hypermobility: boots and insoles?

[lovemybabies3]

my daughter is 22 months and been told she has hypermobilty! weak ligaments in her feet and ankles! feet turn and she walks on the insides of her feet!
we are due to get her boots and insoles fitted next week! just wondering if anyone has had any luck with these boots! from what iv read some children are still wearing them many years later! any success stories! feel so sorry for her.

[13lucky]

Hi there, my dd was diagnosed with hypermobility and hypotonia when she was about 14 months old. When she started walking she had paediatric boots from the hospital (Piedro boots) to try and hold her feet and ankles in the right position. She had these until the age of about 5 when we took the decision to stop using them as she'd started school and was becoming more self-conscious of what she was wearing. She then went on to wear specially moulded insoles from the hospital but our particular children's orthotics department at the hospital were particularly poor and slow at the time and with one thing and another we gave up on them in the end and found a very good, independent chidlren's shoe shop who are brilliant and sell 'off the peg' insoles which now do the job in a good, well-fitting pair of shoes (warning: shoe shopping is very expensive!). My dd is now 11 and, whilst she does suffer sometimes due to the conditions, she copes brilliantly well with it and life isn't that affected. She has hypermobility to the highest degree (it is measured on the Beighton scale out of 9 and my dd scores 9 out of 9 so couldn't be any more hypermobile!). It'll be ok, trust me and good luck x

[CatastropheKate]

My son wore piedro boots and insoles through primary, still has custom insoles in walking boots for secondary. I don't know what success stories you want, but they make moving easier and less painful, they're not a miracle cure.

[LadyPenelope68]

My son is 15 and has hyper mobility. He had Piedro boots and insoles from a young age and moved to just insoles when he left Primary as the boots were quite cumbersome. He’ll probsbky have to wear the insoles for the rest of his life but that’s no real issue. Not sure what “success” stories you’re wanting, you can’t “cure” hypermobility, the boots/insoles aren’t going to get rid of it, just give better support to make life easier mobility wise.

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Like Kate I'm confused as to what you mean by success story, she'll always have hypermobility. I'm hypermobile, as is dc2(6). You get used to it. I stopped wearing insoles in y5 or 6 when I got in to being 'fasionable', dc wears them in some shoes but not in others (just depends on how supportive the shoe is to begin with). The main problem for me growing up was problems with dislocations.

[lovemybabies3]

thanks all so much for your replys! i think i was secretly hoping that maybe these boots and insoles after some time would completly straighten her feet! but after all iv read up about it they wont!
when she walks bare feet she falls over quite alot so im hoping as she gets older she will just learn to walk with how her feet are! yes iv already looked around for supportive boots when she is older and im expecring them to cost a small fortune! thanks again.

[babayjane67]

My dd was diagnosed with hypermobility at 18 months& had to have physio to walk.
She had both the orthotic boots& insoles.she's 9 now& not needed the boots for about a yr now just the insoles.her feet do the same without them walking in the inside of the foot.
She's doing great though& does swimming& gym.though she's still a bit behind her peers with gross motor skills,she's never let it hold her back from doing anything!