Don’t Ignore Flat Feet

Study links this condition to painful foot maladies

Flat feet may seem lie a minor problem, something that you just live with. There's just one problem: if you have pain from flat feet and you decide to tough it out, you're risking bigger problems down the road.

Treatment and prevention of adult flatfoot can reduce the incidence of additional foot problems such as bunions, hammertoes, arthritis, and calluses, and it can even improve a person’s overall health, according to research published in a recent issue of the Journal of Foot & Ankle Surgery.

Overweight males in white-collar jobs are most apt to suffer from adult flatfoot disorder, a progressive condition characterized by partial or total collapse of the arch, according to the research. Symptoms of adult flatfoot include pain, swelling, flattening of the arch and an inward rolling of the ankle. But because flatfoot is a progressive disorder by nature, the study suggests that neglecting treatment or preventive care can lead to arthritis, loss of function of the foot and other painful foot disorders.

Flatfoot disorder may gradually worsen to the point that many of the tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle are simply overworking, often to the point where they tear and/or rupture.

In many cases, flatfoot can be treated with non-surgical approaches including orthotic devices or bracing, immobilization, physical therapy, medication and shoe modifications. In some patients whose pain is not adequately relieved by conservative treatments, there are a variety of surgical techniques available to correct flatfoot and improve foot function.

As in most progressive foot disorders, early treatment for flatfoot disorder is also the patient’s best route for optimal success in controlling symptoms and additional damage to the feet. The goal is to keep patients active, healthy and as pain free as possible.

If you suspect you have a flatfoot disorder or have foot discomfort, Mendoza Podiatry can help. Give us a call at (615) 826-0941.