Albuquerque Experienced Orthotic SpecialistI get asked almost every day what an orthotic is and what it does.

What Does an Orthotic Do?

An orthotic simply is an arch support, but that way over simplifies what it does. The orthotic sits in your shoe and changes the way the foot functions. Pain in our feet has little to do with what our foot looks like and much to do with how it works. There are many moving parts in our foot with 26 bones and 15 major tendons and dozens of ligaments that all work together to keep us moving. When that motion and all those parts don’t work together the way they should we have pain. Pain is almost always about pushing one of those parts harder or further than it wants to go. Some of us do this on purpose and call it exercise. Others just have a few more pounds on our bodies that we were designed to carry. Most of us just don’t have that “perfect” foot and it doesn’t always work right.

Orthotics Correct Motion in the Foot

This is where an orthotic can play a vital role in helping us to feel good when we walk. The orthotic helps the foot to function the way it was designed and helps to slow down that extra motion and cushion that extra pressure that is going into these less than perfect feet. The orthotics help our feet to maximize the performance of the many moving parts and decreases injuries and overuse that happen daily in our lives.

So when our feet get sore and feel like they have been “pushed” too far we use shoes and more specifically orthotics to help control that motion and heal those overused parts. It is a simple and very powerful way to heal and protect our feet. There are various ways our feet can hurt and we always recommend before spending any money on an orthotic that you get your specific problem diagnosed and then get an orthotic that will best work for your pain.

Nathan Ivey
Experienced Albuquerque podiatrist specializing in preventing and treating foot and ankle pain.