The Truth about Orthotics, with Wessel van Veenen, Orthotic Specialist

DOR Podcast #124: The Truth about Orthotics, with Wessel van Veenen, Orthotic Specialist

In this week's episode Matt is joined by Wessel van Veenen, an orthotic specialist. The duo discusses some basics of appropriate orthotic usage and explores best practice use. They then dive into some new, exciting developments in the world of orthotics to look out for. Wessel also shares his unique background in footwear, including some unique testing through a brand that's exploded back into the running scene in recent years.

Listen to This Week's Podcast Here!

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Chapters
0:00 - Intro
4:55 - Wessel's masters work: testing Puma prototypes
8:49 - Wessel's work as an orthopedic advisor
14:26 - Should you get an insole or an entirely different shoe?
19:38 - Shoe modifications to aid mobility
30:10 - Orthotic uses for carbon fiber plates
36:51 - The differences between walking orthotic aids & running shoes
45:41 - New & upcoming developments in orthotics
53:35 - Wrap up

Science Feature: Research on Orthotics?

What does research say about the impact of insoles and orthotics on injury prevention and rehabilitation? Little research within the world of orthotics/inserts is done with healthy runners but typically is related to specific conditions or people who already have pain. Even less research is performed on the actual sock liners. But what has been found? In non-runners who have heel pain, the use of either custom or pre-fabricated orthoses have been shown to help with short-term pain relief, particularly for those who have responded well to taping techniques to support the medial arch (Hawke et al, 2008; Lee et al, 2009; Landorf et al, 2008). Some also have had benefits up to 1 year for pain relief, with no evidence for benefits of orthotic use beyond that time for plantar fascia pain. So even if you temporarily use orthotics or inserts for the sake of pain relief, it's not something you likely will need for life, but just a tool for short-term use.

Visit our footwear science feature on orthotics here to learn more.

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