Orthotics are a term that most people are familiar with; however, their importance is vastly under appreciated. While they are mostly prescribed for different types of foot pain they can help with a variety of other ailments. The reason behind this is that our feet are the foundation of our bodies and if we have issues (not necessarily symptoms) with our arches then it can cause pressure in other areas of the body. Think of it like a house over a sinkhole that is forming underground. When the foundation of the house starts to break down then pressure will be put in places where pressure should not be. This can cause cracks in the walls or a leak in the roof well before problems in the floor are ever noticed. In our bodies when we have arch issues it can start with pain in the knees, hips or even spine well before foot symptoms appear. As a runner I developed plantar fasciitis many years ago. I tried therapy for weeks on my feet with temporary relief, but the pain kept returning. I thought I had good arches and then when I finally had my feet scanned I discovered my arches were falling. I was not flat footed, but I had lost 2 of my 3 arches. Once my custom orthotics arrived it was just a short period of time until my plantar fasciitis finally calmed down. On top of my feet feeling better with my new orthotics my lower back tension that I would have at the end of a long day had also disappeared. I saw first hand how orthotics not only helped with foot issues, but how they can help spinal issues when we balance our body from the ground up. I have since that time helped hundred of patients with Footlevelers orthotics and seen they many benefits of custom orthotics. Feel free to contact our office if you would like to have your feet scanned and see if custom orthotics could benefit you.