Product Review: Should You Buy Walkfit Orthotics?

When my doctor suggested that my back pain was due to having one leg longer than the other, I wondered why I hadn't felt this pain throughout my life. My growing pains stopped long ago, so surely it wasn't a recent occurrence for one leg to suddenly outgrow the other. But one thing was for certain: the alignment problems visible on the x-ray were the source of the strain my body felt. The good news was no broken, chipped, or cracked vertebrae. The bad news was that there was no quick fix. The doctor billed my insurance and me and then referred me to a physical therapist. Not wanting to pay yet another doctor, when likely I was the solution to the problem anyway, I decided to exercise more regularly. Strengthening the core, building flexibility, and reducing my waistline would surely help my back muscles to do their job and give me better posture. All I really needed to hear was that controlled exercise would not do more harm. It still frustrates me to take it easy playing sports, but the more I exercise the more capable my physique becomes. When I heard that someone else's doctor-who also pointed out disparity in the length of her legs-suggested she buy and where special orthotic shoes, I decided to look into that. She was excited to get new shoes, but wasn't sure her specially designed shoes were quite her style.

Walkfit does have the advantage of being able to be transferred into whatever pair of shoes you choose to wear. Dr. Scholls also offers an orthotic insole. But I wasn't just looking for extra padding. I was looking for solid support that would cause me to fix my walk. Logically, we think that our bodies will naturally walk the best way for them; however, having bought a pair of shoes a size too big that had worn in strange ways, I found that my body had already been trained to walk poorly. I attribute my sore feet and part of my slouching problem when I walk, to those shoes. But I didn't discover that the need for training myself to walk properly was the case, until I tried Walkfit. I will walk you through the results.

The product's directions recommended work your way into your new walking devices. My findings echo the same suggestion. I'll take you through the stages I experienced when using Walkfit:

Day 1

Feels like I've got smooth rocks strapped to the arches of my feet. One hour of this is all I am going to want to stand. All I can think about are those things pressing back at the weight of my body. By the end of the hour I'm not sure what I've accomplished except for I have pain in my feet, my lower back, and other parts of my body. The realization comes that maybe the pain in my feet will get used to these new conditions, my lower back always feels sore anyway, but maybe the other pains are good, because they might represent other areas of my body helping carry the load.

Day 2

The first couple hours go well. I still notice the Walkfit plastic on the soles of my feet, especially when standing for long periods of time. But time goes by much quicker. I find that I've worn them for two hours without trouble. I decided to push for longer. By hour number four I have a headache. I realize that it is probably due to my aches originating from my feet and realignment that is popping through my back and neck at times. The Walkfit's come off and I'm not too anxious for tomorrow. But I resolve to take it easier.

Day 3

A few hours pass without incident. I take the Walkfit off and leave them at my work desk for tomorrow. They don't feel as hard and forceful anymore. They are actually giving me good support to push off of from the front of my foot. I seem to be walking straighter and with these in my shoes I stand a little taller. My lower back still feels strained, but no more than the rest of the day without the Walkfit soles in my shoes.

Week 1

I can go through a whole workday now. I like how when I walk, balance is not only better, but it allows me to walk with a more fluid range of motion. Some of this could be attributed to the pain that has been taken from my lower back a

Week 2

What is that tingling sensation in my legs? Just kidding! Okay, so I am not as diligent at wearing these things as I should be. I still am very aware of them being strapped to the bottom of my feet, though it lends support under the upper pad of my foot to push off from. They are more comfortable now and perhaps if I wore them through whole days consistently they would be almost unnoticeable. Alignment, posture, and balance do seem to be improved with them on. They are not a foot massage by any means but serve the body overall better, helping to prevent the need for a full body massage.

Results

Overall, I like the results, but like I said, I don't wear them for the whole day, maybe just through work at best. I am not entirely convinced that Dr. Scholl's orthotic pads would not be a better, more comfortable substitute to ease into, but I am glad that I at least have some form of orthotic wear. My back seems to be less strained and less pained for it. I won't be returning the product as I believe it to have worthy benefits in appropriate stints. There is a 30-day guarantee in which you could return the product, as some-according to variance in people's bodies-may very well be instructed by their doctors to do, according to the Walkfit systems disclaimer. It is kind of like how laser eye surgery isn't suited for everyone, and everyone is not a candidate. But if you have back pain, you likely need some correction to relieve the strain you may be causing your back. Orthotics has been one of the tricks, along with stretching and exercise, and good eating, that has helped remove the pain my back receives from a normal workday sitting in an office chair of all things.