Testimonials & Video

The patients listed below have all been treated with either orthotic supports or with one of our many braces and splints, a few have used our Ease Forward Ankle Rocker. Many of these patients had tried devices from other clinics without success, sometimes incurring considerable expense in the process. All of the devices issued have been made at our own in-house manufacture facility by one of our highly skilled craftsmen.

Lee gets relief after severe road traffic accident

My name is Lee, in 2018 I was involved in a road traffic accident caused by a drunken driver. As a result, I suffered back, hand, leg and foot injuries. My injuries were very bad, so I had to have multiple operations to repair my leg and I even had bones removed from my feet. The operations left me in a lot of pain although they repaired a lot of the damage, I was left with a painful limp because my right leg was now shorter than before. This meant I couldn’t walk any distance without severe pain in my back and hip. At times the pain was excruciating. I had lots of physiotherapy which seemed to help for a while, but I was still unable to walk any distance. I was taking very high doses of pain killing drugs and I became quite depressed about my situation as I felt there was no end in sight and I kept thinking, “what if this is as good as it gets, what if I’m going to be like this for the rest of my life”. Because of my right leg being shorter, I was referred to the NHS Podiatry clinic to see if they could help. They took a cast of my feet and after 3 months wait; I was issued with a pair of what they said were custom insoles. The right orthotic had a heel raise to try and balance my leg length difference. From the moment I put them on they were extremely uncomfortable, however I decided to persevere as I felt that they might become comfortable after a while. After about 3 weeks I finally gave up with them as they were not only uncomfortable, but they also seemed to make my foot and leg pain worse. The orthopaedic surgeon who had operated on my feet recommended that I attend the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic to get a medical report and to see if they could help me walk better. I looked at there testimonials online and was encouraged that they seemed to specialize in my type of injury. I went for an assessment and David Hallowell the Podiatrist who showed me why my NHS devices hadn’t worked, and he said that they would be able to help. He spent a lot of time explaining the mechanics of my injury to give me a full understanding of what was going on. He took some casts of my feet and 2 weeks later I got my new orthotics.

I immediately felt that my foot was much more comfortable and that the heel raise was making me much more balanced. My limp was greatly reduced and for the first time in 6 years I was able to walk much more normally. Most importantly my lower back pain was almost completely gone. I almost cried with relief as I had for some time believed that I’d never walk properly again and here a I was walking normally after just a few minutes wearing the devices. I was blown away by the difference. I really can’t thank David and his team enough for the work they’ve done, I am so happy with the life changing outcome.

Foot & Ankle Clinic – Thank you Lee for your testimonial it’s always good to get a positive result for someone who’s been injured through no fault of their own. Lee’s original orthoses were of a very poor fit and therefore were producing uneven loading across the foot which is why they were so uncomfortable. The heel raise was also incorrectly fitted which meant that his foot was being forced into an unstable position. Because we used a corrected cast of the foot and not generic computer shapes, we are able to make a totally bespoke device which stabilizes the small joints of the foot and generally supports the foots geometry. This creates a more comfortable and functionally stable orthotic.

Margaret Gets Relief after 20 years of pain

My initial injury occurred 20 years ago when I had a series of falls which left me with a badly fractured my ankle. This left me in severe pain as my ankle never fully recovered. My balance was affected, and I suffered with weakness and pain right up my left side I also had nerve damage which caused numbness. I had to give up regular walking and cycling and was unable to drive my car any distance. I was put on strong medication (Tramadol) for the pain, and I had several steroid injections. I attended the NHS physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and doctors, and I even went privately to a podiatrist who issued me with a pair of orthotics. All of these measures failed to make any improvement. My daily routine was one of constant pain taking pain killers and using a crutch to hobble round. I had more or less given up when I saw a sign for the Foot and Ankle Clinic. I searched on Google and looked at the testimonials page which talked about the special rocker orthotic which the owner David Hallowell had designed. I booked an assessment and had some casts taken and two weeks later was issued with my devices. I almost immediately was able to feel that the rocker was reducing pressure on my ankle and allowing me to walk more fluently. After two weeks I am now walking pain free and I am off all the pain killers, my crutch is gone, and I feel like I have my life back again. The service that David and his team provides is second to none, I can honestly say that if you are contemplating giving up due to foot or ankle pain you should contact the Northern Ireland Foot & Ankle Clinic, I’m glad I did.

