My Story 9

The assessment confirmed my own diagnosis. I had indeed been born with a biomechanical abnormality caused by the misalignment of two bones in my feet. In my case, the degree of misalignment was particularly severe, which accounted for the reason why I had suffered so much at a young age.

Luckily, no degeneration of my spinal discs was evident from the x-ray. However, I was informed that if I had continued to suffer with the biomechanical weaknesses that I have, and not corrected them, I would likely have suffered degenerative osteoarthritis at some point, probably sooner rather than later.

The sheer relief of knowing that there really was a cause, and more importantly understanding how and why it affected the rest of my body, both physically and mentally, has had a profound effect on my ability to deal with the situation. Furthermore, it has given me incredible personal strength to believe in and accept my body for what it is and why it has a problem.

My feet and gait (the way I walk) were analysed using special equipment called TOG GaitScan, and a pair of custom made orthotics was created to control the motion of my feet with every single step. At the time of writing, I have been undergoing orthotic therapy for 6 months, and despite being warned that the experience would have a profound effect, I was still unprepared for the actual result.

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