Flat feet: What can we do to prevent issues down the road?

Flat feet or pes planus is a condition whereby the arches of the feet are collapsed. Do you have flat feet? If so, read on to find out more about how having flat feet may affect your body and how you can prevent issues further down the road.

 

 

How can flat feet affect me?

 

 

Having flat feet can cause stress on certain structures and imbalances that may give rise to a series of pain and aches in different parts of the body.

• Knee: due to malalignment of the knee, you may develop some discomfort in the knee joints, it may also cause wear and tear in the deeper structures like the meniscus (refer to https://rapidphysiocare.com/meniscus-injury/) and cartilage.
• Hip: the rotation moment at the hip may cause some of your hip muscles (i.e. gluteus medius) to weaken, so you may be predisposed to developing Lateral Hip Pain (i.e. Trochanteric Bursitis; refer to https://rapidphysiocare.com/hip-trochanteric-bursitis/, Gluteal Tendinopathy) issues.
• Lower Back: the weakened hip muscles further increases the load on the lower back. This stresses the muscles supporting your back and may eventually cause discomfort and pain to build up in the area.

 

How do we prevent further issues down the road?

 

 

• Wear Supportive Shoes: Having supportive shoes (shoes with a fitting heel cup) reduces the load on the foot and ankle by reducing the amount of movement at your ankle joint.
• Consider Arch Support: Orthotics/arch supports can be purchased off the counter. But should they not work, you can consult a Podiatrist for custom solutions (https://www.thefootpractice.com/about-us/our-podiatry-team/)
• Physiotherapy: Exercises to enhance foot function and biomechanical optimization can help (refer to https://rapidphysiocare.com/flat-feet/). You may also want to consider further strengthening of the hip and knee to reduce the impact on the foot. If you are symptomatic or in pain, electrotherapy or pain-relieving modalities can be administered.

For more information on how Physiotherapy may be able to reduce Flat Feet associated issues, do not hesitate to contact Rapid Physiocare through our website www.rapidphysiocare.com or call +65 6904 4900.