Foot and Ankle Clinic – Ankle injuries like this are often overlooked or taken to be trivial, but they quite often cause chronic lower limb and foot issues which may not fully manifest until years after the initial injury. The rocker simply gives the patient back the movement that has been lost due to the injury and therefore reduces stress throughout what we term as the kinetic movement chain. By doing so it greatly reduces symptoms.

Free from excruciating pain

I wanted to write to express our gratitude for your recent help with our son’s very painful feet.

Our son Thomas has been experiencing problems in September 2021. It began when he suffered an injury to his knee whilst playing soccer. He was instructed to rest for 6 weeks before training or playing again. Once he returned to sport he started experiencing very severe pain in his heels.

Our extremely athletic and contented child has been on a roller coaster ever since. We have seen countless professionals both privately and through the NHS including Physiotherapists, paediatricians, and orthopaedic specialists. We have had MRI scans, x-rays and ultrasounds in order to get a diagnosis. In the meantime, we have been visiting a private local podiatrist who prescribed insoles, which we have since learned could have been contributing to his problem as they were so ill-fitting!

Finally, this past Christmas 2022, it was confirmed that he had Sever’s disease, a growth plate issue commonly found in active, rapidly growing children. We hoped that with the diagnosis and more rest, the end would be in sight. This issue is usually experienced for a very short time.

Throughout all this time our son has dutifully complied with each professional’s advice and instruction, wearing his in soles, resting and icing his heels. Each time there would be an improvement and he returned to exercise he would suffer immeasurably, and we would be back to where we started. He has missed two seasons of soccer and Gaelic football for his teams, not to mention countless sporting opportunities through his school.

Our son’s life has been devoted to playing sports, he is not only able but exceptional at many sports including soccer, Gaelic football and basketball. His whole identity has been based on his athleticism and his interest in and participation in sports. Not being able to play for the best part of 2 years of his 14 years of life has made him feel isolated and frustrated and ultimately led to a decline in his mental health. As a parent, watching your child go through something like this is incredibly hard.

After 6 months more of doctors’ unhelpful and dismissive advice and an inadequate local podiatrist, we decided to research alternative options. I called the Foot and Ankle Clinic at the beginning of June 2023. David graciously spoke to me over the phone, he listened to our story and after hearing about his experience and reading other people’s testimonials we made the 2-hour round trip.

At the first appointment we parked 5 minutes away from the clinic, my son struggled to walk this far and after a consultation, a decision was made to order two types of custom-made orthotics for my son to wear. David listened and understood the gravity of his problem for my son and cared enough to spend time with us building our confidence in his work. Whilst he makes no promise to any patient that his treatment will work we left feeling hopeful.

Two weeks later we collected his in soles and now a further three weeks after wearing them our son is almost entirely pain-free! In just a few weeks, and a half-hour consultation David has achieved more for our son than a whole army of other professionals could not. Our son is physically walking ‘normally’ again, free from constant, excruciating pain, but the greatest news is that we now have a child who is mentally happier and hopeful for his future in sports again and for this, I am eternally grateful.

My wish is for this testimonial to reach others in a similar position who have been passed from ‘pillar to post’ by other professionals and the NHS and for them to call David safe in the knowledge that he will do his best for their care based on a wealth of knowledge and experience in this field.

Thank you David for helping our son to get back to what he loves to do and move forward with his life. It is worth more to us than winning the lottery!

-Danielle, Guy and Thomas de Rose

A Patient with a Painful Drop Foot

This is just to say a very big thank you and to express my gratitude to David for correctly diagnosing my drop foot condition and providing the necessary treatment to remedy my very painful situation when attempting to walk, which had been the case for the last 4 years.

