[afreeman]

Dear Friends:

I am five weeks post-op. I want to weigh in on this issue of wearing the most comfortable shoes post-op. Prior to surgery, all I wore were Z-Coil shoes. When I put anyting else on my feet, my back pain increased. With Z-Coils I didn't need to insert my orthodics because of the built-in orthodic design. In addition, the coils can be rotated to adjust for pronation and supination. I am most comfortable with the strength of the coil set on the inside to counter pronation. After ADR surgery, I have been wearing an old pair of New Balance tennis shoes. This is the first time I have been able to wear anything else comfortably other than the Z-coils. The downside is that they are old and not very attractive at that, especially for work. So, I purchased a new pair of NB shoes with the hope that they would feel just as comfortable. How wrong I was! My pain level has jumped a couple of points for the past three days I have been wearing the new NB shoes! On one level, I am surprised that the nerves in my lumbar are still that sensitive to adjustments to my foundation. On the other hand, I guess it makes some sense, given I am still in the midst of the healing process. Does anyone have an opinion regarding whether I should just tough it out with the new shoes until the nerves adjust? Or should I simply wear what's most comfortable until I am further along in the healing process?

Thanks in advance to anyone who has experienced similiar issues regarding the relationship between footware and its impact on back pain.

Sincerely,
AFreeman ><>