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Orthotics are basically insoles for your shoes. But they aren't meant to cushion the foot. They provide support for the arches and help the overall health of the foot by providing more support than a standard shoe. A lot of heel pain is caused by lack of arch support. The OTC products are usually made of hard plastic with a cloth lining.
Orthotics that are fitted by a podiatrist can cost several hundred dollars but are custom made to your foot. Actuallly, I've never seen the custom fits, so I don't know how they differ. The better OTC products will run $20 to $50 and work for many people. Others have to have the custom jobs.
[Edited by BktBallRef on Jun 9th, 2005 at 08:35 PM]
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