A flat foot or what is mostly referred as fallen arches is a situation that happens when the arch of the leg collapse to the point that the entire foot is in contact with the floor or the bottom of the shoe. With such, victim foot has little or no arch space that should encounter the earth when one is walking barefooted. This occurrence is universal among humans in Asians countries affecting almost 20% of the citizens in these countries. This phenomenon is most felt when one is walking, but most people think it is like a standard case.
A flat foot is detected when one experience pain during a race or after a long distance walk. Like any other deformities, a flat foot developed in various ways. Some are as a result of natural birth while others come about in life after encounters with injuries.
In this article, we will exclusively dwell on all that is involved as far as flat feet are concerned. Some people will tend to ask themselves what are flat feet causes, symptoms, treatment and if the condition is curable.
Let us see; How flat feet come about
An ideal foot has its arch curved inside both feet. This occurrence leaves an arch-shaped depression on the inner part of the foot. However, a person with flat feet has no arch, and the whole foot is plat primarily rectangular shaped. When one is an infant surprisingly, the arch is never present but as you grow and runs to stand and walk the arch starts forming itself. This fact, therefore, is a wake-up call to parents to ensure that they help their children to run to walk as early as possible to avoid flat feet in their future life.
When a child fails to practice frequent walking, he or she can develop a tarsal condition. A tarsal state is a situation where the two bones of the foot that work alternatively when one is walking, fails to separate resulting in a limitation in walking and later flat feet. A tarsal condition is characterized by pain in the infants as they try to walk by themselves. When a tarsal situation is allowed to prevail, it results in a permanent flat foot that becomes a challenge to rectify.
Even if you have a foot that is not flat, it does not mean you cannot experience a flat foot in the entire life. Our feet’s are made to adjust themselves and fit with the shape of the footwear. If you are a fan of slippers or sandals, a kind of footwear that do not give support to the foot arch you may likely develop a flat foot shortly.
A flat foot is also caused by the habit of wearing high heels. High heels make short and tight the tendon of the Achilles resulting in the ankle bending in the wrong way that leaves the arch a chance to pick the slack.
Does a flat foot have any effect on the victim?Having a flat foot is not a disability. It does not interfere with your style of walking or running or hamper the usability of your feet. A flat foot is a natural phenomenon, and you should never worry so much just in case it happens to you. However, if you force your foot to develop an arch by putting up footwear that is tighter, it can be painful and causing cause blister.
The most disgusting thing is that when your feet have no arch, the other parts of the body must compensate the gap. This causes pain on the Gastrocnemius bone and muscles of the leg and the back due to the body strain.
Fallen arches also cause leads to Plantar Fasciitis a condition that happens when the bottom of the feet stretches itself too far hence tearing or become more inflamed. This situation causes the sole to become more rigid.
On an extreme case of flat feet, it results in pronation. This is a condition where the foot turns inward to the extent that when one is walking, you might think the feet will hit each other. Though feet curving inward in human is a normal occurrence, too much inward curve is considered abnormal. Such a person normally suffers from reduced body balance, and when running, one can easily fall.
How to prevent an occurrence of flat feet
If one realizes has a flat foot in early life stage say at the age of 15 years and below the condition can be gradually rectified. As we mentioned our feet, adapt to the shape of the footwear. It is therefore essential to support your arch using the right shoe at all times to avoiding overgrowth. Also, the activities you like engaging in daily should tell the type of shoe to put on. If you are a sports person with flat feet, ensure your shoe has an ample space to accommodate your flat feet but change to a shoe with an arch gradually.
Those shoes that we go ordering over the internet or buying from your local shoe vendor does not put your foot type into account. The manufacturer considers the shoe number, and that is all. You, therefore, need to ensure once you buy your favorite should, you put your feet type into consideration. Two people can wear a shoe that is of the same number but the shoe mode of making when it comes to arch cause the difference. If it becomes more challenging to get yourself a fitting shoe and it happens you need to visit your local arch support specialist, ensure you bring yourself with the shoe that you mostly wear.
Can surgery be the option to rectify flat feet?
Some people argue that most body deformities are rectified only through body surgery. With flat feet, however, it is not necessary to seek medicines even if the feet are painful. You can do a lot of exercise with the help of a specialist which guarantee you win at the end. If none of the remedy methods fails to work and the pains continue, you can opt for surgery.
