Fallen Arches - Flat Feet Find Foot Pain Relief

Flat feet in some adults takes place when there is abecause they are stressing the arch because of an
partial or complete collapse of the arch. The conditioninjury, or due to arthritis, or because they need to lose
is commonly called fallen arches. It usually results from150 pounds. This is serious because it can lead to other
overstretching the tendon that supports the arch or it isfoot problems and affect the alignment of your body
a flatfoot condition you have had from childhood thatand then you have hip problems.
becomes worse as you age. Some women developYou are not alone with your foot problem. The
the problem after pregnancy.American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons report
Fallen arches is one of the more common footthat 5 percent of US adults have painful flatfeet and
disorders among adults. It can be a major problemfallen arches. Your doctor may be able to diagnose
because it leads to other, more serious problems foryour fallen arches just by looking at them.
your feet, ankles, knees and hips. The symptoms doFlexible flatfoot is the most common type of problem.
vary but they usually include pain on the inside of theThat is when the foot is flat when standing and returns
ankle, swelling around the ankle, stiffness in one or bothto a normal arch in non weight bearing positions.
feet. People who are diabetic are more likely to haveUsually it develops in childhood. First line therapy may
fallen arches because they tend to have poor bloodinclude limits on your activities, stretching exercises,
circulation to their foot tendons.custom shoe orthotics and anti-inflammatory
Our feet are incredibly well specialized structures. Eachmedications. Orthotics, soft casts, walking boots and
foot contains 26 different bones which are heldphysical therapy may be recommended for those with
together by 33 joints and more than 100 muscles,adult-acquired flatfoot.
tendons and ligaments. The way they weave and alignIf your condition is serious and your ankle area has
together determines the formation of our arches. Thisbeen swollen for some time you may want to see an
is one of best examples of your body doingorthopedic surgeon. You may be having problems with
multitasking!one of your tendons also. However, surgery may not
Our arches are what give us the spring in our stepsbe needed but you can expect your physician to
and distribute our body weight across our feet andrecommend wearing a custom-designed orthotic or
legs. The arch structure determines how we walk soarch support. Orthotics are molded to the shape of
the arches need to be both sturdy and flexible toyour feet and you slip them into your shoes like the
adjust to different surfaces as we walk.other ready-made shoe inserts.
An easy way to tell if you have fallen arches, but notThese orthotics are usually expensive and can cost
the most accurate, is to make an impression of youryou up to $250 for a pair. Depending on how much
footprint when your feet are wet. The front of yourpain you have, you may be told to limit your walking
foot will be joined to the heel by a strip. If your foot isand weight bearing activities for a time and wear a
flat, then the strip is the same width as the front of thecast boot to give time for the swelling and pain to
foot making the foot print look like a rolled out pizza piesubside.
dough. If your arch is normal, the strip is about half theThere are lots of jokes about flat feet but when they
width of the front of the foot. If you have a high archcause you pain they are not a laughing matter. You
the strip will be very thin.can get help to relieve that pain and prevent further
Children are born with relatively flat feet, the archinjury. Start with a purchase of good walking shoes
develops throughout childhood and is fully developedthat give you lots of ankle support and work up to
by age 12 and 13. Some people lose this arch supportmaking an appointment with a podiatrist.