AFO Question - Adults With SMA - SMA News Today Forums

Tagged: Adults With SMA, AFO’s, Foot problems

Adults With SMA

AFO Question

Posted by deann-r on May 29, 2019 at 9:31 pm

Question for you guys and gals, do any of you use AFO’s (I think that’s what they’re called) to keep your ankles straight? Of course I hated them as a kid, and quit wearing them eons ago. My ankles roll and so causes weird pressure points when I wear shoes. Wondering if something like that would help or if I’d still hate em.

rachel-markley replied 4 years, 9 months ago 7 Members · 9 Replies
9 Replies

pierre-goria

Member
May 30, 2019 at 9:31 am

DeAnn- I have great success with the allard afo. I’ve been using them 10 +/- yrs. They have different styles for each persons ability. They are carbon fiber and last a long time. I wear mine daily. Best of luck. https://www.allardusa.com/news/news/flow
- deann-r
  
  Member
  June 1, 2019 at 9:12 am
  
  They do have quite a selection. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks!
kevin-schaefer

Member
May 30, 2019 at 11:10 am

I used braces when I was in elementary school, but I haven’t since then. These days, my aquatic therapy sessions help tremendously with loosening my leg muscles.
ryan-berhar

Member
May 30, 2019 at 5:36 pm

I wore those as a little kid. They never seemed to do me any good, and I’m glad I stopped wearing them. But that’s just me, of course.
halsey-blocher

Member
May 30, 2019 at 8:46 pm

I haven’t worn them since I was about 12. My ankles are turned far enough that it wouldn’t really help anymore. I don’t wear shoes anymore so I don’t really know how to help the sores. I always wear fuzzy socks and my footrest are padded.
- deann-r
  
  Member
  June 1, 2019 at 9:15 am
  
  Fuzzy socks are a must! Did your footrests come padded or is that a modification you made?
  - halsey-blocher
    
    Member
    June 1, 2019 at 8:50 pm
    
    I ordered them that way when I got the chair.
kelly-miller

Member
June 7, 2019 at 12:30 pm

Halsey, good to know about the padded foot rests! I haven’t been able to wear shoes in over 5 yrs. because of the pain they were causing my feet. I just have too much water retention & poor circulation in my feet to be able to find a pair of shoes that fit right and then look right. I buy all kinds of different colored & styled socks, incl 6 pair of different colors that look like converse tennis shoes! I’ve even had people who don’t know me think they really were shoes. It would definitely help to have padded foot rests to ease some of the pressure on my soles. Halsey, if you’re looking for another website that has great socks, try Joy of Socks.
rachel-markley

Member
July 9, 2019 at 9:31 am

I saw a PT I really trust yesterday and she told me there’s no need as long as I’m making sure my feet are positioned correctly on my footrests.