Flat feet
Flat feet - Definition
Flat feet - is a condition that occurs when the inside arch of the foot disappears. This means that the entire bottom of the foot comes into contact with the ground when a person is standing.
Usually, flat feet problems don't cause any pain. The condition may occur during childhood when the arches that normally form in the foot as a child grows but fails to develop. Other cases are caused by injuries or by the normal degenerative changes that are associated with aging.
Sometimes flat feet can lead to problems with the ankles and knees. This is because the condition can move the position of the legs out of correct alignment. If a person has flat feet and doesn't have pain associated with the condition, usually no treatment is needed.
A flat foot happens when there is no curve within the foot, allowing the whole foot to touch the ground when standing. People with flat feet problems may experience inconveniences, for example, knee and lower leg pain, tendonitis, back issues, shin support, and even plantar fasciitis.
Knee and lower leg issues may create in light of the fact that the lower legs are compelled to turn inwards making the arrangement of the legs be perplexed. While babies are conceived with flat feet problems, curves, for the most part, create as the feet develop all through adolescence; in any case, a few people may never experience the improvement of a curve.
It is additionally conceivable that the curve may fall over a period of time. Individuals who have already had a curve may experience issues through years of wear and tear that may debilitate the back tibial ligament.
Reasons
Infant and toddlers normally have flat feet problems. This is because the arch of the foot has not yet formed. The arch of the foot develops during childhood in most people, but some people's feet never form arches. Some people who don't have arches in their feet never have problems and flat feet are considered to be a normal type of foot variation.
Over the years, normal wear and tear damage to the tendons of the body causes them to weaken. If the tendon located on the inner aspect of the ankle that provides support to the arch of the foot weakens, the arch of the foot can "fall" and cause flat feet problems.
Risk Factors
Reasons for Flat feet and Fallen Arches:
Flat feet problems in grown-ups can emerge from an assortment of causes. Here are the most widely recognized:
- - An irregularity that is available from birth
- - Extended or torn ligaments
- - Harm or aggravation of the back tibial ligament (PTT), which interfaces from your lower leg, along your lower leg, to the center of the curve
- - Broken or disjointed bones
- - Some health conditions, for example, rheumatoid joint pain
- - Nerve issues
Different components that can expand your hazard include:
- - Weight Gain
- - Diabetes
- - Maturing
- - Pregnancy
There are certain factors that increase a person's risk of developing flat feet. These include:
- - Aging
- - Traumatic injury to the ankle or foot
- - Being overweight or obese
- - Rheumatoid arthritis
Complications
Individuals will probably have flat feet problems, in the event that they have corpulence or diabetes, or amid pregnancy.
Flat feet can develop as individuals age. Day by day activities can make the back tibial ligament debilitate. This ligament is the principle bolster structure of the curve of the feet.
The ligament can wind up plainly aggravated by abuse, known as tendinitis, or be torn. Harm to the ligament may make the curve state of the foot flatten.
Flat feet problems can happen due to a formative blame that happens amid adolescence, or that creates with age, or after pregnancy.
A few people seem to have a low curve or no curve while never experiencing issues. Fallen curves or flat feet problems just need consideration in the event that they prompt discomfort, on the off chance that they demonstrate another fundamental issue, or they can prompt future pain somewhere else in the body.
Flat feet - Symptoms
Most of the time, people don't have flat feet symptoms or pain associated with the disorder. Other people who have flat feet or fallen arches experience pain, especially in the arch of the foot or in the heel. The inside of the ankle may also become swollen.
Many individuals have flat feet require no treatment. In any case, others may encounter the accompanying manifestations:
- - Feet get tired effortlessly
- - Painful or throbbing feet, particularly in the regions of the curves and rear areas
- - The base of your feet swell
- - Foot development, for example, remaining on your toes, is troublesome
- - Back and leg pain
In the event that you see any of these indications, seek the advice of a specialist.
When to see a doctor
If you have foot pain or your feet are causing issues with walking and running, see an orthopedic specialist, podiatrist, or your medical specialist to know what causes flat feet.
Diagnosing the issue requires a couple of tests. Your specialist will search for a curve in your feet as you remain on your toes to determine what causes flat feet. In the event that a curve exists, you don't need to bother with treatment. Your specialist will likely search for flexion in your lower leg.