I truly appreciate your help and support shown in getting my life back to some sort of normality as I can now with confidence walk about without the constant agonizing pain when pressure is applied to left foot. This is all thanks to your designing a custom brace for me.

Your dedication and professionalism are without fault, and I will endeavour to recommend your services to anyone that needs them. Finally, I would also like to say thank you to Tracy for her kindness and support.

Wishing you sincere thanks and continuous success in the future

Foot and Ankle Clinic – The main problem associated with a drop foot of this type is the risk of tripping and concomitant injury. This has the affect of reducing the patient’s overall confidence which seriously impacts on their lifestyle. The bungie brace used is fully adjustable so that the patient has complete control of the amount of lift exerted by the brace. When the patient wants to relax the bungie cord is simply unhooked until it is required again.

AMPUTATION AVERTED

My name is Karen. I started having foot problems in my teens. My foot became so painful that I was advised to have surgery. Over the years, I had multiple surgical procedures in an attempt to fix my foot, but none of these were successful. As a result of the operations my foot and ankle became more and more rigidly fused. Over the last 40 years the pain steadily got worse, forcing me to live on strong painkillers. I am now 60 years old and living with the pain has greatly reduced my quality of life. I recentlywent to my surgeon and said that I could stand the pain no longer. I asked for a below the knee amputation. It was the only way I could see that I would finally be out of pain.

My surgeon reluctantly agreed that he would carry out the procedure if I would agree to try one last conservative method of treatment. He referred me to Mr David Hallowell at the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic who I was told specialises in this type of difficulty. I somewhat sceptically agreed to go and made an appointment. After examining my foot, David said that he felt I might benefit from the use of what is known as a rocker insole. He showed me the rocker device he had designed and explained how it works. I tried a sample rocker and the effect was almost immediate my pain was
greatly reduced, and my walking became more fluent. I had a custom device fitted a few weeks later and the difference it’s made has been amazing. I’m not completely pain free, but the rocker has greatly reduced the pain and allowed me to have much greater mobility.

At this point in time I am happy to say I am no longer considering amputation.

Foot and Ankle Clinic – This is one of those cases that proves the real value of the “Ease Forward Rocker System”. While most supports and braces are designed to reduce movement and splint joints, the rocker is designed to create movement where the normal movement has been compromised either by surgical fusion or by arthritis or trauma. Although Karen was in extreme pain and had been for many years she was very determined that amputation was a last resort. She was therefore willing to try any conservative treatment. The willingness to try a new approach is often what makes the difference in that it makes our job much easier. I’m delighted with the outcome and very grateful to Karen for allowing us to share her story.

Patient with multiple fractures

My name is Peter, in 2018 I fell from a ladder and severely fractured both my legs. I had several operations to correct the fractures. Despite the brilliant work of my surgeon, and multiple operations I was still unable to walk for any distance and I had to always use a walking stick. The pain was excruciating at times and at one point I thought that I might be better having a below knee amputation. I was sent to a Podiatrist at the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic to see if the rocker brace, they had developed might improve things. I live in Dublin so it was a long way to travel, and I was not that confident that they would be able to help. I’d had various orthotics and heel raises and none of them had helped much. I spent some time with David Hallowell the podiatrist who developed the rocker and he explained how it worked and let me try a sample rocker. He then took casts for a set of rocker braces. I was fitted for the braces 6 weeks later. David is a genius! I now can walk pain free, and I no longer use my walking stick. I can’t tell you how much of a difference the rocker has made to my life and how grateful I am to David and his team.

Foot and Ankle Clinic- Thank you Peter, I was delighted at the outcome we achieved. Peters legs were so badly injured that I thought that we might not get a positive outcome. The rocker replaces most or all of the lost movement at his ankle joint and therefore greatly reduces the stress in the whole lower limb. We also made some footwear modifications which were necessary to balance his leg length. Peter was very compliant and constructive throughout the whole process, and this played a major part in the final outcome.

