[paulam310]

Maria, I have had 3 custom orthotics made over the years and they all fit very differently.I couldn't wear any of them all day, but only for short periods of time. Instead I found that if I wear a good shoe with medial support (brooks and asics are both certified by the American Podiatric Society) and add a spenco, a soft pad that gives additional support to my arch I am fine. I do agree that orthodics can cause back pain, I remember an incidence at work when I was standing, forcing myself to wear my new hard orthodic, when my back went out on me. I had to leave work immediately and didn't come back for a week. I know that it was caused by the orthodic. When I use to go to spinning class, I would add a store bought arch support made by Dr. Scholl, it was a 3/4 length support. That worked great. I have a whole box of store bought orthodics and I experiment putting them into different shoes to see what works. I know that if I don't have some medial(arch) support, my knees starts killing me. The key is to find that balance. My son has super flat feet, so I also buy him an expensive pair of asics running shoes with great arch support built into the shoe. His gait is so much better than if he is in an unsupported shoe, and I feel that giving him great support in his feet will help his whole spine as he develops into adulthood. If you still want the support of an orthodic you should try finding a shoe store that specializes in fitting you, they will watch the way you walk and look at your feet. I get most of the support I need because of the shoe instead of the orthodic, it works great for me.