Fallen Arches-Flat Feet Find Foot Pain Relief
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Fallen Arches-Flat Feet Find Foot Pain Relief
Ruthan Brodsky has been writing about health and business topics for 27 years Her information can help you solve your most difficult foot problems. Make sure you know how to find the right pair of shoes to reduce pain. Here is her free report http://www.plantarfasciitistreatmentguide.com
Flat feet in some adults takes place when there is a partial or complete collapse of the arch. The condition is commonly called fallen arches. It usually results from overstretching the tendon that supports the arch or it is a flatfoot condition you have had from childhood that becomes worse as you age. Some women develop the problem after pregnancy.
Fallen arches is one of the more common foot disorders among adults. It can be a major problem because it leads to other, more serious problems for your feet, ankles, knees and hips. The symptoms do vary but they usually include pain on the inside of the ankle, swelling around the ankle, stiffness in one or both feet. People who are diabetic are more likely to have fallen arches because they tend to have poor blood circulation to their foot tendons.
Our feet are incredibly well specialized structures. Each foot contains 26 different bones which are held together by 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. The way they weave and align together determines the formation of our arches. This is one of the body’s best examples of multitasking!
Our arches are what give us the spring in our steps and distribute our body weight across our feet and legs. The arch structure determines how we walk so the arches need to be both sturdy and flexible to adjust to different surfaces as we walk.
An easy way to tell if you have fallen arches, but not the most accurate, is to make an impression of your footprint when your feet are wet. The front of your foot will be joined to the heel by a strip. If your foot is flat, then the strip is the same width as the front of the foot making the foot print look like a rolled out pizza pie dough. If your arch is normal, the strip is about half the width of the front of the foot. If you have a high arch the strip will be very thin.
Children are born with relatively flat feet, the arch develops throughout childhood and is fully developed by age 12 and 13. Some people lose this arch support because they are stressing the arch because of an injury, or due to arthritis, or because they need to lose 150 pounds. This is serious because it can lead to other foot problems and affect the alignment of your body and then you have hip problems.
You are not alone with your foot problem. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons report that 5 percent of US adults have painful flatfeet and fallen arches. Your doctor may be able to diagnose your fallen arches just by looking at them.
Flexible flatfoot is the most common type of problem. That is when the foot is flat when standing and returns to a normal arch in nonweight bearing positions. Usually it develops in childhood. First line therapy may include limits on your activities, stretching exercises, custom shoe orthotics and anti-inflammatory medications. Orthotics, soft casts, walking boots and physical therapy may be recommended for those with adult-acquired flatfoot.
If your condition is serious and your ankle area has been swollen for some time you may want to see an orthopedic surgeon. You may be having problems with one of your tendons also. However, surgery may not be needed but you can expect your physician to recommend wearing a custom-designed orthotic or arch support. Orthotics are molded to the shape of your feet and you slip them into your shoes like the other ready-made shoe inserts.
These orthotics are usually expensive and can cost you up to $250 for a pair. Depending on how much pain you have, you may be told to limit your walking and weight bearing activities for a time and wear a cast boot to give time for the swelling and pain to subside.
There are lots of jokes about flat feet but when they cause you pain they are not a laughing matter. You can get help to relieve that pain and prevent further injury. Start with a purchase of good walking shoes that give you lots of ankle support and work up to making an appointment with a podiatrist.
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