Irene Walks free of pain after 42 years

My name is Irene, I sustained a severe compound fracture to my right leg in 1975. My femur, tibia and fibula were broken in three places and at one stage the surgeon thought that they may have to amputate. Eventually after the surgical repair my leg was 2cm shorter.

It really changed my life for the worse. I suffered back and neck pain and I had a sever limp. I could never walk any great distance and I had to wear a heel raise in all my shoes. Eventually this led to me having to have my right knee replaced. While this helped realign my knee it exacerbated my foot issues and I eventually sustained fractures of the small bones of the foot.

My foot surgeon recommended that I see Mr David Hallowell at the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic to try out a rocker orthotic. I initially attended for an assessment and Mr Hallowell let me try out a sample rocker which while not comfortable certainly helped me walk. David explained that a custom rocker would be much more comfortable, and he took a cast of my foot. The rocker was issued two weeks later.

I can honestly say that the rocker has changed my life. I now have no pain and I also walk without a limp and can honestly say I don’t know where I would be without my rocker. I am so grateful to David and his team.

Thank you Irene

Hill walker with a painful foot after ankle injury

In 2019 I fell and injured my ankle while walking in the Mourne mountains with a walking group. With the help of friends, I managed to get to casualty. I was told that it was a severe sprain and that it would be fine after a few weeks. My ankle was strapped up and I was given a crutch and pain killers. My ankle was very swollen but after a few weeks it started to improve. However, as I regained my mobility, I noticed that my foot was becoming painful. The pain radiated up the through the arch and I felt like my foot was being pulled apart. I went to see my chiropodist and she advised me to contact the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic as they specialised in this sort of problem. I made an appointment and was seen by David Hallowell the owner. He assessed my ankle and explained what the problem was, he also explained that I needed a set of custom orthoses. I was a bit sceptical as some of my walking friends had been given orthoses in the past and had not been happy with them. David explained that this is often the case with badly fitting orthoses and assured me that mine would fit properly. He took casts of my feet, and I had my supports fitted a week or two later. The devices felt strange to begin with but within a few days I started to experience less pain in my foot. I was able to walk greater distances and my foot wasn’t painful when I got up from resting. I am happy to say that my supports are working really well and that I have even returned to hill walking.

I would thoroughly recommend anyone with foot pain to contact David and his team.

Thanks you so much Liz

Foot and Ankle Clinic – Liz had a classic ankle limitation which is very common after a severe sprain or fracture. Although the ankle itself may be pain free there is enormous strain on the foot to compensate for the lost ankle movement. This often causes the foot to flatten and in some cases over time the foot can completely collapse. We made a Liz a standard orthotic to prevent the foot flattening and to protect and stabilize the joints of her foot and that is usually all it takes to prevent further deterioration and restore proper function.

Thomas Avoids Amputation with a little help from the Foot and Ankle Clinic

I had my ankle crushed by a hydraulic ram in an accident at work about four years ago. The surgeons washed out the wound and inserted plates and screws to fix the bones together. After that I was in a lot of pain. I then had 2 ankle fusion operations to try and stop the pain. I also had pain killing injections, but nothing seemed to work. I had pain every day. As soon as I got out of bed. On a scale of 1-10 in the morning it was a 5 and it got worse during the day to a 9-10 in the evenings. I was only able to stand for an hour at a time before I had to rest on the sofa. The pain was just destroying my life, I was moody and angry all the time. My mobility was poor, and I had to go through pain just to make a cup of tea. I couldn’t go to watch football because of the walking and standing. The operations to fuse my ankle just seemed to make the pain worse. Then my back and my good leg started to get soar. All my weight was going through my good leg and it started to deteriorate. I went to see Mr McMullan an Orthopaedic trauma specialist. He suggested that I contact the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic as they had developed a rocker device which might help me. I made an appointment to see David Hallowell the Podiatrist. During my consultation David let me try a sample rocker, which immediately seemed to help. I had a cast taken of my foot and a custom fitted rocker was made.

