Every step used to be a painful one for John Jacobs.

"I can equate it to almost like a thorn or spike going into the bottom of your heel.," John Jacobs said.

John was diagnosed with a bone spur and plantar fasciitis, a strain in the band of tissues that helps support the arch in the foot. When stretching, icing and cortisone injections didn't relieve the pain, podiatrist Perry Julien recommended orthotics.

"What I'm going to be doing is applying the plaster to the foot and placing your foot in the neutral corrective position," said Dr. Julien.

The plaster mold is then sent to a lab to be made into a shoe insert. A custom orthotic is a molded insert designed to place the foot in a more mechanically correct position and in doing so help relieve pain.

Dr. Julien claims 40% of his patients with foot pain are fitted with orthotics.

"I really found that they gave me a lot of stability when I'm running and even cycling and subsequently the heel pain has gone away," said John.

They're not a cure, but for John orthotics are a step in the right direction.