Fallen Arches or Flat Feet Cause Foot Pain
Flat feet in some adults takes place when there is a partial or complete collapse of the arch and the condition is commonly called “fallen arches.” It usually results from overstretching the tendon that supports the arch or it is a flatfoot condition from childhood that becomes worse as you age. Some women develop the problem after pregnancy.
I never gave much thought to the steps I take until I got my pedometer about 3 months ago. It tells me how many ordinary steps I have taken, how many aerobic steps, how many calories it thinks I’ve burned and how many miles I’ve traveled for the day. I am paying attention to all those figures but I am also mindful of my gait, especially its length and if I am well balanced. My friend and infrequent walking partner has flat feet. When she does not wear her orthotics she has so much pain the next day she can hardly walk.
Fallen arches is one of the more common foot disorders among adults. It can be a major problem because it can lead 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.
More in my next post about treatment for flat feet. If you have a good tip, type it in the comment box and will share it with our readers.
To your healthy aging.
Ruthan Brodsky
Tagged with: fallen arches • flat feet • Ruthan Brodsky
Filed under: Foot Health
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Great post about one of the most important parts of our body – one that we forget about until they start speaking to us. Everyone should read your post because it will remind us to take better care of our feet.
I cringe when I see women wearing high heels every single day and know that eventually they will not be able to walk flat. The things we do to our bodies in the name of “beauty” etc.
This is a terrific website and I’m going to link to it in my other blog http://YourDoctorSaidWhat.com – thanks for being in Connie’s challenge
Terrie
Great post! Flat Feet can be effectively treated with orthotics that provide biomechanical support and help feet to function more efficiently. The most effective orthotics are those which are custom made to fit your foot. The orthotic should provide both support for the longitudinal arch and medial rear foot posting to combat over pronation. Orthotics should be combined with supportive footwear that fits the foot correctly and contains a firm, low heel.