The change has been unbelievable, I can walk now for longer and be on my feet for longer. My pain is 80% improved and this has had big effect on my life. I really wish I had heard about the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle clinic 4 years ago. Before I got the rocker, I was considering having my foot amputated, but the rocker has delayed or maybe even prevented this.

Thank you, Thomas

Foot & Ankle Clinic-It’s always very rewarding when one of our patients experiences a successful outcome like this, but particularly in a case like Thomas’s. He was in such severe pain, it was obvious he was desperate to get relief and was prepared to have his foot amputated if necessary. When you have a reduction in ankle movement either through trauma, surgical fusion or even arthritis it sets up a lot of stress in the lower limb. This stress can be in the foot the ankle or may even transfer up to the knee hips and lower back. The rocker is designed to create movement by mimicking the ankle joints motion. By doing this it greatly reduces strain on the whole of the lower limb. We’ve been using the rocker for several years and we now have several patients who were considering amputation but have managed to avoid it using the device. Since we originally designed the rocker we have continued to refine it and make improvements to allow it to be used in a greater number of cases. I’d like to thank Thomas for allowing us to share his story.

Letter From A Patient With A Severe Ankle Injury

Just a brief but sincere note to express my gratitude for the pain relief achieved following the use of your newly designed rocker foot orthotic.
Many years ago I injured my ankle severely, an MRI scan revealed significant damage to the ligaments which stabilize my ankle joint. As a result of this damage my ankle became restricted in movement and painful.

The rocker which was designed by David Hallowell at the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic has reduced the stress on my ankle by carrying out the natural function without the need for me to force the foot and ankle into a position that causes pain. The improvement in my walking and general quality of life has been significant, to say the least.

I trust that many others will find pain relief as I have done.

Wishing you continued success and sincere thanks

John

This is typical of the type of feedback we get from patients using the new rocker devices. Many of these patients have previously been issued with various types of orthotic supports and braces with limited success. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly many supports and braces do not fit properly and therefore do not give adequate support. This has become more common since the reduction in NHS budgets. Sadly some of these patients end up on orthopaedic waiting lists for operations which they may not need. The second reason is that arch supports and braces are designed to reduce movement in the joints of the foot and ankle and this can exacerbate rather than improve the problem. The rocker is designed to create movement and therefore reduce strain in the whole of the lower limb by mimicking the natural movement of the foot and ankle. In the video below John can be heard to describe the effect the rocker has had on his ankle and on his quality of life

Patient With 30 Years of Pain Due To An Ankle Injury

In 1982 I broke my ankle in a footballing accident. The surgeon at the time said it was one of the worst accidents he had seen in sport. After the accident, the bones got infected so it took a long time to heal. From then on I was in pain every day. When walking it felt like someone was sticking a knife into the side of my ankle. Then my ankle would swell and I would be completely unable to walk. I had to plan everything that I was doing so that I didn’t have to walk much. The furthest I could walk was about half a mile and after that, I would have to sit with my foot up for hours.
The pain was constantly there and when it was severe I couldn’t even stand or walk at all. I would lie with my ankle up to relieve the swelling and no matter what tablets I took they made very little difference. I saw an advertisement for The Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic in a local paper. It described how the owner David Hallowell had developed a special insole that rocked in your shoe for patients with injured ankles. I contacted the clinic and made an appointment for a consultation. David explained how the device worked and took a cast of my foot. About a week later I was given my rocker insole.
The rocker has been very successful and the pain reduced significantly within a few days. I was also able to walk further than I had in over 30 years. I am now able to walk 2 miles without any pain and without having to put my foot up afterwards. If I’d tried this without the rocker I’d have been unable to walk the next day. I’ve started to do activities that I thought I’d never be able to do, like go for a walk in the evening or play with my grandchildren. The rocker really has been life-changing.

Thank you for your help Dessie

This is a classic case of a restricted joint which was constantly creating pain. The rocker mimics the movement of the ankle joint and therefore reduces the stress caused by trying to force the ankle to move. The feedback from patients like Dessie has been very encouraging and is invaluable as we try to get the rocker accepted by the mainstream orthopaedic community.

