An orthotic is a device made from a mold of the foot and is form fitted to the foot. It is worn comfortably in most types of
shoes.
Its purpose is to prevent abnormal motion of the foot while allowing for normal motion.
An orthosis is designed to
control the mechanics of the foot to a precise degree - from the heel contact phase of walking through midstance and toe-off phases.
Absoloutely Not!
A simple arch support is designed to push up against the arch with standing. It is for "static stance"
and not for "dynamic motion". This means that an arch support will not control the biomechanics of foot function at all.
Everyone's feet are different and because bone imbalances are so varied, a precise prescription for each patient is required.
Buying
an arch support over-the-counter is similar to buying prescription eye glasses off the shelf.
An exact understanding of where
the problem lies is required in order to obtain optimum results.
