Flat feet, also called pes planus or fallen arches. Although most people are born with a certain arch in their feet, not everyone has a perfectly intact arch. There are many reasons for flat feet. If you have flat feet, it will affect the normal structure and function of your feet, often causing discomfort when walking, running, standing, and other activities.
In this blog, we will look deeply at the definition, common symptoms, causes, and treatments of flat feet. Whether you have just discovered that you have flat feet or have been suffering from them for a long time, this article will provide effective advice to help you understand how to manage this problem.
What are flat feet
Flat feet refer to a condition in which the arch of the foot is missing or collapsed, causing the entire sole to contact the ground. When people with flat feet stand, the arch of the foot is not obvious. It may be congenital or acquired, and it may affect one or both feet. Babies are born with flat feet and the arch of the foot forms in early childhood. Flat feet are a common foot problem, especially among adults. About half of people may experience some degree of flat feet.
Types of flat feet
Your doctor may classify your flat feet as flexible or rigid (sometimes flat or always flat). Flat feet can also be congenital (due to a condition present at birth) or acquired (occurs later in life).
Congenital flat feet: Usually present in childhood, some babies have a birth defect that prevents the arch from developing, and poor arch development due to genetic factors.
Acquired flat feet: The arch collapses, usually due to long-term burden, injury, disease (such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis), or aging. This happens in adulthood, or after the natural arch of the foot has formed.
Flexible flat feet: This type of flat feet is the most common type, and the arch collapses when standing, but returns to normal when resting or lifting the foot.
Rigid flat feet: Your foot has no arch, whether you are standing or sitting, and the arch does not return or improve, usually accompanied by pain. This type of flat feet is rare.
Symptoms of flat feet
Most people with flat feet do not experience pain or other uncomfortable symptoms.
Pain in the heel or sole of the foot: Flat feet often cause pain in the heel, arch, or sole of the foot, especially after standing, walking, or running for a long time.
Foot fatigue or discomfort: People with flat feet may feel tired, heavy, or even unbearable in their feet.
Improper gait: Due to lack of arch support, gait may change, causing the heel to turn outward or inward when walking.
Knee, hip, or lower back pain: Due to the change in gait caused by flat feet, you may experience discomfort or pain in the knees, hips, or spine.
Causes of flat feet
Genetic factors: If you have a history of flat feet in your family, you are more likely to have flat feet.
Long-term standing or excessive weight bearing: If you have a long-term standing job or often exercise and are physically active, it is easy to increase the burden on your feet. Then you are at a higher risk of flat feet because your feet and ankles may be injured.
Aging: As you age, the elasticity of the ligaments and muscles in the feet decreases, which can easily lead to flat feet. It is more common in women over 40 and pregnant women.
Obesity or overweight: Extra weight increases the pressure on the feet, which can cause or worsen flat feet.
Diseases and injuries: Diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and neurological diseases can affect the health of the feet and cause flat feet.
How to tell if you have flat feet
Self-examination method
Wet foot test: Soak your feet and step on paper or a flat surface to observe the footprints. If your footprint looks like a complete foot without a clear arch, then you are likely to have flat feet.
Observe the arch shape when standing: Observe whether the arch collapses significantly when you stand, or whether you can see a clear arch curve on the inside. You can look at your feet. If you have flat feet when standing straight, then your calves may turn inward and buckle into your knees, forming X-shaped legs. To maintain balance, the pelvis will also compensate, causing the pelvis to tilt forward.
If only one side of your arch collapses, it is likely to cause an imbalance in the pelvis, resulting in scoliosis or uneven shoulders, which will not only affect the appearance, but over time, it will also cause more serious problems such as knee pain or back pain. So if you already have these problems, the first thing you should check is not these parts themselves, but your feet.
Observe the arch shape when sitting: Sit on a chair and lift your feet to your knees. If you have no arch at all when looking from the side, you likely have structurally flat feet, which may be caused by congenital heredity or acquired foot sprains. If you have an arch when looking from the side, but there is a problem of foot eversion or arch collapse when stepping on the ground, it is likely acquired, which may be caused by weight gain, muscle imbalance in other parts, long-term running, and heavy weight strength training.
Sensory examination: Do you feel pain in the heel or sole of the foot after standing or walking for a long time?
To learn more about arch types, please read: What's Your Types of Arches?
Can flat feet be corrected?
For most adults, it may be difficult to fully restore the natural arch shape, especially because of age, ligament or joint changes. However, with proper correction and treatment, the symptoms and effects of flat feet can be effectively alleviated and the function of the foot can be improved. The goal of treatment is usually to reduce pain, improve gait, and prevent further injury, rather than completely restore the arch.