If you or your child have pain in your feet, talk to your healthcare provider. He or she can help find what causes flat feet problems and help you find a solution.
Diagnostic Procedures for Flat Feet Problems
When you see your doctor for foot pain or for correcting what causes flat feet problems, your feet will probably be checked thoroughly from the front to the back. You may be asked to stand up on your tip-toes so the doctor can see how the mechanics of your feet are functioning. The doctor may also want to look at your shoes to examine the wear pattern.
Individuals with flat feet who don't encounter pain, consult with a specialist to determine what causes flat feet.
Nonetheless, if any of the accompanying signs emerge, medical counsel should be sought:
- a) The fallen curves, or flat feet, have grown as of late
- b) There is a pain in the feet, lower legs or lower appendages
- c) Side effects don't enhance with steady, very much fitted shoes
- d) The feet feel un-flexible or solid
Imaging tests
In individuals with flat feet problems, the instep of the foot interacts with the ground when standing.
To diagnose the issue, the specialist will request that you remain on your toes. If a curve forms, the flat foot is called adaptable. You won't require any more tests or treatment. If the curve does not shape with toe-standing (called unbending flat feet), or if there is the pain, different tests might be required.
If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may want to rule out causes for your pain other than flat feet. Tests that might be recommended include:
- X-rays: An X-ray takes images of the joints and bones of the foot using small amounts of radiation. This test can easily and quickly be used to diagnose arthritis, which could be causing pain in addition to correcting flat feet.
- Computerized Tomography (CT scan): This test takes X-rays images from different angles and combines them to produce more detailed pictures of the foot than standard X-rays.
- Ultrasound: If a damaged tendon is suspected in addition to correcting flat feet, your physician may recommend an ultrasound. This test uses sound waves and can produce detailed images of the body's soft tissues.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the affected area.
Flat feet Treatment
Flat feet treatment and fallen curves rely upon the seriousness and reason for the issue. If flat feet cause no pain or different challenges, at that point flat feet treatment are most likely not required.
Therapy
Some people have pain associated with flat feet. For these people, the following treatments may be recommended:
- Orthotics: Arch supports can be purchased over-the-counter and can sometimes help provide pain relief associated with flat feet. In other cases, special supports are custom-made which fit the unique shape of a patient's foot. These supports are not a cure for flat feet, but they can help relieve the painful symptoms in some cases.
- Stretching: A shortened tendon can complicate flat feet and make the condition painful. Exercises to stretch the Achilles tendon can sometimes help people with flat feet.
- Proper shoes: Shoes that provide adequate support may help relieve the pain of flat feet.
Surgery
Surgery may be required to repair a ruptured or torn tendon for flat feet treatment, but it is not performed only to correct flat feet.
Flat feet treatment surgery is completed to mitigate pain and re-establish work in individuals whose foot curves are low and where orthotics have not made a difference. Issues might be caused by a deformation, harm to the ligament that backings the curve or joint inflammation in the joints around the foot sole area.
What does surgery include?
The strategy is typically done under a general anesthesia with an infusion in the foot to numb it and decrease pain after the operation.
During the treatment surgery, three entry points (cuts) are made in the foot and the painful, harmed ligament on the instep is expelled and supplanted with another ligament (the flexor digorum longus ligament or FDL). This is known as tibialis back ligament recreation.
A method known as calcaneal osteotomy is normally completed in the meantime; this includes influencing a slice in the foot sole area to bone so it can be repositioned and settled with a metal screw. Repositioning the rear area bone enhances support to the foot curve. The specialist may likewise put a metal plate at the highest point of the foot to expand the curve. You will have the capacity to examine these methods with your pro in advance.
Useful Advice
If you have flat feet and are having pain related to your condition, the following suggestions may help:
- Rest: Avoid high-impact activities like jogging or jumping. These can aggravate flat feet. Low-impact activities like swimming, walking or biking will help you stay active but will be easier on your tendons and feet.
- Arch supports: You may want to try over-the-counter arch supports to see if they help your pain and reduce the discomfort caused by flat feet.
- Medications: Over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight adds stress to your feet. Keeping your weight under control may help relieve the pain of flat feet.
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