Do You Have Flat Feet - Know Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Walking gives everyone a beautiful posture. Almost everyone desires to have a prefect walk. Better yet, to be able to walk without any support. Flat feet, also called fallen arches, is a condition where a person’s foot has no or a very low arch. Here, the sole of foot collapses and comes in complete or near-complete contact with the ground. In some individuals, the arch never develops in their lifetime.

 

Symptoms

 

Most flat feet don’t cause pain or other tribulations. However, some of the familiar symptoms of flat feet may include:

 

•  Pain or swelling in the inner side of the ankle.

 

•  General pain or stiffness in the foot or arch of the foot.

 

•  Pain or swelling in the calf, knee, hip or back.

 

Causes

 

How does a flat foot develop? You may find the answers here

 

•  Hereditary – Experts say that fallen arches can be acquired from family.

 

•  Tarsal coalition – It is a painful flat foot situation where two or more foot bones grow and fuse    together which can lead to limited foot movement.

 

•  Aging – Aging leads to weakened foot muscles and this may lead to flat foot.

 

•  Injury – An injury might cause inflammation of the foot tendons and make the muscles weak and may    further guide to a flat foot arc.

 

- Diabetes or arthritis – These diseases cause foot swellings and tissues joining the foot together    may become loose.Wearing footwear with improper arch support may be another reason for this feet    disorder.

 

Treatment

 

There is no treatment required if the flat feet are painless and don’t cause any problems while walking or running. Other different forms of treatment include:

 

•  Shoe inserts – Shoe inserts like fitted insoles may relieve the arch pressure.

 

•  Ankle brace – An ankle brace helps to hold the foot tendons and provides support in movement.

 

•  Walking barefoot or walking on sand should be considered as much as possible.

 

•  Surgery may be required in more severe cases like clearing the tendon or fusing the foot bones, if required.

 

If there is a prolonged pain in your feet, consult your physician without any delay.