What are flat feet?†We will be discussing treatments in our next blog.
What Are Flat Feet?
It is normal for people to be born with or develop arches in their feet. This is how the foot should look, but sometimes people are either born with high arches, which cause over-pronation, or they with low to no arches, causing flat feet. Your feet are not meant to be flat against any surface when you are standing, which is why you experience significant pain when simply walking from the bedroom to the kitchen. There are many causes of flat feet, some of which are:
- A history of flat feet in your family.
- A weak arch, which means that you have an arch when you are not putting pressure on your foot.
- Arthritis is also a cause.
- Another cause is diabetes, which can easily be managed with diabetic shoes.Â
What Are The Symptoms?
When you ask what are flat feet, one of the important elements is to know the symptoms of the condition. The most obvious sign that you have flat feet is that you do not notice an indentation in your foot when you look at it. If your foot does not look like other feet, then it is highly likely that you have flat feet. However, as stated above, you may have an arch but it is weak, which causes your foot to become flat when pressure is put on it. This is harder to notice, but you will feel symptoms. For both weak arches and flat feet the symptoms are as follows:
- Pain in your ankle (including swelling), in the arch of your foot or where it should be, your calves, knees, hips, and back. You may not have these specific pains but just generalized pain in your entire foot and lower leg region.
- You may experience a feeling of stiffness in one or both of your feet.
- Your shoes may be uneven when you wear them.Â
Who Is More At Risk For Developing Flat Feet?
While most people are born with this condition, flat feet can develop over time.There are different health conditions that are risk factors for developing this condition. These conditions are:
- Being overweight.
- Diabetes (either Type 1 or Type 2).
- The aging process.
- If you are pregnant.
- Having rheumatoid arthritis.
- Injuries done to the feet or ankles.Â
In Closing
If you believe you have or are developing flat feet, you should contact your doctor immediately to get started on a treatment process. In our next blog, we will be discussing what the available treatments are for flat feet. The Orthotic Shop is dedicated to helping our clients find the best possible shoes to help with any condition, including flat feet. We have a number of orthotic devices that will help ease pain and help you to live a fun a full life. Take a look around and order today!