If you are born with flat feet, can they be corrected?
Flat feet are common in infants and young children because their arches have not yet developed. Most people's arches develop throughout childhood, but some people's arches never develop.
If you are born with flat feet, it is difficult to correct them, especially in adulthood, and it is almost impossible to completely restore the normal arch shape. However, with appropriate treatment, such as using custom insoles, physical therapy, and wearing appropriate shoes, most people can effectively relieve symptoms, improve gait, and reduce the pain and discomfort caused by flat feet. For patients who have a serious impact on their daily life, surgery can be considered. Therefore, although there is no complete cure for congenital flat feet, with appropriate treatment and management, most patients can maintain normal activities and improve their quality of life.
Is flat feet a disability?
Flat feet themselves do not constitute a disability.
Most people with flat feet do not have obvious symptoms, and the collapse of the foot does not affect their daily life or work. For those with flat feet who have severe symptoms, such as persistent pain in the sole of the foot, heel pain, and abnormal gait, if these problems affect their work, activities, or social life, they may have a certain degree of impact on their quality of life.
If flat feet lead to additional complications (such as plantar fasciitis, knee or back pain, etc.), and these complications seriously affect the individual's mobility, then the patient may face activity restrictions. However, such cases still require specific medical evaluation and cannot be simply classified as a disability.
Why are flat feet not allowed to join the military?
The military has strict standards for physical fitness and physical fitness, especially when it comes to high-intensity physical activities and long periods of standing and walking. Enlisted personnel are required to ensure that they have sufficient physical strength, endurance, and health to cope with various high-intensity missions and emergencies. Flat feet, especially those cases with symptoms that affect daily activities and physical performance, are often considered a potential health risk factor. Therefore, the military may list it as one of the health problems that do not meet the enlistment standards.
Is plantar fasciitis the same as flat feet?
Plantar fasciitis and flat feet are two different conditions, but there is a certain connection between them. Flat feet may increase the risk of plantar fasciitis.
Flat feet increase the risk of plantar fasciitis: When the arch of the foot collapses, the plantar fascia is overstretched, causing it to be under tension for a long time. This overstretching increases the burden on the plantar fascia and can easily lead to plantar fasciitis.
Uneven gait and pressure distribution: Flat feet make the pressure distribution of the foot uneven, causing excessive pressure on certain areas of the foot, which may further cause damage and inflammation of the fascia, thus causing plantar fasciitis.
Symptom overlap: Since flat feet often cause long-term fatigue and pain in the feet, which is similar to the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Therefore, some flatfoot patients may experience foot pain similar to plantar fasciitis, especially in the heel and medial side of the sole.
Plantar fasciitis is caused by excessive stretching and damage to the plantar fascia, often accompanied by inflammation. The pain is usually concentrated in the heel and is caused by excessive movement or pressure.
Flat feet are defects in the structure of the foot, manifested as a missing or flat arch. Symptoms include fatigue in the sole of the foot, unstable gait, or pain in certain parts, but not necessarily accompanied by heel pain.
Which part of the foot does flat feet cause pain?
Heel (plantar fasciitis, heel pain)
Arch and sole (sole pain, arch discomfort)
Ankle (ankle pain, ankle instability)
Toe (toe deformity)
In addition to foot pain, these areas may also be accompanied by pain:
Knee (knee pain, excessive wear, and tear on the knee joint)
Hip and lower back (hip pain, lower back pain)
Calf (calf muscle fatigue, calf soreness)
The pain of flat feet is not limited to the foot itself, but may also affect other parts of the body such as the knee, hip, and back. The collapse of the arch changes the pressure distribution in the foot, causing additional burden on the foot and other joints in the body, which in turn causes pain. Therefore, if the above pain symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek professional medical help as soon as possible and take appropriate treatment measures, such as supportive insoles, physical therapy, etc.to relieve symptoms and avoid long-term health problems.
Accessories and supports to help flat-foot patients
Choose the best shoes for flat feet: Flat-foot patients should choose shoes with soft soles to help the tendons support the arch and stabilize the heel. They should also choose shoes that cover the sides of the foot and the heel to prevent the heel from twisting or the foot from rolling inward.
In addition to using specialized running shoes, people with flat feet can learn some simple tips for choosing other types of shoes, which can also help reduce problems such as shoe pinching, foot pain, corns, ankle inflammation, etc.
