Before assuming that surgery is needed, you might want to first seek aid from podiatric inserts, or orthotics, in your shoes, many experts say.

"Shoes are made before the patient comes into the store, so it's very difficult to make a shoe specific for a patient, but a prescription orthotic is made specific for a patient," says Dr. Jeffrey Agricola, an Indiana podiatrist.

If you're suffering from chronic foot discomfort, and you've unsuccessfully tried various interventions, simple orthotic inserts may be the ultimate fix for the problem. "They're mainly a medical device used for a specific reason," says podiatrist Scott Kilberg.

Prescription orthotics are created after a foot doctor examines the foot, forms a diagnosis and takes exact measurements. Then the insert is manufactured at a lab. When inserted in the shoe, it essentially changes the shoe to be more "foot friendly." It can relieve problems from arch to heel to the balls of the feet. Orthotics can cost $400 and up, but many insurance plans cover them.

But there are less expensive alternatives that can be found in grocery stores and drugstores. Many podiatrists like to steer their patients away from spongy inserts, and instead toward firmer products, which provide greater arch support.

The Dr. Scholl's line of inserts has developed a product that's positioned midway between the podiatrist's prescription orthotics and the one-size-fits-all drugstore items. The customer enters a Dr. Scholl's kiosk at a store or mall, removes his or her shoes, and steps onto a mat with 2,000 pressure sensors. These create a precise "map" of the feet. The system then recommends which one of 14 Dr. Scholl's orthotics would best help the customer%u2019s feet.

"That's a better way of doing it than just going to a store and saying, 'This looks OK. I'll get it in my size,'" Kilberg says.

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