What is an Orthotic?
An orthotic is a padded sole insert that is custom-shaped for an individual patient's foot.  Over time, your feet take a beating from years of walking, running, and even just standing.  This can cause the foot to become "flat" and lead to discomfort in both your foot and throughout the rest of your body.  Orthotics correct the "flatness" and allow your feet to move the way they were intended to, preventing problems throughout the rest of your body.

That is interesting, tell me more...
Okay, let's compare your feet to a car's tires.  As the tires on a car start to wear, they begin to go out of alignment.  Then, the car starts to pull to one side as you are driving.  At this point, the tread on the tires wears out even faster and in an uneven way.  So, looking back at your feet... if a foot is "wearing out", that foot will increasingly get worse.  This, in turn, will cause the rest of your body to go out of alignment.  The result is aches and pains that may continually get worse as they go untreated.

So who is a good candidate for orthotics?
Those who have an improper balance and are suffering pain can, of course, be candidates for orthotics.  However, orthotics are really meant to be a tool for the prevention of serious pain.  Many people have an imbalance, but their condition has not yet worsened to the point where they are feeling any pain.  These are the best candidates - they can maintain their normal activities and prevent many knee, hip, ankle, foot, and low-back problems by correcting the situation ahead of time.

How is an orthotic custom-shaped?
Well, if you happen to be a candidate for orthotics, the Doctor will take an impression of your foot using a specialized foam.  This mold will be used to create an orthotic that is custom-made to the shape of your foot. 

What if I have many different types of shoes?
Many patients prefer to have more than one orthotic made.  They then are able to have one that fits into their gym shoes and another that is better suited for their dress shoes or heels and they never have to worry about switching the orthotic when they change shoes.