People with flat feet have no arches or very low arches. That is, the feet do not have a normal arc when standing. This condition can cause pain with prolonged physical activity. The human foot has 33 joints that hold 26 different bones together. It also has more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Foot arches provide a spring to the foot and help distribute body weight across the feet and legs. The structure of the arch determines how a person walks. Belts must be both sturdy and flexible to adapt to pressure and a variety of surfaces. When people have flat feet, their legs can turn inward while standing and walking. Or vice versa, it may rarely turn to the outside. Flat feet, which can sometimes show serious symptoms, may not show any symptoms at all.
What are the Symptoms of Flatfoot?
The most common symptom of flat feet is pain in the feet. This may occur as a result of stretching the muscles or ankle ligaments.
Abnormal pressures on the knee and hip may cause pain in these joints. If the ankles turn inward, these pressures are likely to increase.
Pain most commonly affects the following parts of the body:
- Inside of the ankle
- Arc of the foot
- Knee
- Hip
- Waist
- Lower legs
- Stiffening may also occur in one or both feet.
What Causes Flatfoot?
Common causes of flatfoot include:
People are more likely to develop flat feet if they are obese or have diabetes. Flatfoot is also common during pregnancy.
Flatfoot can also develop with age. Standing too long can weaken the posterior tibial tendon. This tendon is the primary support structure for the arch of the foot. The tendon can become inflamed, this is called tendinitis, or it can tear after overuse. Damage to the tendon can cause the arch of the foot to flatten. ?
In children and infants, arches are usually present, but flat feet may still occur. Having flat feet in early childhood does not mean that a person will always have flat feet. /p>
How Is Flatfoot Diagnosed?
People with flat feet who do not experience pain or other symptoms usually do not need to consult a doctor. However,
- Recently developed flat feet
- Pain in the feet, ankles, or lower extremities
- Symptoms that do not improve with supportive, well-fitting shoes
- People with complaints such as feet feeling hard, heavy and clumsy can seek medical help.
The physician also examines the person's medical history. In some cases, an X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may be required.
People who do not develop symptoms of flatfoot usually do not need treatment. But if flat feet are causing pain, supportive, well-fitting shoes can help. Also, extra-wide shoes can provide relief.
Recessed insoles, orthoses, or specially designed arch supports can reduce pressure on the arch of the foot and reduce pain if the feet roll inward too much. However, these products only treat symptoms and do not provide long-term benefits.
People with posterior tibial tendinitis may find relief by placing a wedge in their shoes along the inside edge of the orthosis. This relieves some of the load that the body puts on the tendon tissue.
Wearing an ankle brace until the inflammation subsides may also be helpful.
Physicians advise some people to rest until their symptoms improve and to avoid activities that may aggravate the foot or feet.
A person with arthritis or a torn tendon can minimize the symptoms by applying a combination of insole and pain reliever. If these don't work, surgery may be necessary.
Some bones do not develop properly in childhood, which can cause flatfoot that persists from birth to adulthood. In these rare cases, surgery may be necessary to separate the fused bones.
When obesity is the cause of flatfoot, losing weight can alleviate symptoms.
What Are the Complications of Flatfoot?
Other foot, People with ankle or lower leg problems may experience the symptoms of flat feet more severely.
For example;
- Achilles tendon damage,
- Ankle or ankles arthritis,
- Hammertoes (Inverted big toe),
- Pantar fasciitis, inflammation of the ligaments on the soles of the feet,
- Posterior tibial tendinitis,
- Those with foot spurs experience severe symptoms.
What are Flatfoot Exercises?
Consult a podiatrist or a physiotherapist. The therapist may recommend specific exercises to manage or prevent flatfoot symptoms.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends the following exercises to increase strength and flexibility in the feet and ankles, which may help relieve some symptoms.
Heel cord stretching: The purpose of heel cord stretching is to stretch the Achilles tendon and hind calf muscles.
- Stand facing a wall and place one hand on the wall at eye level.
- The leg that needs stretching stretch about a step behind the other leg and plant the heel firmly on the floor.
- Bbend the knee of the front leg until you feel a stretch in the hind leg.
- Hold for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. Repeat nine more times.
- It is important to keep the back from being gripped and to keep it straight.
- Do this exercise twice a day.
Flat feet can be hereditary and hereditary causes, unfortunately, cannot be prevented. It can be prevented from worsening the situation and causing extreme pain by wearing it and providing the necessary foot support.
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