When it comes to playing hockey, Canadians just can’t get enough. From tots to baby boomers, there’s a league for just about everyone who wants to participate. There’s ice hockey, floor hockey, 3 on 3 hockey, street hockey... the list goes on and on. The pportunities to play seem endless, except for those who were born with flat feet. Says hockey-mom Angela Douglas, “We didn’t really know that Mitchell had a problem with his feet until he started playing hockey. All of the other 8-year olds would take off their skates and move on to their next activity. Poor Mitchell, on the other hand, would remove his skates and find painful blisters on the bottom of his arch. At first, we assumed that his skates didn’t fit right. When we finally took him in to see the Pedorthist, we quickly realized that the problem resulted from his flat feet.”
In addition to his low arches, the Pedorthist also noticed Mitchell’s weak ankles. As weak ankles roll down and inward, they can lower the arch even further. In Mitchell’s case, he was wearing down the inside edge of his soft running shoes every couple of months. This condition can also cause legs to fatigue easily and feel achy. Like many parents, Angela assumed his tired and hurting legs were due to growing pains.
Mitchell has been back on the ice, completely blister free, for the last three years. In fact, since getting his custom-made orthotics, his feet and ankles haven’t given him any trouble. “When he got his orthotics, it was a complete turnaround,” says Angela. “He was just thrilled. Here we had a kid who said he was going to stop playing because his feet hurt so much. Now I can’t get him to stop playing! He won’t even consider putting on his skates without his orthotics, because he knows how much better he feels.”
Of course, Mitchell Douglas wasn’t available for comment. He had just returned home from hockey try-outs and was outside with friends... playing what else? Hockey!