Flat Feet Treatment

Flat feet is a medical condition in which the sole of the foot rests on the ground completely, i.e. an arch is not formed. The degree of the curvature of the arch could vary and in extreme cases, the arch is not just absent and footprints of such feet actually show a bulging shape. In 20-30% people the arch remains undeveloped. Sometimes, the arch is not visible while it is still developing. This condition cannot be termed as flat foot.

Flat Feet Causes
Flat feet condition could be a congenital or an acquired one. The common form of congenital flat foot is pediatric flexible flat foot. In this condition, the foot exhibits a flat shape when the body weight is placed on it. The condition of acquired flat feet is the result of many possible reasons such as the shoes being used, rupturing of tendons & ligaments present in the foot, sleeping or sitting positions, etc. A tight Achilles tendon can also be the cause behind flat feet. Just like children, adults too can develop flat feet. The causes behind this condition could be an injury, prolonged stress, illness, faulty biomechanics, etc. An increase in elastin during pregnancy may also result in a flat feet temporarily.

Flat Feet Treatment
Flat feet which are not painful do not require treatment at all. Medical conditions such as tarsal coalitions and accessory navicular need to be treated in childhood itself. In a tarsal coalition, bones in the hindfoot or midfoot are abnormally joined. In accessory navicular, an extra bone is present on the inner side of the foot. Treatment should be given early as possible, so that the problem is fixed while the bones are still in the developing stage. Surgical procedures can be used in the treatment of flat fleet. However, due to the complicated procedures involved and limited benefits being offered, the option of surgery becomes time-consuming and costly. When the condition is associated with lower leg or foot pain, may include measures such as foot gymnastics and arch support. These treatments come under the branch of orthotics, in which orthoses are manufactured for correcting the musculoskeletal deformities. Using the orthoses over several weeks results into the gradual improvement/adjustment of the foot structure

Tips for Flat Feet Treatment
The following tips would help in carrying out the process of treatment for flat feet in an effective manner.

• Consistency needs to be maintained in the treatment process in order to obtain positive results.
• The angular corrections to be used should not be too high. One should be allowed to adjust gradually and in case of adults with flat feet, one should be extra careful.
• It may happen that the patient who is not able to tolerate the change may give up and skip the treatment.
• The flat feet arch can be developed to some extent with the help of exercises such as walking on rough terrains.
• One can make use of specially prepared insoles in treating the problem of flat feet.

Strengthening Exercises for Flat Feet
Standing still and walking on toes daily for 5 minutes helps in strengthening the feet muscles. The exercise should be done without touching the heel to the ground. Toe spreads is another exercise which provides good exercise to the feet. The exercise can be performed while lying down, in a sitting position, or even while standing. In this simple exercise, one has to just spread the toes, i.e. create space between them. The toes need to be held in the stretched position for 10 seconds and then released. The exercise need to be repeated 10 times.

The flat feet treatment measures that are mentioned in the above article would prove to be of some help in correcting the problem of flat feet. However, those with a flat feet problem which is asymptomatic and does not exhibit pain need not worry much.