Choose high-quality, durable shoes by looking at the stitching and materials inside and outside the shoes.
Try on shoes at night, because the feet swell and expand the most during the day when weight-bearing activities cause blood to flow into the feet. This helps avoid buying shoes that are too tight.
When buying shoes, always try them on in person, wearing socks if necessary, to make sure the shoes are not too tight or too loose. Then, try walking, stepping forward and backward, and trying to jump to make sure the shoes do not slip or fall off.
Choose the best insoles for flat feet: If you find that you have flat feet, the first thing to do is not to do corrective exercises, because it is impossible to see results in a short time but to use external support to return to a balanced position first so that you don’t further compensate when you walk, run, and do various exercises.
According to a 2020 survey, after 34 participants were given customized insoles and followed up for a year, their running speed, jumping ability, and cardiopulmonary function were significantly improved, and 10 of them are structural flat feet. Although some surveys have found that customized insoles are not very helpful for us to restore the arch of the foot, they can at least alleviate the problems in other parts of the body caused by the imbalance of the plantar.
However, there is a serious problem with customized insoles, that is, the price is too expensive. It is worth mentioning that many high-level athletes use insoles to avoid injuries. For example, when James sends fans shoes, he often takes out the insoles. It's not that afraid of irritating the other person, but because the insoles are customized and very expensive.
PCSsole insoles are recommended here. These insoles are cheaper than customized insoles and are suitable for a variety of arch types. The insoles have arch support to provide lasting support and comfort. The deep U-shaped heel cup can wrap your feet well without moving left and right, improve stability and balance, and relieve foot pain. Universal Arch Support insoles are recommended for daily walking, running, and hiking. Runners who want to improve their running performance are recommended to use Running Flexible Performance insoles. You can also use the insole finder to quickly help you find the right insoles.
Four actions effectively help flat feet recover and build arches
When our feet have a certain support that allows us to maintain balance, we need to strengthen and stretch the relevant muscles so that the arches can slowly recover. Here are four very simple actions that can help us effectively recover and build arches without any tools:
The first action
Stretching the toes and Achilles tendon: After lying on the ground, touch the ground with your toes, then slowly sit back on your feet, and fully feel the stretching of your toes and soles. If you feel too painful, you can move your body forward a little to reduce the pressure, then return to the starting position, stick the two insteps inward to the ground, and slowly sit back. At this time, you can feel an obvious stretch on the front of the calf. Hold each for three seconds and then return. This action can effectively improve the flexibility of the toes and ankles, preparing for the next action.
The second action
Static foot inversion contraction: If you have flat feet, then there is a high probability that it will be accompanied by foot eversion. At this time, if we imitate a foot inversion movement and strengthen the entire muscle chain at the same time, it will be a good help for us to form the arch of the foot. First, open your feet to the same width as your shoulders, then arch your feet while your big toes are on the ground, imitating a high arch movement, and externally rotate your calves, knees, and thighs at the same time, tighten your hips, then you will feel that your entire lower body is in a tight and stable state, hold this position for 5 seconds, and then return to the original state. If you think it is relatively simple, you can tie an elastic rope on your thigh, so that while helping you build the arch of the foot, it can also correct other body problems.
The third action
Single-leg heel raise external rotation: Friends with flat feet generally have weak tibialis posterior muscles, so this action can effectively help us strengthen this muscle. First, stand on one foot against the wall, do a single-leg heel raise, and then rotate your body outward while keeping your toes in place. At this time, you should feel a significant contraction of the calf muscles, slowly restore, do ten times on one side, and then switch sides.
The fourth action
Alternate toe contraction: Because many shoes are now designed to be narrow, our control over toes will become worse and worse, and may even change the shape of our toes, resulting in toe valgus. This action can effectively help us strengthen our control over toes, thereby further helping us build the arch of the foot. First, stand on the ground with your feet shoulder-width apart. While keeping your big toe on the ground, lift the other four toes. After returning to the original position, lift the big toe alone, alternating 10 times in total. If you find it difficult, you can practice sitting down first. If you find it simple, you can also tie an elastic rope on the big toe, which can help us correct toe valgus.
For flat feet patients
Flatfoot does not necessarily cause pain. Flatfoot is usually accompanied by eversion of the foot, but eversion of the foot does not mean flatfoot. Flatfoot does not completely represent sports performance. Many high-level athletes have flatfoot, such as James and Bolt. So if you have this problem, I hope you will not give up sports because of it, but do targeted training after evaluation, which will definitely help.
Share:
Best Christmas Gift: Why Choose PCSsole Insoles