 1) custom orthotics  2)prefabricated orthotics.

Custom orthotics are made specifically for your foot and often range from 1-500$. There is no compelling evidence that custom orthotics are more effective then prefabricated orthotics.  

There are two kinds of prefabricated orthotics I recommend to my patients. One brand is SuperFeet which can be found in some sports stores like Dicks and Eastern Mountain Sports.( http://www.footsmart.com/SearchReturns.aspx?searchterm=superfeet&srccode=WM00645...) The other orthotic I recommend  is by Wrymark and can only be ordered by a medical provider. (http://www.wrymark.com/fir.htm) Both are about 25$ a pair.

Good luck
Adam