If you suffer from a flat foot condition and this is affecting your walk or exercise pattern, call us at 062923 00396 or book your appointment now & consult with a foot care advisor today. Most flat feet kids feel no pain or discomfort but if your child does complain of any flat foot pain without an immediate cause in the leg or the foot area you should get a consultation from a podiatry clinic. The exact root causes of flat feet in children and adults, except being genetically derived, are a little hard to determine but research has provided us with certain indications.
The feet of adults usually have an arch (an upward curve) between the forefoot and the heel. This structure is caused due to tendons. There are multiple tendons that connect and pull the lower legs and the bones of the feet, causing the arch. The arch is usually developed as a person grows older and is not present from birth. Flat foot is therefore very commonly found in children.
Symptoms
Flat foot conditions in adults usually do not cause health complications and do not require treatment for the same. However, for some people, it may cause chronic pain and compromise mobility.
Flat feet
Step 1 of 3 · Normal arch · inside of the foot
Symptoms usually include
- Chronic tiredness of feet
- Persistent pain in the heels or midfoot
- Swollen feet (without apparent reason)
- Back or leg pain
- Over-pronation (wherein the pressure of walking occurs in the inner edge of the foot instead of on the forefoot/ball of the foot)
The simplest way to check for a flat foot is to see if your foot has an upward arch. You can also wet your foot and make an imprint on a flat surface. The flatness of the foot is directly proportional to the area that touches the ground (the more the area, the flatter the foot).
Causes of Flat Feet
There can be a number of causes for the development of a flat foot:
- Genetic inheritance
- Injury to the bones of the foot causing break or dislocation
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Nerve issues or damage
- Injury to the tendons (such as a tear or unnatural stretching)
- Diabetes
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscular dystrophy
- Pregnancy
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
Flat Feet Treatment
There are simple treatments for flat feet that can be followed and the condition usually does not require surgical intervention. Depending on the recommendation of the foot doctor, the following methods of treatment can be followed:
Custom insoles and shoes
Custom insoles & shoes: Custom Insoles or shoes that are specifically designed for your flat feet help by providing accurate arch support as required. This, in turn, helps with the prevention of overpronation of the feet. Custom footwear also helps in relieving persistent foot pain. Usually, the customizations are modified over a period of time to let the user get habituated to wearing orthoses. People usually wear custom footwear to avoid discomfort and get relief from pain for the length of their lives
Physical therapy
Physical therapy: Consult a physiotherapist for recommendations for foot exercises – certain forms of exercise can help in the cure of foot and ankle pain caused by flat feet.
Treating the underlying ailment
Treatment of the underlying ailment: Treating the ailment causing flat feet may provide relief from the symptoms. For example, losing weight for obese people, or addressing injured tendons can relieve you of the pain associated with flat feet. It is recommended to refer to a foot doctor for the same.
Painkillers
Painkillers: A doctor may decide to prescribe pain relief medication to treat the symptoms caused by a flat foot.
It is highly recommended that you consult a doctor in case you suffer from extreme pain, discomfort or swelling caused by flat feet, to understand the issue at an early stage and start the treatment process before the symptoms turn severe.
Facts on flat feet
What is flat feet?
Flat feet or fallen arches is a common problem that may causes chronic pain and compromise mobility. Feet of adults usually have an arch (an upward curve) between the forefoot and the heel The arch is usually developed as a person grows older and is not present from birth. Flat foot is very commonly found both in children and in adults. Consult your CuraFoot doctor for a thorough diagnosis.
- An inflammation of the Achilles tendon can lead to degeneration.
- The pain caused by this condition can develop gradually and can present as a shooting pain or a burning pain
- It should not be left untreated due to the danger that the tendon can degenerate to become weak and may rupture
- This condition is aggravated by activities that repeatedly stress the tendon.
- This is a common problem experienced by athletes or active people.
- Individuals who suffer from this often state that their pain lessons with activity as the Achilles tendon warms up and stretches.
What causes flat feet?
Flat feet in adults usually do not cause major health complications. However, for some people, it may cause chronic pain, compromise mobility and impair quality of daily living.
Symptoms usually include:
- Chronic tiredness of feet
- Persistent pain in the heels or midfoot
- Arch Pain
- Back or leg pain/Muscle Fatigue
- Over-pronation (wherein one walks on the inner edge of the foot )
- The simplest way to check for the flat foot is to see if your foot has an upward arch. You can also wet your foot and make an imprint on a flat surface. The flatness of the foot is directly proportional to the area that touches the ground (the more the area, the flatter the foot).
There can be a number of causes for the development of flat foot:
- Genetic inheritance runs in the family
- Injury to the bones of the foot
- Rheumatoid or Inflammatory arthritis
- Injury to the tendons (such as tear or unnatural stretching)
- Diabetes
How to help treat and relieve flat feet pain?
Depending on the recommendation of the foot doctor, the following methods of treatment can be followed:
- Custom insoles : Custom Insoles that are specifically designed for your feet help by providing accurate arch support. This, in turn, helps with the prevention of over-pronation of the feet. The custom insoles also help in relieving the persistent foot pain. Usually, the customizations are done over a period of time to let the user get habituated to wearing orthoses. People usually wear custom insoles to avoid discomfort and get relief from pain for the length of their lives
- Physical therapy: Consult a physiotherapist for recommendations on foot exercises – certain forms of exercise can help in foot and ankle pain caused by flat feet.
- Treatment of the underlying ailment: Treating the ailment causing flat foot may provide relief from the symptoms. For example, losing weight for obese people, or addressing the injured tendons can relieve you of the pain associated with flat feet. It is recommended to refer to a foot doctor
- It is highly recommended that you consult a doctorin case you suffer from persistent pain and discomfort, to diagnose the ailment at an early stage and start the treatment process before the symptoms turn severe. Consult your CuraFoot doctor for a thorough diagnosis.
If it is your child’s feet you are worried about, see our Children’s Foot & Walking Clinic page.
