Living With Healthy Hunger Health Blog
Flat feet are a fairly common condition whose severity varies from case to case. We speak of a flat foot when the arch is visibly flattened, and causes the contact of the sole of the foot when standing. While for some people, flat feet are just a slight deformity without pain or consequence, they can cause more serious problems to others, even requiring related surgery. This is normal in the young child and the baby, who have not yet developed their arches before standing regularly.
Causes
There is no real cause for flat feet, which are common at birth and tend to disappear in the early years. However, some factors may increase the risk of flat feet, and being overweight is one of the first causes. In fact, obese people exert more weight on the feet that support them, and are more often victims of painful flat feet. Age and especially rheumatoid arthritis can also worsen the condition of the feet and their arch.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of flat feet is pain. It can be felt in the foot, the arch, the calf, the knee and even the hip. Indeed, the deformation of the flat foot, the weight of the body is abnormally supported by other parts of the body whose legs and junctions, especially if the ankles are turned inward.
Prevention
Some people with flat feet never suffer from any pain, their bodies naturally aligning to spread the weight of the body. For others, the specialist doctor can suggest different alternatives to relieve the pain associated with flat feet. These include:
Orthopedic Supports: Whether over-the-counter or made-to-measure, orthopedic supports are designed to reduce symptoms by creating an artificial arch.
The Support Shoes: Again, they can be made to measure and aim to support the foot by creating a bow when walking and standing.
Weight Loss: Flat leg and back pain in obese people will primarily be managed by weight loss. Indeed, it is common to see these symptoms disappear once lost weight, which also has other significant benefits on health.
Treatments
When prevention solutions are not enough to reduce pain, the podiatrist can then recommend heavier and generally more durable, treatments such as:
Physical Therapy: Physical therapy by podiatry clinic in Nevada is particularly recommended for athletes and active people because it allows to specifically analyze walking habits and improve them through rehabilitation.
Surgery: Although no surgical operation can solve the problem of flat feet directly, certain related operations may be recommended to reduce the causes causing flat feet, especially those related to tendons.
Finally, the flat feet are not a source of major concern, but it is still recommended to consult a podiatrist as soon as pains are felt on the feet in order to meet the best and avoid other complications.