Referral From A Podiatrist in Dublin

Dear David

My brother Andrew, who is now 38 years old had a very serious accident in 2007 when he was propelled from a ladder and landed on both his feet from a great height and broke nearly every bone in both ankles and Tib and Fib. As you can see from his X-ray he had extensive surgery on both legs over several days and they managed to save both feet and eventually he learnt to walk again. All was good up until about six months ago when he developed an ulcer on one ankle and is finding the pain and stiffness harder to deal with.

He had x rays taken last week which showed severe degenerative changes in both ankles and is awaiting an MRI scan and an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon.

I feel at this stage there is very little an orthopaedic surgeon can do for him particularly with his poor circulation and considering his age we are concerned what the future holds for him.

I was very interested in all you said about the rocker device and feel that Andrew could benefit greatly from it. Do you treat patients from the South or do you only treat patient’s referrals from the North?

As you can imagine we are all very concerned about him and I would appreciate any advice you could give us.

Yours Sincerely

Lynda

Review letter

Dear David

Thank you for seeing my brother so quickly. The rockers you provided have proved invaluable. He is experiencing greatly reduced pain in both ankles and is able to walk for much greater distances. He particularly likes being able to walk with a normal heel strike as he was very self-conscious about walking on his toes. I will keep in touch regarding any further developments. Thanks again for all your help and good luck developing the rocker.

Yours in appreciation

Lynda

The videos above show the extent of Andrew dysfunction and the results gained from use of the rocker device

Lady With A Chronic Ankle Injury

My name is Isabelle, I broke my ankle in February 2006 when I missed the last step on the stairs and as a result in the words of the Hospital Consultant “it was a nasty break” I required an operation involving the insertion of a plate and screws through both sides of my leg and my ankle as well as screws through the base of my foot.

From that, I have always had pain and swelling in my ankle even though I had several physiotherapy sessions. I have tried all types of orthopaedic insoles on the market with little or no improvement. I also had a limp which I was conscious of.

Then in February of this year, I saw an article in our local “In Touch” magazine. I read about the Northern Ireland Foot & Ankle Clinic in Glengormley who had developed a special insole which helps people with ankle injuries. I made an appointment to see Mr Hallowell who assessed my ankle and gave me a sample rocker insole to try out. I immediately felt I was walking normally for the first time in 8 years.

Mr Hallowell then took a cast of my foot to have a rocker made to suit me. I got the rocker insole about a week later and I have been using it since March this year. It has made an amazing difference to my walking and has greatly reduced my pain. On a recent holiday, I was able to walk further than at any time in the last 8 years and was completely pain-free.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has foot or ankle problems you will not be disappointed.

Many Thanks

Issy, Carnmoney

It was clear from watching Isabelle walk that her ankle movement was very limited and that the limitation was causing her severe pain. These chronic ankle injuries are relatively common and they follow a familiar progressive pattern from an initial injury to chronic foot and ankle pain. Some of the patients I see have had surgery and some are trying to avoid having an operation. The limited movement of the ankle puts stress on all the surrounding joints so that often the patient attends the clinic with foot or knee pain rather than ankle pain. The rocker is designed to reduce this stress by re-establishing/mimicking the normal ankle movement. Happily, since we started making it the feedback has been very positive. We are currently trying to find what other conditions it may be useful for. My hope is that we can get the device accepted into the mainstream of orthopaedic devices so that it can be offered to patients after surgery. Currently, many patients are given rocker bottom shoes which can be bulky and are not always user-friendly

A patient injured in an IED explosion

In May 2010, whilst serving in the Upper Gereshk Valley, I trod on an IED; the resulting partial detonation shattered my calcaneus into nine pieces. Subsequent surgery achieved unity of the bone but left uneven surfaces that caused degenerative arthritis.

Physiotherapy helped me to recover and to learn to walk again, but initial surgical prognoses suggested that I would never be able to run again due to the complexity of the damage in the subtalar joint.

