Flex run trial

[barclay]

I have an Ossur Flex Run to try for a month, and the first day I get it the snow starts :-(. I love snow, normally, but this is not a good time! I am thinking I will go to a fitness center and try a treadmill - is there anything to know about running feet and treadmills ?

Thanks,
Cynthia

[allenuk]

Don't really know, but Start Off Slowly might be a good motto.


Allen.

[barclay]

:-)

[mitchee]

I use a Flex-Run leg. Like any prosthesis, it's set up for the person using it. I have my running leg set up approximately 1 1/2" inches longer than my healthy leg. After a lot of experimentation, this is how I like it. It allows for the compression of the Flex-Run foot to my liking. I think it depends on your weight and how much flex you want in your running leg. When starting to learn to run on a Flex foot or Cheetah foot, I would recommend being careful because sometimes BK amputees tend to swing their prosthetic leg out to the side when they are running. If you are a BK then you shouldn't need to do that especially if your Flex-Run leg is set up properly. Concentrate on your form and you will have a smooth gait. I would try the Flex-Run leg outside first to see how you like it and how your form is. After that, I don't see any reason why you can't run on a treadmill. As Allen recommended go slow until you are comfortable. Good luck and enjoy running.

[barclay]

Thanks Mitchee - I actually found an indoor track and they will let me run without becoming a member (the woman on the phone was really nice actually). I am hoping to get there this week (tried yesterday, but they are only open on evenings during the week). The catch is that I need the car (I don't like to take the train home all sweaty and I doubt that their showers are handicapped accessible) and the weather forecast is for freezing rain.
I've tried the flex around the house and I think I am going to want it longer as well - you sink down so much! But I really like the sensation of it - and the weight!! It feels like flying :-) 'course, then the pin-lock regular lag feels like a ball and chain after, but that goes away again.
I will take it slowly - I've never been able to run before (the old foot was paralyzed) so I don't know a lot about form, but I will check out youtube to get some tips.

[mitchee]

Hi Barclay. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences. Please keep us updated. :-)

[barclay]

:-( Not so good. The foot is a little too short and maybe too soft, it felt very lopsided. I was on a track and field track and it was better when I had the flex on the uphill side in a curve (running clockwise), but I didn't dare run very long as I felt that my back was being worked in ways it didn't like.
I tried attaching it to my other socket, but that was too long and I kept catching the foot as I ran. Not a happy camper at the moment.

I can let my guy add an adapter to lengthen it, but I have to think it through. Health insurance isn't paying for it, so it's all out of pocket and has to work with the second socket. I'm hesitant to start when I'm not sure if the flex is right - I don't what to end-up throwing out a lot of money.
When yours was short Mitchee, did it feel too springy ? I had the impression that with the longer socket, it was less springy, but I didn't do much with it because it was catching on the ground and I didn't was to trip.
Are there other's which are less springy ?
Thanks

[mitchee]

If my memory serves me correctly, I think that it should be approximately 2" longer than your "everyday" leg. I started with it 2" longer but I thought it didn't compress enough. I thought it was difficult to bring my leg through the stride naturally. It seemed like my prosthetic leg was too tall. (The Flex-Run foot wanted to catch the ground as I brought it through my stride.) My prosthetist shortened it by 1" and I thought it was too soft. I felt like I was sinking. I also felt out of sorts... lopsided, like it was too short. Next we tried 1 1/2" (longer than my everyday leg) and it was just right. (I sound like Goldielocks and the 3 Bears LOL.) I am overweight so initially we thought 2" would be the proper additional length but apparently I don't run fast enough to compress the leg enough at the 2" length. Everyone's running style is different and for me the magic number was 1 1/2." I run at a slow pace, so I don't think that I compress the leg as much as someone of the same weight would if they were running fast or sprinting on the same leg. I hope this makes sense. For me, the 1 1/2" longer leg was the right length. Please don't give up, you will find the right length through trial and error.

If you intend to use the Flex-Run foot, then it is worth having your prosthetist find the proper length. Your prosthetist shouldn't charge you for the visits to get the length right. My prosthetist didn't charge me any extra for the height adjustments. It was a learning experience for him as well as me. :-) I agree that putting on your regular prosthesis after wearing a Flex-Run foot is like wearing a ball and chain for a few minutes until you re-adjust to the weight of your everyday prosthesis. Hopefully someday our everyday leg will be as light as our running leg.

I should also say that my prosthetist made a separate prosthesis for my Flex-Run foot. My everyday leg would have required too many spacers and/or adapters to make it useful for jogging so I opted for a separate leg. (It wouldn't have been as easy as swapping one foot for another. I also didn't want to mess with constantly changing feet and making sure that I had them torqued correctly.) I now have 3 legs... an everyday leg, a cycling leg and a jogging leg. For those who think that I can afford these costs, please let me preface this by saying that I sacrifice a lot so that I can purchase these items. I choose to go without some things so that I can afford my extra prosthetics. I'm not complaining, I just want to be clear about how I acquire them. Thank you for your understanding.

I have only run (jogged) on a Flex-Run foot. I have not tried a Cheetah foot or any other type of running foot. My prosthetist recommended that I try a Flex-Run foot because it is designed for longer distances than a Cheetah foot. Because I am happy with my current set up, I have been afraid to try anything else. (I am a creature of habit and stick with what works for me.) However, I am also interested in hearing about someone else's experiences with other running types of running feet. As they say, change is good. So if there's something else out there, I'm also interested in learning about it. :-)

Good luck and hang in there. I'm sure that you will find the proper length soon and you'll be running like the wind in no time.

Happy running. :-)

[barclay]

Thanks a lot Mitchee - what you wrote give me hope in that if the length affects how spongy the leg feels then maybe it is worth having different adapters put in and trying it out. I would like to run.....

[allenuk]

Well, a friend of 'ours' (Fiona, who isn't very active of the forums at present - probably too busy with...) was in London a few months ago and ran a 10k charity event. She said she was a bit slow, but she made it all the way - and I don't think she had a special leg, although I might be wrong.

So, keep at it you women, you're showing us the way!


Allen.

[mitchee]

Hi Cynthia. Just a thought... If you find the right length but think the foot is too soft, ask your prosthetist to order another Flex-Run foot that is one weight class higher. Because you will weigh less than the recommended weight for the foot, you will not be putting the amount of force on the Flex-Run foot that it is designed to handle. As a result, the foot should have less flex and be more stiff for you. Good luck.
Michelle

[barclay]

I saw my guy again yesterday and gave back the foot I had. Ossur is going to send a quote to custom make a foot - supposedly not much more than the regular cost - which will fit the socket covered by insurance (the second my work paid for from a special staff fund - it's a long story). So, now I'm waiting and seeing what 'not much more' translates to in Euros.