How foot orthotics work
At Complete Podiatry, we see clients every day with foot and leg pain that’s stopping them from doing the things they love.
There are many ways we can help, and one of those is using custom foot orthotics as part of a complete management plan.
These aren’t “just insoles.”
Orthotics prescribed by our podiatrists are fully customised, prescription devices made using advanced 3D scanning, computer-aided design, and expert hand finishing to deliver the best fit and results.
Orthotics can be adjusted and recovered
You can read more about what foot orthotics are in these articles:
So, How Do Foot Orthotics Work?
Some people think orthotics are simply arch supports, or that they “hold your feet in the right position.”
The truth is more scientific, and it all comes down to managing forces.
When you walk, stand, or run, your foot is the only part of you in contact with the ground.
Every time it touches down, the ground pushes back with an equal and opposite force (hello, physics!).
Your bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles are designed to handle these ground reaction forces.
But if those forces become too great, change too quickly, or are directed in the wrong way, they can overload certain tissues, leading to pain, inflammation, or injury.
By placing a custom foot orthotic between your foot and the ground, we can change how these forces move through your feet and legs.
This offloads stressed tissues, allowing them to heal and function normally again without pain.
Once the pain settles, we work with you to strengthen those tissues so they can handle more load in the future.
Foot orthotics reduce damaging forces on the feet.
By placing a foot orthotic between your foot and the ground, our Podiatrist can change the way these forces affect your body.
Once damaging forces are lowered in stressed bones or soft tissues, they can begin to heal and we can re-establish normal function without pain.
Once the pain settles and the forces are reduced then we can start to strengthen the damage tissues so they can tolerate more load and force.
Your Orthotics Questions, Answered
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get about how foot orthotics work.
“Don’t orthotics just hold your arch up?”
No. Podiatrist-prescribed orthotics are far more than arch supports.
Custom-Made Orthotics
They don’t simply “hold” or “lift” your feet; they change the way forces act on them.
Getting that right takes expertise, detailed assessment, and the right technology.
“Won’t orthotics make my feet weak?”
Definitely not.
In fact, the opposite is true.
Custom orthotics reduce the damaging load on injured or irritated tissues so they can heal.
Once they’re healed, you can move more comfortably, do more activity, and get stronger.
In the long term, orthotics used as part of a complete management plan will actually help make your feet and legs stronger.
“Can’t I just strengthen my feet instead?”
Strengthening your feet is important, and it’s something we work on from your very first appointment.
But when you’re already injured (like trying to run on a sprained ankle), the damaged tissue can’t cope with that load yet.
Orthotics help by taking the pressure off so the tissue can start to heal, then we progressively load it as part of your rehabilitation plan.
“Why can’t I just buy orthotics at the sports shop?”
There’s a big difference between off-the-shelf insoles and custom orthotics prescribed by a podiatrist.
Generic insoles aren’t shaped to your foot and don’t take your unique biomechanics, footwear, or activity levels into account.
At Complete Podiatry, we start with a thorough biomechanical examination: watching how you walk and move, assessing your strength, and analysing how forces are loading your feet and legs.
We then use a true 3D laser scanner to capture an exact model of your feet.
Our laser scanners enable us to make custom orthotics that will fit your feet perfectly
From there, we design your orthotics specifically to offload the tissues causing your pain.
This means the orthotic you get isn’t “close enough”, it’s made exactly for your feet, shoes, and lifestyle.
Why We Use Laser Scanning
Some clinics use tablet cameras or foam boxes to take impressions.
These can work for basic foot shapes, but they don’t give the same precision or depth of data as our high-resolution laser scanner.
That accuracy matters.
It’s what allows us to fine-tune your orthotics for both comfort and performance.
The Bottom Line
Foot orthotics don’t just hold up your arch, they manage the forces acting on your body, helping painful tissues heal and keeping you moving comfortably.
Used as part of a complete management plan, they can help you get back to doing the things you love and keep you strong enough to keep doing them.
Ready to get moving without pain?
Book an appointment with our Adelaide Hills podiatrists today and see how custom orthotics can help you.
Or call us on 8330 0004, we’d love to help you build an amazing life from the feet up.
Anthony Robinson
Director of Complete Podiatry