I was referred to a podiatrist, Mr David Hallowell, by my physiotherapist in a bid to initiate further progress in my rehabilitation. Although initially sceptical, I engaged with him and was given a set of orthotic insoles that made a significant difference to my daily level of comfort.

Mr Hallowell continued to re-evaluate my progress and adjust my treatment as necessary; I felt that I was being listened to and that it was a receptive and interactive process. The real difference was when he developed a rocker insole that was coupled with a leg-brace; this design gave me the confidence to run that I had not had since my injury occurred. The result was that I was able to complete the Belfast Marathon in a time of 3:57, a feat that I had been told was permanently beyond me.

Throughout the whole of my treatment for this debilitating injury, I can identify my treatment at the hands of Mr Hallowell as the single point of success; it feels like everything else was merely supporting this process which has given me the best chance of replicating my pre-injury existence.

Thank you for making a difference

Olly

This video shows a patient who stood on an IED while in Afghanistan. He was told by his orthopaedic specialist that he would have the mobility of a below-knee amputee. He was issued with our unique ankle rocker brace. He began running and after a period of 4 months completed the Belfast Marathon

Patient with a Charcot rocker bottom foot injury

As a Teaching School Principal, I work in an organisation where I need to be active and on my feet for most of the day. My lifestyle outside the workplace is an active one build around my love of the sport. In 2011 through training and running for a marathon, I developed foot and ankle pain which turned out to be the onset of a fallen arch and eventually a mid-foot drop. After visiting a consultant he was reluctant to offer surgery as an option and preferred to manage the injury through the use of Orthotics which caused a lack of flexibility with the foot and ankle when walking.

I felt deterioration in my condition and could see no improvement after a year’s use. I felt restricted in carrying out many of my daily practices and became very conscious of a limp that I was developing. In searching the internet for a solution to my concern I read about the work of Mr David Hallowell at “Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic” and his work in the development of an ankle rocker brace. After meeting with him I felt confident that he could address my concerns and after an evaluation, he made and fitted me with a personalised orthotic rocker brace. It was moulded around my injury and fitted very comfortably so much so that within a few weeks it relieved much of the pain giving me a sense of flexibility within my foot.

I would say it put the “spring” back into my footstep. The aftercare that David gave was very reassuring and I believe that he sees each patient’s injury as a goal to improve the quality of their life. David follows up his work and ensures that if adjustments need to made, to your treatment then they are carried out. Through the flexibility and comfort of the personalised orthotic, much of the restriction I was experiencing was reduced, I find that I can walk further distances and I certainly don’t have that sense of limping, more importantly, I feel more confident in my movements. I would thoroughly recommend that if you are experiencing foot or ankle pain that you visit and speak with David. I think you may find a solution to your concerns.

Patient with Arthritic ankle

My name is Norman and I am 55years old, I have been suffering from arthritis of the feet and ankles since my mid-thirties. As a result of this condition, I have undergone a number of surgical procedures with the end result being arthrodesis of the right ankle and subtalar joints, meaning that my right foot is fixed at a right angle and does not have movement except in the midfoot area.

As a result of this, I require a rocker insole to be fitted into my right shoe; this is to assist forward movement when walking. During the last few years, I have found it more difficult to walk with some sort of normality.

In April this year (2014), I read an article on the Northern Ireland Foot & Ankle Clinic based in Glengormley. The article related to a rocker insole which fits inside the shoe, and is made to measure. I contacted the clinic and made an appointment. During the consultation, I discovered that when walking I was unconsciously forcing myself forward when stepping through on my right foot. A mould was taken off my right foot.

A week later my rocker insole was ready, it was inserted into my shoe, it took a few days to get used to it but once I did it became comfortable to walk again. The rocker insole assisted with the stepping through when I was walking taking the pressure off my lower back, right hip and knees. I certainly won’t be running marathons anytime soon but as for everyday use but this little piece of assistance provided by the Northern Ireland Foot & Ankle Clinic is invaluable; it really makes life a lot easier and a lot more comfortable!

Sincere Thanks

Norman