Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Hello all, I got my first set of AFOs last week and after two adjustments they are working well for me. However, there is some friction near my heel that causes a fairly loud squeak when I walk (no discomfort though). This can be embarrassing since it sounds similar to gastic noises. Has anyone else here had that problem? If so, what did you use to fix it? I think I will try baby powder and see if that helps. But I figure there may be a better solution somewhere. Any ideas? Any input is greatly appreciated. -Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Rob, If your braces are the plastic kind they can have a hole drilled in the bottom heel part and incert a rubber doll, I have seen where they some times use leather on the upper and bottom of the heal but I feel the rubber doll holds up a lot longer. I asume you have AFOs with a hinged ankle. I`m glad to hear they work well for you !! Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Thanks Alan, Actually my AFOs don't have a hinge. They are one solid piece. How big is the piece of rubber? Does it go directly on the bottom of the heel portion of the AFO? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Rob, My non-hinged AFOs squeaked when I first got them, too. The bare plastic was also quite painful on my heel, so my problem was two-fold. My husband came up with a solution. He removed the insoles from my New Balance shoes, trimmed them down to size to fit directly inside my AFOs, then my orthotist glued them directly to the plastic. It took care of the pain and the squeak. We also used a little bit of baby powder. I think maybe the moisture from your feet/socks touching the hard plastic causes the squeak. I think putting the insole between them stopped the friction and the noise. I've been wearing my AFOs comfortably like this for nearly 2 years. K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Rob, The fix I told you about was for AFOs with a hinge. I would go back to who made them for you and address that squeak. Best of luck, Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Rob I don't know if you are having the same problem I had but mine were squeaking from the AFOs rubbing on the bottom of the heal and the insole of my shoe. This was very loud when I changed directions. I solved the problem by applying moleskin padding to the bottom of my AFOs. You can buy this at drug stores in the foot care section. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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