Flat Feet ( Pes Plantus)

After you’ve stepped barefoot into a puddle and then on dry cement, you’ll see a footprint. If your footprint is wide throughout the whole footprint, you have a flat foot. A flat foot is when the bones of the feet collapse downward with a step of the foot. The naturally-occurring arches in the feet are not supporting the foot adequately. This results in stressed foot muscles which can make your feet tire quickly from minimal amounts of walking. However, over time, flat feet can lead to other more serious problems that can result in a lot more discomfort and pain, such as heel spurs, plantar fascitis, bunions, calluses, corns, and metatarsalgia. Cause There are several causes of flat feet: • Obesity, which puts more compressive forces on the foot from the added weight • Pregnancy • Repetitive movements that pound the foot into the ground such as running, jumping, and sprinting. Flat feet are worsened by running on hard surfaces such as concrete. • Birth. We are all born with flat feet. The arch develops over time. • Biomechanical flaws of the foot. • Improperly fitting shoes with no support • Running barefoot Treatment and Prevention Flat feet rarely need surgery. By simply adding orthotic arch supports to the shoes, flat feet can be remedied. A heel cup or heel lift may also assist in correcting the over-pronation that occurs in the foot from flat feet.