I got my first job in the mid-eighties, which was when sky-high stiletto heels were in vogue. Wearing them every day hurt my feet, but I didn’t think there was much I could do about it so like many women, I just suffered through it.
Fast-forward to now. A few months back I came to the realization that my feet were hurting on a constant basis, and no matter what I tried (varying heel heights, not walking around barefoot, never wearing the same show two days in a row, buying “comfortable” shoes like Merrells), the pain wasn’t going away. At about the same time, I made a decision to improve my health and I began walking almost daily. In the middle of walking one afternoon, I felt a sharp pain in my left foot and realized that I couldn’t continue to ignore this issue any longer.
I started by going online and seeing if this would be an issue for my primary care doc, and once I learned more about it I began to look for a podiatrist. I’m a wuss so I wanted to try to fix my problem without any needles or surgery. I ended up making an appointment with Dr. Lawrence Huppin in Seattle after seeing that he was named one of Seattle’s Top Doctors in Seattle Magazine. I was able to find out more about the doctor and learn about what kinds of ailments he treated through his website, which I loved! I made the appointment, then printed off and filled out the new patient forms online on the website. I brought the forms with me to my appointment and saved time by not needing to fill out the forms while in the waiting room.
My appointment was a bit enlightening, as Dr. Huppin finally put a name to the pain I was feeling ~ I had bunions (isn’t that something that only happens to little old ladies???) and the treatment was custom orthotics. I was cast the same day (painless procedure, and it was really quick) and a few weeks later I went back in to pick up my new orthotics. In talking with the office manager, I found out that Dr. Huppin was also named Podiatrist of the Year by the WA Podiatric Medical Association and he’s a nationally-known educator and lecturer in the field of biomechanics (which is why he believes in treating non-surgically whenever possible). I broke the new orthotics in over time as I was told to do, and am really, really pleased with the results ~ I don’t have any pain, and am really enjoying my walks now that I know my feet will be okay and not hurt! I went back to Dr. Huppin’s website and found out that they also offer custom orthotics to wear in dress shoes, and have ordered a pair of those as well for my office shoes.
I was really impressed and very happy with my results. I would highly recommend Dr. Huppin. He is very friendly and knowledgeable, as is his office staff. They’re courteous and efficient, and I didn’t have to wait to see the doctor; it felt like the doctor respected my time, which is unusual nowadays.
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