What is Pes Planus(Flat Feet)?

Flat Feet Treatment

A person who has normal arches does not have to worry about flat feet as much as someone with higher arches because people with a lot of arches are more likely to have this problem. Flat feet occur when the arches inside your foot collapse. The arch of the foot is an area along the bottom of your foot in the small middle section of your foot right near the heel. The arch is formed by a combination of five bones being tightly held together by tendons.

When you stand up, these five bones that are in a curved line along the length of your foot stretch and act as a spring to store up energy which is then used to help you when you jump or just to help you walk. Whenever the arch in your foot falls, this causes the spring in your foot to collapse with it, thus making running more difficult than it should be and whenever this happens it can also cause your foot to look longer and wider.

Flatfeet, a condition where the foot arch is missing, can cause pain and even make your feet feel uncomfortable. It can even cause incorrect alignment throughout the legs and lower back. Our Doveston Health clinic offers a variety of treatments that will tackle the flatfoot condition effectively while reducing pain in your ankle or feet.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Flat Feet

While many people experience some degree of flatfoot, only a small percentage will be troubled by their condition enough to warrant treatment. Depending on your type of flatfoot, the cause of the disorder, your age and other factors, your podiatrist may recommend one or more of the following non-surgical treatment options:

• Activity modifications: Avoidance of activities that agitate the condition, such as running and other sports.
• Custom shoe inserts (orthotics): Custom shoe inserts prescribed by your podiatrist are made specifically to fit the size, shape and needs of your feet. They can be very effective to stabilise the foot and alleviate pain during walking and running.
• Shoe changes: Using shoes that provide better arch support or switching to different types of footwear (sandals, for instance) may be helpful.

If your condition is not properly addressed with non-surgical methods, your podiatrist may suggest surgery to repair the misalignment, functional issue or eliminate pain. As surgical realignment of bones can prolong recovery time, the majority of patients and non-surgery techniques first try.

In conjunction with orthotics, physical therapy may also be used to help stabilise the foot by strengthening the foot muscles and stabilising the muscles around the ankle. For more severe pain or deformity physiotherapy may be needed. There are also surgical options to correct foot structure and function if needed.

Doveston Health’s Approach to treating flat feet

Doveston Health’s primary goal is more than simply treating flat feet. We aim to help you lead a more productive and fulfilling life, even if this means simply walking around without pain. For a number of people without prior medical experience, when they hear that you have flat feet, they tend to underestimate the gravity of the situation.

Eliminating and ensuring your pain goes away is not enough for us. We would like you to keep it that way for the remainder of your life. That is why we custom design our treatment to your needs. At Doveston Health, we pride ourselves on finding the perfect treatment for you. We realize your needs and decide whether your treatment will cover a short period of time or whether it will be a full course of treatment.