Flatfoot

Partial or total collapse of the foot arch is a common foot disorder. In most cases, there is some arch when not standing and the foot arch disappears when standing. Flexible flatfoot usually occurs in both feet in a child and progresses in severity throughout the adult years. As the deformity worsens, the soft tissues (tendons and ligaments) of foot may be over stretched and become inflamed.

Symptoms：

Heel, arch and arch pain
Over pronation
Shin splint
Foot fatigue after a long walk or standing
Knee, hip or low back pain

Non-surgical Treatment：

Activity changes：Avoid long walking, standing or running
Weight control：Reduce body weight
Foot orthotics：Provide more support to your foot arch
Foot exercise: Increase the foot muscle strength
Shoe modifications：Wear shoes with more arch support
Medications：Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation

Nonsurgical treatment can reduce your foot pain in most cases。However, some patients still suffer foot pains even with nonsurgical treatment. In this case, surgery may be considered to correct flexible flatfoot and relieve the symptoms.

FAQ

Is flatfoot always painful ？

No. Some flatfoot doesn’t have any symptom and don’t need to take any treatment.

Is it normal that a child has flatfoot ？

Flatfoot in children is very common due to extreme flecible bones at young ages. Most children start to have foot arch developed around 6 years old. However, about 15% of children still don’t have a normal foot arch after 8 years old.

Do children's flatfoot need treatment ？

If there is no symptoms，a flatfoot in children doesn’t need any treatment. However, if foot pain and discomfort start to limit your activities, such as walking or running, then nonsurgical treatment should be considerred.

I have flatfeet. Can I run？

If there is no foot pain, you absolutely can run. However, it’s better to have good arch support when running.

Does flatfeet bring other foot problems ？

Flatfoot can lead to bunion, corns, calluses, shin splints and other foot disorders.

Do I have to do a surgery to treat my flatfeet ？

Surgery may become an option only when patients still have pain that limites their activities after they have tried nonsurgical treatments.

Can an adult develop flatfoot ？

Flatfoot can develop during adulthood to one foot or both feet.

Foot orthotics for flatfoot